acupuncture causing nerve pain/damage?

[montos]

Hello,

I've been getting acupuncture to treat my lower back pain. At my last treatment the doctor placed a needles at several locations on my legs and back.

The needle behind my right knee caused pain upon insertion and a lot of pain when he manipulated it. He took the needle out and replaced it and it appeared to be fine. Also the needle in my right ankle caused discomfort.

Shortly after the treatment I experianced pain at both sites and some odd sensations in my right foot and calf (warmth and numbness). The doctor (who is an MD as well as an acupuncturist)said it was nothing to be concerned about.

Has anyone had acupuncture cause nerve damage in such a way? The literature says it can cause "nerve damage" but no specifics are mentioned as to symptoms or location of needles.

Anyone experience something similar?

thanks

[Paxiled]

Who says you suffered nerve damage?  Only a neurologist could diagnose that.  The process of acupuncture, like any natural healing, usually makes a person worse before it makes you better; you often go through the stages you went through to get to where you are.  So it could be that the pain is a good signal that he reached the right spot, but it needs more work.  The damage you're referring to happens in China when certain unconventional practices are performed, but you didn't have any of those.  It just sounds like your circulation was affected, which is what acupuncture does.  Give it a week and another treatment or two before you give up, and try some St. John's wort for the nerve symptoms -- you can take it in homeopathic form, it's called hypericum, try 30C as the dose.

[Greato]

yes acupuncture has caused me severe neuropathy. a guy came to my office and was peddling slippers that he said was an acupuncture machine. he urged me to place my feet in both slippers he connected the slippers to a phone like device and put on the button. it vibrated my entire legs. he claimed the machine will reduce fat, and strengthen weak systems,i did loose lots of weight after that and incurred very severe nerve damage. I can hadly walk without staggering, I cant run, I cant stand for long. my feet feel very numb. before now I had been an athlete and energetic can someone help?

[montos]

Ok, Maybe  "damage" is a strong word.  However I find the sensations disturbing.  It's only been a few days but it's freaking me out since I never experienced any negative effects before from acupuncture.  It's not so much the pain as it is the tingling type feelings.
Just curious if anyone else has had a similar side effect

[talk2me77]

i have suffered nerve damage from acupuncture.. it's been years now since it happened to me, so i do know that it was the acupunture.. i hate the feeling that i get in my pinky finger, it's like it's going numb.. actually a few fingers on my left hand get numb.. i don't like it when this happens to me at all.. and i don't even know if it will ever go away or not..

[laura1967]

Yes I experience some tingling and sore areas at some needle locations. It usually means It is a problematic area or imbalanced area of the meridian or particular organs involved. As Pax said, you need to give it time and more treatments. It is bringing circulation and blood to that area as well. Don't freak out as sensation is normal.
Some treatments I hardly feel a thing, and other times I get one or two areas that hurt when needle is in.

[montos]

So you've had this sort of thing last for a couple of days?  That's what was scaring me is that everyone said it would pass in a few hours but it's been 3 days now.  I've never spoken to anyone that said they had symptoms for days after treatment.

What's the longest time you had discomfort for?  I wonder going in earlier for another treatment would help?

thanks

[laura1967]

Has the numbness gone away? Have you gone back for another treatment yet?
Try soaking in a hot epsom salts bath and see if it helps......

[montos]

No the tingling is worse and is quite painful as well.  Worse than the back pain.
I saw my physician and he said the needle appears to have irritated the peroneal nerve  Apparently it may take weeks or months to heal.
I may go for more treatments but with a different acupuncturist.

Thanks for asking

[Paxiled]

Bummer.  Just confirms what I didn't want to say, people should see acupuncturists who study the four year acupuncture program and traditional Chinese medicine.  Doctors and chiropractors and such can get an acupuncture degree in a couple of weekends in special programs for health professionals.  Hope it works out okay.  Try some arnica montana, a homeopathic remedy that speeds healing, and some hypericum, homeopathic St. John's wort -- it helps nerve healing.  

