Time and again patients come for treatment at our clinic with a surgery date already set to address a pain condition. And after treatment with acupuncture they cancel the surgery and wonder why no one suggested they try alternative medicine first. Examples of this include hip replacement, knee replacement, carpal tunnel surgery, plantar fasciitis surgery, low back fusion surgery, hyperhidrosis surgery and sinus surgery. In this post, Surgery Alternatives Part 1, we will briefly address each one.
Surgery Alternatives Part 1 – Hip Replacement Surgery
A male patient in his late 50’s came to our clinic for treatment. His hip replacement surgery was scheduled for 6 weeks out. His right hip had been hurting for months with no let up. The doctor said his hip was severely damaged with arthritis and needed to be replaced. I assessed him and treated him for hip pain. After three treatments he felt a 50% reduction in pain. He couldn’t believe it. We continued treatment for another six treatments and his pain was completely gone. He cancelled his surgery. Over the next four years he came in once a month for “tune ups”. This was how we managed his hip arthritis. Acupuncture could not make his hip “new”, but it could resolve the pain. There is nothing dangerous about arthritis. It’s merely degeneration of the joint, something that happens to all of us over time. It’s the pain that’s dangerous, as it limits our lives. Acupuncture was able to resolve his pain and maintain his condition with a monthly maintenance treatment. Surgery was avoided.
Surgery Alternatives Part 1 – Knee Replacement Surgery
My patient was a 42 year old man. He had been an avid basketball player in his youth, with the talent to go pro. But his knees derailed his basketball career. Over the years his knee pain got worse and worse, until finally he scheduled a date for bilateral knee replacement. He came to see me for something completely different. During the intake he mentioned his upcoming surgery and the reason for it. I offered to treat his knees as part of the treatment. He said, “Sure, it can’t make it any worse.” The results were dramatic. After just one treatment his pain was reduced by 20%. Within six treatments his knee pain was completely gone. He cancelled his knee replacement surgery. I had the pleasure of treating him for other things over the next seven years. We would occasionally treat his knees for minor pain. That was the extent of his maintenance. He is still with his original knees. Another case of surgery avoided.
Surgery Alternatives Part 1 – Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Of the dozens of cases of avoided surgery for this particular condition, a few stand out. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pain in the wrist and first three fingers of the hand. It often comes from repetitive use, like using a computer mouse. The surgery is quite invasive, with mixed results. We have over a 95% success rate of complete resolution of pain. In one case, a woman in her forties came in with carpal tunnel syndrome. Surgery was scheduled for three weeks out. Her husband encouraged her to try acupuncture as a last resort. She came, even though she was skeptical. The treatment is very straight forward. She started responding after just one treatment. After six treatments her pain was gone. In the last 10 years it has never returned. Surgery avoided again.
Surgery Alternatives Part 1 – Plantar Fasciitis Surgery
Foot surgery is very painful and rarely provides complete relief. Plantar fasciitis is pain on the bottom of the feet, most often the heels. Surgical procedures include series of injections and sometimes cutting nerves. Acupuncture, on the other hand, is not painful and had absolutely no negative side effects. The case I want to discuss is one where the patient, a woman in her fifties, had undergone a very painful series of injections, with no relief. She had stabbing pain in her heels, radiating to her arches. The acupuncture treatment for plantar fasciitis stimulates qi and blood circulation to the areas of pain, areas which are notorious for poor blood circulation. She required 10 treatments to resolve her pain, although she started feeling the benefits of the treatments after just two sessions. I wish she knew about acupuncture before undergoing the painful, unsuccessful injection procedure.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Our next blog post will continue discussing the last three common types of surgery that can be avoided.
We have videos describing our acupuncture treatment for the conditions discussed above: HIP PAIN, KNEE PAIN, CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, PLANTAR FASCIITIS.
Book your appointment for acupuncture today! BOOK NOW. You can also call us at 919-819-8113 or 919-815-8115 and we’ll schedule an appointment for you. We look forward to treating you!
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