In our last blog post, we discussed that fact that 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. We discussed examples of hip replacement, knee replacement, carpal tunnel surgery and plantar fasciitis surgery. Today’s blog post, Surgery Alternatives Part 2, will continue with a discussion of low back surgery, hyperhidrosis surgery and sinus surgery.
Surgery Alternatives Part 2: Low Back Surgery
We treat a lot of patients who have severe low back pain. Over the years many of these patients had surgery dates scheduled and were able to cancel those surgeries following acupuncture treatment. In all these cases, acupuncture resolved or significantly reduced their pain. One such example was a 70 year old man who had been suffering from low back pain for years. He had undergone numerous steroid injections, which provided temporary relief, but the pain always returned. Finally, his doctors told him that they would not be able to continue giving injections, and scheduled surgery. His wife strongly encouraged him to try acupuncture, and he reluctantly agreed.
His pain resulted from degeneration of the fourth and fifth lumbar discs. The surgery would fuse the discs together. The acupuncture treatment focused on relieving his back pain. Electric acupuncture was used to make the treatments stronger. It took six treatments before the patient started feeling relief. But once he turned the corner, each additional treatment eased his pain more. It took a total of twelve treatments to resolve his back pain. The next day he cancelled the surgery. He comes in once a month for maintenance, which allows him to live essentially pain free.
Acupuncture resolved his pain without fusing his discs. Instead it released the muscles that where in a constant state of spasm. The acupuncture also increased Qi and Blood circulation around his spine, which nourished the muscles. Finally, it quieted the nerves in his low back, which allowed the pain to recede.
Surgery Alternatives Part 2: Hyperhidrosis Surgery
Hyperhidrosis is a rare condition where the palms of the hands and soles of the feet sweat profusely throughout the day, leading to sweat dripping from the hands and soaking the socks. It’s not a dangerous condition, but it’s quite debilitating for people trying to lead normal lives at work and in social situations. There is no known Western medicine cure for this condition. The only thing they offer is a drastic surgical procedure that severs nerves. The results are dismal. It shocks me that this procedure is even allowed. People have their nerves cut forever and wake the next day with the same sweating condition they had before. But the nerve damages now gives them a host of additional problems to deal with.
Acupuncture treats this condition with impressive results, curing the condition over 60% of the time, and bringing substantial relief 75% of the time. There are no negative side effects to the treatment. Compare this to the Western surgical treatment, with less than 10% success rate and permanent, substantial side effects.
The case I would like to share is of a young woman, age 22, who had been suffering from profuse sweating for years. She had scheduled surgery out of a sense of desperation. She was an accountant and dealt with clients all day long. Her condition made it almost impossible to shake people’s hands, as they were drenched throughout the day, every day. She came in for acupuncture. Within four treatments she started having less sweating. She was ecstatic. We continued for a total of 18 treatments and the sweating was completely resolved. She comes in every six months for maintenance. Since this time she had gotten her CPA degree and is thriving at work, shaking hands with ease.
Surgery Alternatives Part 2: Sinus Surgery
Patients come in all the time with sinus issues. Chronic sinusitis, polyps in the sinus cavities, deviated septum, difficulty breathing through the nose and chronic sinus infections are some of the conditions that fall into this category. Chinese medicine treats many of these conditions with a high success rate. Some people definitely need surgery, but many do not. We are able to assess which cases will respond to acupuncture.
A case in point is a gentleman who came to our office with recurring polyps in his sinus cavities. He had undergone surgery once before, two years earlier, to remove the polyps. But they had grown back. The polyps made it very difficult for him to breathe through his nose and were painful. We explained to him that it would be beneficial to try six acupuncture treatments to see if he improved. And sure enough, he did improve. The polyps disappeared, his breathing eased and his pain was gone.
These are just some examples of how acupuncture can help avoid surgery. There is no doubt that surgery is necessary to treat a wide variety of health conditions. However, it’s clear that surgery in many instances should not be performed before exploring alternative medicine treatments like acupuncture, which are less invasive, more effective and substantially less expensive.
Click on the condition to watch a video on how we treat it: Low Back Pain, Sinus Issues.
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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