Cumbria Acupuncture Blog

56-year-old Mr F started having a pain in his right testicle 15 years ago. It came without any known reason and gradually got worse – the pain spread to his right groin and then to the lower abdomen and back. Over the years he had seen many doctors and had various examinations but no explanation could be given. None of the medications he had tried really worked. The latest treatment he had was given by a pain specialist, who did a lumber puncture and sent electrodes into the vertebral canal to shock the spinal nerves in order to re-build the nervous system. Unfortunately this didn't make any difference either. In last half a year, the pain changed from intermittent into constant. When it was really intense, it made Mr F feel exhausted, dizzy and sick, he could even vomit. He had to get up 6 times during the night to empty his bladder in order to get a slight relief. He was struggling with work and life was meaningless to him.

When I examined Mr F, I found the muscles in his right abdomen were very tense and sensitive to touch. I decided to use some points in his lower back for acupuncture. Interestingly, when I was inserting the needles into certain depth, he said to me that he could feel an electric sensation going from the needles right to his front where the pain was, and instantly the pain eased off. When he got off the couch and thanked me after the treatment, I could see tears in his eyes. He said to me: "I haven’t felt so good for years!" He was so grateful that insisted paying me extra money for the treatment. Since then he kept having weekly acupuncture for over a year. Every time he could feel an instant relief and was pain free for a few days. He has had a few relapses but always got over them quickly. He had a wonderful 3 weeks' holiday in 2011, and his condition was till stable after he came back, so we reduced the treatment to once a fortnight. After another improvement in June 2012, we extended the treatment intervals to three weeks. He said to me: “Now it’s only a slight discomfort, which I can live with. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. My life has completely changed.” In August 2013 after having another holiday, Mr F came to tell me:"I didn't have any bad pain in the last six weeks. I feel wonderful! Now I'm confident to stop the treatment and see how it goes. I couldn't thank you more!"