Dr. med. Thomas Lukowski

I thought I had to prepare myself for a life in pain.

Acupuncture helped Thomas K. (43) to get rid of his headache attacks almost altogether:

When did you first notice your headache?
That was about three years ago. I am a specialist retailer for office technology. But that does not mean that I am constantly working at the computer. It means that I am constantly on the road. When the severe headaches occurred more and more frequently, it became clear to me that this was due to the many hours behind the wheel.
What did you do?
I took pills. But after a while, they did not help any more. I used to wake up in the morning with a headache and with a pounding feeling of pressure behind the forehead, which persisted throughout the day and only got a little better in the evening. A year ago I finally went to see a doctor, an orthopedist.
What did the doctor diagnose you with?
It was exactly what I had suspected: Tension headache, presumably caused by too much driving. The X-ray image showed worn cervical vertebrae.
What kind of treatment did you receive?
I got shots and massages. In the beginning that was helpful, but the effects did not last. Sometimes I was desperate and thought that this pain might stay with me for the rest of my life. I am not someone who gives up easily. So I did not let the others know about my problems when I could avoid it. But the pain caused me to develop something like an aggressive attitude. I think, back then I have treated a lot of people unfairly, especially my secretary.
How did you get the idea to see an acupuncturist?
My partner was a patient of a doctor gives acupuncture treatment. She told me about him and suggested that I go to see him.
Were you sceptical?
Actually I wasn't. I knew about acupuncture what everybody knows, what the magazines write about it, and for the most part, what I had read sounded encouraging. And I really did not want to continue forever with the shots and massages, so I was ready to try acupuncture.
What kind of an experience was it?
When the doctor inserted the needles into my forehead, ears, arms, hands, legs, and feet, I first felt pain. Then it was very pleasant, a deep, nice relaxing feeling.
Did the headache stop?
No. On the contrary, the pain got stronger at first. But the doctor had told me before that this could happen and that it was absolutely normal. A week later, after the second treatment, I already felt much better. I left the doctor’s office without my headache.
How many sessions did you have?
The sessions continued for three months, with one session per week. Now it’s once every two weeks. And soon I'll go in once every three weeks for a session. Sometimes, the headache comes back, but only for an hour or so – not for the whole day as before. And it is not as strong as before. And because I know that, I can handle it very well. Overall, thanks to acupuncture I have become more relaxed. Surely, my secretary can confirm that.

I have not smoked a cigarette in six months!

Silvia P. (38) from Munich had smoked heavily since adolescence. Thanks to acupuncture, she was able to give it up:

For how long did you smoke?
For 23 years. I used to smoke at least a pack a day, often more than that. Naturally, I tried every now and then to give it up, but it never worked, not even with nicotine patches. That did not work at all.
How did it occur to you to try acupuncture?
I had already had positive experiences with acupuncture. I had received treatment for hay fever, migraine and tinnitus, and it had always helped. So when I read something about a cure for nicotine addiction in an acupuncture magazine I had come across in my doctor's office, I thought: I've got to try that myself.
How many sessions did you need?
The doctor first explained to me that the sessions would be more effective if I don’t smoke just before going in for treatment. I received three sessions during the first week. Then seven more, of 20 minutes each, once a week. The treatment focused on the addiction point at the ear and at the outside of the hand.
Can you describe the effect?
Well, already during the first session, I was totally relaxed, and my nose was suddenly unblocked. During the first two weeks, I felt quite tired, but right from the beginning the craving for cigarettes had decreased remarkably. After around the third week, I always had tons of energy after the acupuncture sessions. I could also breathe, smell and taste things much better. Once I went to a flower shop, and I could distinguish the smell of every single flower!
Did you have withdrawal symptoms?
In the beginning, I was a little jittery and nervous at times. And I would also crave food, as a lot of people do. But I was able to control that pretty well, and instead of chocolate, I took cocktail tomatoes along to the office. It’s funny that I thought more about smoking while I was relaxing, for instance when I was having a cup of coffee, never when I was under pressure.
Do you still feel tempted to smoke in certain situations?
Hardly ever. It does not upset me at all when somebody else is smoking. On the contrary, I always look at the smokers around me, and I think: I really put that behind me! Or in the office, when the colleagues go out to have a cigarette break, I am thinking: No thank you! I really think that acupuncture has strengthened my psychic resistance. My psychic and physical resistance.
Are you feeling better today?
Yes. I can breathe better, and I feel much healthier. Especially when I practice sports – my husband and I often go into the mountains for climbing or hiking excursions. I simply feel fitter, and I can strongly recommend acupuncture.

How did your problems first start?
I have to say that I had been under a lot of strain for quite a while, at work and also at home, but I had simply ignored that. My problem was triggered by a severe cold that had weakened me a lot. But after a few days I thought I was over it and went back to the office. And suddenly the problems started.
How did you first notice the symptoms of depression?
I suddenly had trouble breathing, I couldn't get enough air. And on top of that I felt this apprehensiveness and a terrible pressure on the chest. I immediately thought that it was the heart or blood pressure and went to see an internist.
What did the doctor say about the symptoms?
He carefully checked me through and could not find anything unusual, really. When I told him about my panic attacks, the claustrophobia and sleeplessness, he suspected psycho-somatic causes.
And how did you get the idea to see an acupuncturist?
My wife is a receptionist at a doctor’s office that refers a lot of patients for acupuncture treatment. She gave me the advice to try it myself. At first, I was skeptical, and to tell you the truth I did not believe that these needles would be effective. But if you are really desperate, you cling to every straw.
What changed after the acupuncture treatment?
I went to a psychotherapist who is also an acupuncturist. First we had a long conversation, and then we talked about the acupuncture treatment. During the first session I received acupuncture at the ear and at the wrists, and I already had the feeling that moment: Something is changing. I felt calmer somehow, and I was happier and lighter.
How many sessions did you have?
There were five in total. But the second session was the most important one. I was hit as if struck by lightning: In one instant, all tensions were gone, and I fell deeply asleep. From that moment on, practically all my problems were gone. This intense effect did not occur in the following sessions, but it was not necessary any more!
Is the effect still lasting?
Yes, absolutely. This has been about eight months ago, and the problems have not returned since. But I have also changed my behavior, for example, I make an effort to take things more calmly at work. I try to avoid stress and I succeed in doing that today, something I have not been able to do before. I feel that when you’re 54, you have got to start thinking about other things besides your job and success...