Has acupuncture caused me further injury?

[Anngelalouise]

Hi, On October 1st, I was involved in a road traffic accident on a motorway, where two cars hit into the rear of my car. I felt immediate lower back pain and went to hospital, which they said I had trauma and bruising in my pelvis area. Exactly a week after the accident, my lower back on the left side, buttock and leg went into a massive spasm, with severe sciatica pain down my leg (which I'd never had before). I took anti-inflammatory and used ice all night, had a taxi to take me to hospital the following morning. I couldn't bend forward, even cleaning my teeth was very uncomfortable, dressing myself took a long time etc. Anyway, I was prescribed muscle relaxant and strong pain killers, also been having physio. The physio also does western form of acupuncture. He says my sacro-illiac joint is extremely tight on both sides, and uses his elbows to manipulate the area - extremely painful to say the least. Then he finishes treatment by using acupuncture. The first treatment I felt immediate relief, but then he was on holiday for a week. I tried The Bowen Technique not to postpone my recovery, which I woke the following day totally pain free, but pain started to return following days. Had my second physio session last Tuesday 28th October 2014.. Again extremely painful using elbows. Then he said he was going to use a long needle to go into my piriformis muscle for pain relief. The needle was as long as from my elbow to fingertips- and went in quite deep, at least half way I'd say, I was lying on my side. When he twiddled the needle I could feel a dull pain down my leg, sciatica pain again. I should have had another treatment the following Fri, 31st, which I had to cancel a I was so bruised (black and blue visible bruises on both sides of my buttocks, but much worse on the left side, where the needle went in), it was extremely tender. I am now a week after my last treatment, and I am still visibly bruised and sore, and feel as though I have nerve damage or ruptured muscle deep in my buttock, when I contract the muscle, when walking it hurts, also sciatica has returned following the last treatment, but a dull constant ache. Does this make any sense to you? What would you recommend? I feel as though to change physio or have a gentle treatment, maybe going back to have the bowen technique? I am really interested in your opinion. Thank you, Angela

[tammykly]

I would say it is possible for acupuncture to cause further injury.   At least that has been my experience with it.   I went to an acupuncturist with relatively minor stiffness at the back of my knee and some spasm in my right calf.  The acupuncturist used dry needled directly into the leg.  This caused an acute spasm and I ended with a full blown soft tissue injury.  Initially I was not able to put much weight on it so I had to use a cane to assist with walking.  Four months later my mobility is still limited and I have not yet recovered to the point where I was just before the acupuncture treatment.  

[Paxiled]

I don't think you had acupuncture on the periformis, I think you had what's called dry needling.  Acupuncture doesn't go that deep as far as I know, but I've had dry needling and it goes right into the muscle to relax it.  I'd ask them what they did, and at any rate one treatment doesn't fix the problem.  I have a periformis problem and when it's inflamed the sciatic nerve can be affected, as it goes right over it in many people.  On the other hand, you do have to know it's the periformis, which isn't visible on an MRI so is diagnosed by a process of elimination (mine is self-diagnosed, as I'm pretty tapped out right now on orthopedists and all that).