[Maria9uk]

Tried to post this earlier, but not sure what happened. I posted this on another website too.
Over 20 years ago I went to a qualified acupuncturist for help with a sinus condition. During one of the treatments I felt a crawling sensation in my right side and a feeling as if I was being split in two. My life for the next four years became a nightmare and I have never felt well again since. I also experienced all the numbness, crawling and pulling sensations and feeling out of balance, which affected the whole of my right side, from foot to head, and can make it difficult for me to think straight.  People noticed the complete change in me, some saying I lost my zest and vitality overnight. I believe it weakened me and affected other aspects of my health including my digestion and energy, and consequently how I live my life.  The acupuncturist said that it was a reaction to treatment and continued to treat me for almost a year,(for which I paid). I don't want to write too much, but to this day, I still struggle with it. I spent thousands on trying to find a solution ,including an actual chinese acupuncturist, and have also seen doctors and neurologists. I know that it is difficult for others to comprehend, but I was the one on the couch that day when this happened. I was perfectly healthy, fit and strong prior to this. The ironic thing is that i could easily have alleviated the sinus condition through dietary adjustments, but I was ignorant of that at the time. Instead I have been left with a long standing condition, which despite all my efforts I have not been able to correct and have had to try and learn to live with. I am told I have m.e. Perhaps, but I know what I was like immediately before and after that treatment on that day. I have heard of one other case of a woman being left with very similar right side problems. I also read a letter a number of years ago in a magazine from a woman who had developed digestive and energy problems after acupuncture and was still suffering from this reaction, at that time, 18 months later. The reply to her was quite patronising. People who do get severe side effects from treatment are probably in the minority, are not believed and are out on their own. I have also heard of others who have experienced severe pain from treatment. One person I know felt the wrong sensation when having treatment, but thanks to knowing what happened to me, had the insight to tell the acupuncturist, who then withdrew the needles, saying she had placed them to close to a nerve. This makes you wonder!  It was impossible to delve into aspects of my treatment later as my notes went 'missing'. I wish to this day I had never gone to see that Acupuncturist, it was one of the worst things I ever did. It changed my life, but not in a good way. I think there are more people who suffer side effects but these are not reported. I am not saying acupuncture has not benefited people. I am saying that anything that can potentially do good by its very nature has the potential to also do harm. I apologise for offence taken by anyone, but I am only writing the truth.
I hope too that, in the spirit of openness and honesty, that this post will be included on this website.

[falldown]

you said you have low back pain. have you had an mri to see if you have disc problems if you do then see a neurosurgeon and if surgery is the answer
then ask about the axialif procedure

[caregiver222]

Modern accupuncturists in the United States use very thin needles, and although theoretically possible, it is unlikely that an accupuncture treatment will cause permanant damage. In some treatment protocols elicitation of pain is what is intended.

[concerned621]

It's very unlikely it's nerve damage. It got to the nerve and manipulated the needle.  It can cause soreness afterwards. I have fibromyalgia and had to stop accupuncture.  It's a bit to invasive of a therapy for me. But that's me. You might want to try another therapist. I've had 3 fabulous acupuncturists and never had anything like that happen.  It should not be a long term problem though.

[montos]

I thought I would followup on this .  The acupuncturist is also a medical doctor and he refered me to a neurologist.  By the time I got in to see him the symptoms were gone.  It took about 3 and 1/2 weeks for them to resolve.

The neurologist said the needle may have either pierced a nerve or been very close and the electro-stim damaged the nerve.  Fortunately, the needles are very thin and solid unlike a syringe which has a hollow centre and acts like a "shovel".  Thus the nerve fibre damage if it occurs (which is incredibly rare) will generally resolve with no long-term problems.

I continue to see this acupuncturist and do not get the electro-stim anymore.  It seems to really help my back.

Montos

[Jenna7999]

When did it start to get better? It sounds like you had a worsening of symptoms at day 9--- so when did you start to notice it getting better?

[Paxiled]

That's a relief.  Glad to hear it.

[laura1967]

Thank you for the followup. Glad to hear you are benefiting from acupuncture. I absolutely love going myself.

[drmalhotra]

I agree with Paxiled - you would need to see a neurologist.  I am also an acupuncture physician and have seen patients get worse before they get better, especially in the first few treatments when their is a greater severity of their symptoms.  Hang in there.

