Previous
ACUPUNCTURE AND PARALYSIS FROM LCTA
Added: (Fri Oct 23 2009)
Towards the end of 2006 there was a great deal in the news about how acupuncture can help to relieve back pain. However, people are less aware of the benefits acupuncture can have for treating spinal injuries and paralysis. LCTA lecturer, Andy Kemp has been treating a 37 year old paraplegic woman for the past two years.
“My patient suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI) eight years ago after a road traffic accident. She is paraplegic and paralysed from the waist down and came to me suffering from severe muscle spasms in the upper body.
“The primary aim of the treatment was to provide relief from the spasms. However, the patient also suffered from constant colds and her sleep patterns had gone awry due to the muscle spasms disturbing her sleep. I therefore used acupuncture to enhance her immuno-response and to promote sleep as well as to reduce the spasms.
“I treated her weekly for 10 months and now treat her every three to four weeks, or as necessary. The results have been extremely positive; treating the spasms – the most debilitating symptom – was largely achieved by stimulating the energy channels that correspond to the affected areas and the spasms are greatly reduced. In addition, since TCM treats the whole person, I was able to treat her other symptoms and thereby enhance her general well being at the same time. She now sleeps better, is no longer disturbed by spasms in her sleep and has had no major colds or infections for the past year.
“In China, TCM is practised alongside Western medicine in hospitals and there have been many studies into the use of acupuncture for SCI. Generally, it has been shown that the sooner treatment begins after a trauma, the better the results. Unfortunately, in the West, the first port of call is a spinal unit where alternative medicine is unlikely to be used for rehabilitation. Thus, the time lapse between an injury and its treatment with acupuncture is greater and the effectiveness of treatment is diminished.
“Having said that, despite coming to me six years after the accident, my patient has benefited significantly and acupuncture has made a real difference to her quality of life.”
Andrew practises at The Grange Complementary Health Clinic in Nottingham. For more information please visit www.grangehealthclinic.co.uk
For more information on LCTA or to obtain a copy of the prospectus, please visit www.lcta.com or call 020 8446 3332.