A Rare Risk with Acupuncture
Pneumothorax is Serious but Rare Adverse Effect of Acupuncture
Mar 25, 2008
Most people would consider getting into a car accident that resulted in the need for physiotherapy bad luck. But, what if, during a routine visit to the physiotherapist there was an offer to do some acupuncture in order to relieve severe headache pain? And what if the acupuncture treatment led to a collapsed lung that required hospitalization and surgery to correct? Is that bad luck, or negligence on the part of the practitioner?
This is what happened to Rebecca Rhodes. * In April of this year, Rebecca was hit from behind while driving. At first, she seemed to have escaped the accident with no injuries. Yet soon after, aches and pains in her head started to materialize. A week later, she suffered a seizure which had her four year old daughter yelling for daddy. Part of Rebecca’s treatment for her injuries required her to attend regular physiotherapist visits that included sessions with a massage therapist. During a routine visit, Rebecca was being treated by the massage therapist. Towards the end of the visit, Rebecca mentioned that she was suffering from a painful headache that day. The massage therapist suggested that they try acupuncture to relieve Rebecca’s pain. Rebecca was hesitant but agreed.
According to Fay-Meling von Moltke Pao, D.Ac., Practioner of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, a common entry point to treat a headache is between the shoulder and the base of the neck on the trapezius muscle. Dr. Von Moltke Pao indicates that when making such an entry, this point should never be needled deeply and perpendicularly. Rebecca remembers that the needle was put in at an angle, but distinctly recalls the massage therapist stating that they “had to get really deep“. Rebecca is a tall and thin woman with low body fat due to an active lifestyle, which includes training and competing in martial arts. Dr. Moltke Pao also states that people who have smaller body frames or in areas where there is limited muscle or fatty tissue, the insertion of the needle must be shallow.
Within twenty-four hours of the treatment, Rebecca recalls that she felt pain all over and as time wore on she was having trouble breathing. Thinking that it was merely a side effect that would pass, she gave it time. When she expressed some concern to her husband, he brushed it off as hypochondria on her part. So for the rest of the day and all through the night, Rebecca was plagued by laboured breathing and continuous pain.
The next day she returned to the therapist who had worked on her and inquired about her condition. The response she received was, “It sounds like pneumothorax, a little pin prick in the lung. Don’t worry, it will heal itself.” Thankfully, Rebecca did not take this opinion to heart and instead attended the hospital to be checked out. Forty-five minutes later Rebecca found herself in an operating room being treated for a collapsed lung -otherwise known as pneumothorax.
Acupuncture is one of the many elements of the holistic system of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was developed more than twenty five hundred years ago in China and is based on the belief that the health is a constantly changing flow of energy which is referred to as chi. The practitioner will insert thin needles to specific points on the body with the intention of improving the flow of energy as a way to combat disease due to blocked energy.
Although pneumothorax is reported to be a highly rare adverse effect relating to acupuncture, it does happen. Unfortunately, the common conclusion reached by those who have completed studies on this subject matter is that if pneumothorax does occur, it is likely due to insufficient training or negligence on the part of the practitioner. One such study which conducted a retrospective survey of the incidents of adverse events relating to acupuncture, completed by Notheim and Fonnebo, estimated pneumothorax to occur once in every 120 years.
When people attend the office of a medical or health professional, there is an automatic expectation of a learned and qualified practitioner being present. Unfortunately, it has become possible for professionals in one area, such as massage therapy, to take a course, as short in duration as a weekend, on acupuncture and quickly add that to their repertoire.
It is not rude to question the qualification of the person who intends to treat you for a physical ailment, especially if they offer to perform a treatment secondary to their advertised expertise. Professional ethics should demand that practitioners not carry out a new treatment on the general public without adequate training. If one practitioner needs years of study and practice to attain an skilled level before treating patients, why do weekend courses exist claiming to be able to teach someone those similar skills, which previously took years to master?
This phenomenon has cost Rebecca Rhodes more pain, suffering and inconvenience than anyone would think. She has been forced to endure pain, surgery, repeated hospital stays, pneumonia and liver complications as after effects of the collapsed lung. Yes, she can and will take legal action. But having to take on a legal fight after such a terrifying ordeal is adding insult to injury.
This article is meant to remind people to be vigilant in demanding high expectations of the care received from any health or medical professionals. Acupuncture remains a very effective means to combat ailments, providing, as with any treatment, it is administered by an experience and properly educated professional.
