A 51-year-old woman came to our office with debilitating neuropathy pain in her feet. She had burning pain in both feet from the toes to upper ankles, requiring her to use a wheelchair. This neuropathy acupuncture case study describes how a unique acupuncture protocol resolved her pain for good.
What is Peripheral Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where the nerves become damaged leading to the extremities (hands and feet). This nerve damage causes a range of symptoms including numbness, burning and tingling. The National Institutes of Health estimate that over 20 millions Americans have peripheral neuropathy. This includes many with diabetes, although this condition affects many without diabetes. Our patient in this neuropathy acupuncture case study did not have diabetes.
Neuropathy Acupuncture Case Study
Our patient had been struggling with severe pain, heat, burning and numbness in her feet and ankles for three years. She had sought treatment from half a dozen neurologists and had taken many different medications to manage the pain. At the time of her first acupuncture visit she was taking 3400 mg of gabapentin, 7.5 mg of hydrocodone, and 2.5 mg methadone a day. Yet even with all of this pain medication, she was still in severe pain. She required a wheelchair to go out of the house and was unable to work (she was a registered nurse).
At Raleigh Acupuncture we use a highly effective treatment protocol to reduce foot pain due to peripheral neuropathy. It consists of specific acupoints that are stimulated with electroacupuncture. This technique sends a gentle, electrical charge through the needles into the channels. In Chinese medicine, pain comes from blocked channels. Restoring proper circulation in the feet with acupuncture is a safe, effective way to reduce pain.
Patient Progress
After just one treatment, our patient in this neuropathy acupuncture case study reported improvement. For three days her feet felt the best they had in years. After the second treatment she had five consecutive days with no neuropathy pain at all. Treatment continued, once a week, for the next ten weeks, during which time she continued to improve. At the same time, she was able to begin weaning off her pain medications.
During her course of treatment, the nerves in our patient’s legs and feet slowly recovered their normal function. It was as if the acupuncture calmed down her inflamed nerves. The result was dramatically less pain, burning, numbness and tingling.
After 10 treatments, her pain levels were 80% reduced. At this time we dropped her treatments to once every two weeks. Four treatments later her pain was 95 percent gone. She was able to walk without assistance, and stopped taking most of her medications. The transformation was amazing.
We have used this same treatment protocol on dozens of patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy, with excellent results. Treatments are safe, relaxing and highly effective. Some cases are easier to treat than others. The most challenging type of peripheral neuropathy results from chemotherapy. We are able to help these patients, but treatment typically takes longer.
Next Steps
If you have peripheral neuropathy in the feet or hands, try acupuncture.
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Safely Resolve Nerve Pain
The standard Western medical treatment for nerve and neuropathy pain consists of medications. While often effective, they often have adverse side effects. Acupuncture offers a safer, more effective alternative. We use sterile, single-use, hair thin needles. They heal the body naturally, calming nerve pain, and delivering long lasting relief.
What our Clients are Saying
For the past 13 years I suffered from peripheral neuropathy in my calf, ankle and foot. I tried numerous medications, therapy with lights, neuromuscular massages and back decompression. I felt like I had stones under the ball of my foot. After the first couple of sessions with Dr. Mark, feelings returned to my calf, ankle and the “stone like feeling” under the ball of my foot began subsiding. Thanks to Dr. Mark, I am able now to walk without pain and discomfort. The extraordinary care and attentiveness I am receiving from Raleigh Acupuncture in treating my neuropathy is remarkable and I recommend them without reserve!
I’m a semi-professional weight lifter. I never had a problem until my hip went out doing squats. The pain was tremendous, like a sharp nerve pain down the back of my leg into the calf. It had sidelined me for two months while I tried unsuccessfully to work out the pain. Then a buddy suggested acupuncture. He had a similar hip pain and got relief at Raleigh Acupuncture. I went there and got treated. They told me to stop stretching until the injury was healed. I followed their instructions and got half a dozen treatments. The pain started easing after the first few treatments. I continued for another 6 treatments and was totally cured. I was able to get back to lifting with no residual effects of the injury. I’ve recommended this practice to a number of friends since that time and they all have had good experiences.
I have neuropathy that is a burning, tingling pain down my legs and into my feet. The doctor said there was nothing I could do besides pain medicine, since I am diabetic. The meds didn’t help much and made me feel groggy all the time. I tried acupuncture, after seeing a segment on Dr. Oz. I found Raleigh Acupuncture online and liked their website. They had a lot of useful information. The treatments were interesting. They used electric acupuncture on my legs and feet that felt like a tingling massage. They said it
would take a few treatments to start kicking in, and they were right. The burning pain slowly started to recede, and the tingling went away. I was truly amazed to feel such a difference in my legs and feet. I know so many people with neuropathy, and they are afraid to try acupuncture. I think they are crazy not to try it. What a difference not to be in constant pain anymore. I don’t need medication for my legs.
I woke up one morning and started getting these excruciatingly painful shooting electric pains on the left side of my face. My wife took me to the emergency room and they said I had trigeminal neuralgia. They gave me some pain medicine, but a nurse there suggested I try acupuncture. She had this pain once and it was cured by acupuncture. She gave me the name of Raleigh Acupuncture. When I explained the situation they took me in the same day. After just one treatment I started feeling better. They saw me every day for six days, at which point the pain was completely gone. What a life saver. I strongly recommend getting acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia.