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My left leg (inner side) pain after acupunture

By Archived User | Updated: Dec 31, 2021 | Published: Dec 31, 2021

I had high cholesterol and I saw an acupuncture website said Cholesterol can be cured by acupuncture so I tried.
The acupuncturist put needles all of my body including my legs. I didn’t feel pain or anything for the first visit. But after the second visit, I went running and I felt something wrong in my left leg, I guess it is Soleus. I have been running for 4 months (4-5 miles everyday) I never have this feeling. I believe it is from acupuncture treatment. I told the acupuncturist that I felt something wrong during running on my left leg, but I didn’t tell him that it came from his treatment. So he lied me down and put more needles into my left leg. One needle was deep into my nerve, I guess, because my leg kicked and it was hurt. He put my leg down and put another needle into my leg and now I felt like electric shot through my 3rd and 4th toes. He said relax and these pain will go away. After 15 mins during the treatment, I felt ok and felt no pain. He suggested that I should not run for today. So the next day I went running and it was not funny feeling now It felt pain! I am worry now because whenever I go running this pain happens. I’m afraid it will be like this forever. I love running and I’m so scared now. Could you explain why this happened? I went for Cholesterol treatment but now I have my leg problem. Should I go back to my acupuncturist? Is there anything I could do to treat my legs better? Please help…thank you!

Archived Comments

Comment by Archived User

It would be unusual and unlikely that acupuncture would be a causal factor in your leg pain. How many days after the second treatment until the pain began? Is the pain getting worse, does it move around or is it always the same area that hurts?

Comment by Archived User

Thank you for your reply. I think the pain began a couple days after the 2nd treatment, but it was slightly pain. This pain spot was exactly the same spot where the needle was poked. I still went running even though there was a bit pain. Then a week later, I went for my 3rd treatment. This time that I had experience of the electric shock of my toes when the needle was poked. I skipped one day running. Now when I run, I feel like my pain is getting worse because it feel deeper pain. The pain happens in the same area that it was hurt before. It doesn’t move around.

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

As @stephen pointed out this is more likely a tear or a strain in a tendon in the area from starting a new running program - that happens all of the time to middle aged or older folks who restart an exercise program and even to better developed runners. I am concerned that a needle was inserted so deeply that your impression was that your leg moved - that generally cause any damage per se, but I personally steer away from practitioners who use this types of techniques. For the most part these are not fully trained acupuncturists (some are) - but folks like physiotherapists or other health professionals who utilize acupuncture as a tool.

Your leg should be fine in 4-12 weeks, so long as you keep any potential increases in your running mileage limited. Whether or not you should go back to this practitioner depends on what options you have available in your area. If all you are doing is treated high cholesterol your diet and a running program in most cases should be fine. And progress will generally be best seeing a fully trained Chinese Medicine specialist who also practices Chinese herbal medicine.

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