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Nerve damage during acupuncture treatment

Hi,
About 6 weeks ago I visited an acupuncturist who I had never seen (I had acupuncture treatments a couple years ago without problems). He placed needles in my left foot and neck because I had complained about a problem with my right wrist. That night my foot began to bother me and the next day my foot was extremely cold and numb. It did improve but would just re aggravate when I had to be active on my foot.  It's been 6 weeks and my foot still feels cold and this feeling radiates into my calf. I also get tingling sensations in my third toe. It's uncomfortable to walk on this foot and I'm getting very anxious. I'm in my late twenties and have NEVER had a problem with my feet. I wanted to post to both warn other people of my experience and seek any advice as to how to proceed.

4 Responses
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Avatar universal
How long after your treatment did it start to affect you?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, did you finally manage to heal the nerve, and if so, what was what worked for you? I had the same issue. and it has been only a week now but it has not really improved.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To all those people who have gone through or are going through peripheral nerve injury as a result of acupuncture... It can happen even though most acupuncturists dont want to admit it. It CAN happen and is a serious side effect. I am still suffering 3 months later as a result. Have started IV B complex and alpha lipoic acid to help heal my nerves faster. People didnt believe me that it was from acupuncture but it is and I DO NOT have an underlying issue. I am and was a healthy 32 year old young mom and went to an acupuncturist who obviously went too deep and didnt know that they were doing. This is real and a serious side effect that ALL acupuncturists should be wary of and warn their patients of.

"When we work on points along meridians that run just over nerve structures, we must familiarize ourselves with these structures and always bear in mind the locations and depths of nearby nerves when preparing to insert needles. Excessive depth of needling is the major cause of peripheral nerve damage, so if you are absolutely sure of the depth of the nerve trunk or branch, check before you treat. Its better to place a needle slightly too shallow than too deep"
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Were you  finally able to heal the nerve? What was the best method? I think I had the same issue.
757137 tn?1347196453
I think the first thing I would do is speak with the acupuncturist to find out exactly what happened. Or go to a different acupuncturist for an explanation. Then find out if the damage can be repaired. I rather think it can.
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