DrM

www.prescribinginformation.com

[greenredhead]

I had my first acupuncture appt 2 days ago. When the doctor put a needle in my wrist, it ached a bit. It hurt really badly when I tried to move my arm. I told her and she moved her fingers over my arm "spreading it through the meridian." The pain lessened but throbbed a couple of times while I was lying there. When the nurse removed the needles, I asked her if that was normal. She said yes. I've still had a low dull ache in my wrist since. I just called and left a message for my doctor. Does that sound like nerve pain or just sore muscle? God, I hope it’s the former. I went to acupuncture to help me, not add a new problem! I hope it goes away.

Also, during the consultation, she said if a needle ever did hit a nerve, that it would be so horribly painful that I would jump off the table. I wonder if that was an exaggeration.

[allmymarbles]

I am one of those people who cannot tolerate acupuncture. In the first place I find it too painful. I have never been damaged, but the process seems to overly excite my nervous system. The result is a drop in blood sugar. This is probably a very rare reaction, but unpleasant enough to keep me away from such treatments.

[Feline1]

Hi I am sure the same thing has happened to me.  Since having a needle in my hand (between my fingers) for tennis elbow, I experienced "pins and needles" at the time, and this has continued.  It has beenalmost 4 weeks, I still have the pain in my elbow, but the feeling in my hand I find most disturbing, so I'm hoping it will soon disappear.  I'm not happy about going back for a further treatment.

patmos

[sanmdy]

thank you for sharing this montos i have the same exact problem-ijustposted on nerve damage and acupuncture-but just got it last week! i am in PAIN-just to TYPE:(

[sanmdy]

Hi montos
have a look at my post
I went to acupuncturist last week. I have been in pain ever since. She put in needles WITHOUT alcohol swabbing in my elbow crease area on R and L arm, and  straight on side of index finger in addition to sides of feet near big toe. I had tingling sensations and uncomfortable ever since. I have uncomfortable tingling in my left arm and left wrist, it was difficult to type with both hands without a weird uncomfortable sensation for first 3 days including intermittent pins and needles in both my feet. After 4th or 5th day the weird sensations in hands and arms turned to pain. I still have slight tingling in my right hand and soreness in right upper arm is still there. When I walk and swing my arms, I can feel the same odd sensations in both of my arms to hands. Fine motor skills are slightly weakened in the right hand particularly because of uncomfortable sensations which I found out from an MD to be due to radial nerve damage as a result of acupuncture. There is slight tingling behind my left knee as I walk and when I try to point my toes there will be an uncomfortable tingling sensation in my feet. These effects really concern me as I have been always healthy for all my life and have never had any prior health problems at the level of this severity previously. These sensations are uncomfortable and unbearable and I can only hope they do not continue.  I have pain in hands just in typing this question (used to be fast typer-now 60% slower). My question is: Do you think it is possible to make a full recovery? Feel free to comment on anything else..
Look forward to your input, thank you!!

[Jenna7999]

how are you? Please update us on your progress

[rebby539]

i am in my fourth week unimproving neurological symptoms. went to neurologist and they performed tests which show my nerves and automatic reflexes are not functioning properly. i feel transient tingling, pain and muscle weakness. stationary numbness on certain body parts, that does not vary. this is over various parts of my whole body. my accupuncturist says he must have hit some nerves. 3 days after treatment (my first and only treatment), i had trouble even walking. cant control my bladder hardly at all. confused thinking as well. anyway.. if anyone has had this, please let us know and contact me. thanks! orzorz.***@****

[rebby539]

yes... even wikipedia states nerve damage is a risk of accupuncture.  and by they way... encyclopedia brittanica published a study that shows nerves can be damaged without the patient feeling it.  see here: http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/36615707/Perforation-of-the-median-nerve-with-an-acupuncture-needle-guided-by-ultrasound

[ducatidave]

I have had needles in my back.  Some are painless.  Others give a searing hot pain on entry which sometimes remains.  It is so painful that I wonder if the phsio (which is what he is) is doing the job correctly.  He hasn't ben doing it long.  Is this normal ?

[linzi676]

I had accupuncture on 19 July 2010 for migraine, neck and back pain.  Didnt want one in hand as always painful.  New accupuncturist pursuaded me that it was a really good one to get.  I have had pain in my hand since and has got worse to such an extent I can hardly type with my right hand.  I have numbness, tingling, tightness, swelling and pain.  I work as a typist and am really struggling at work.  Dont know if I am making it worse working or should I stay off.  Pain clinic said to keep it moving!!!  Easy for them to say!!!  Has your pain eased and if so how long did it take?