Patient: Female, age 33
Complaints: As an avid athlete and trainer, she broke her right pelvis and right foot on two separate occasions. There was also tearing of the right upper leg sartorius and rectus femoris muscles 4 years ago.
Treatment process: The patient came in twice a week for acupuncture treatments. The patient left for an international trip after 4 treatments within a 10-day period. On the 4th visit, the patient reported no pain in the leg and foot even with long airplane flights and much walking. But as soon as she arrived back home, she developed a pelvic floor inflammation. Same acupuncture treatments on the 5th and 6th visits did not relieve the pain but worsened. But the leg and foot pain were still better. On the 7th visit, a different acupuncture point combination was administered. Within 30 minutes, the patient noticed a significant reduction of 50% of pain.
Discussion: It is important to keep an open mind to other options that may have even better result. We should not be satisfied by the initial relief alone. An assessment of its efficacy over time should be observed to ensure the most optimal treatment.
Disclaimer: Acupuncture results may vary since each individual case is different.
