AboutTamsen Staniford, L.Ac. Expertise Please ask me about acupuncture and oriental medicine, nutrition, dietary supplements, and herbs. I am always happy to answer questions about how any of these areas relate to your health and well-being, specific conditions, or simply if you would like some information. I specialize in acupuncture for palliative care, acute injuries, chronic illness, autoimmune disorders, bone health, and western supplements.
Experience I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of California and hold a Master's degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine. This degree includes training for acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, exercise and bodywork. I have work for a decade in the natural products industry both at the retail and manufacturing levels. I have worked using acupuncture in private clinics, community clinic settings and in inpatient care facilities; including hospice and supportive housing residences. I currently practice in San Francisco in a private clinic, making house calls for home bound patients, and working on grant funded community acupuncture projects.
Education/Credentials Master's in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Certified Massage Therapist and Health Educator, Reiki Practitioner.
Past/Present Clients Everyone from the stressed out worker, to the detoxing substance user, to the dying, to the new mother. Acupuncture can help them all.
Question Can you give me an estimate of how long pain due to brachial plexus injury can be held at bay after each acupuncture session? I've had many sessions to prevent migraines (which worked like a charm), so I suggested my son try acupunture to control his pain.
Backgound: My son (35) had an EMG on 9/16/09 which confirmed that the muscles under his (left) scapula are not firing. He has no sensation on the top of his hand as well as down his thumb, 2nd and 3rd fingers to varying degree, and his wrist is almost useless. The technician gave the initial diagnosis of 'complex brachial plexus injury'. The original injury (fractured tibia, fractured fibula, and ruptured PCL, occurred in late July but he began complaining about shooting pains in his triceps & biceps in mid-August, about 2 weeks after an emergency fasciotomy in his lower leg. The docs attributed it to using a crutch. However, he has never leaned on his crutch, and in fact stopped using it 3 wks ago. Now, he has lost muscle ability in his wrist.
Answer Ouch, sounds painful and frustrating!
Unfortunately, without seeing the individual case in person I can't give you a very reliable estimate, and it depends on so many factors including your son's mood, diet, daily activities, response to acupuncture and herbal medicines, etc... My best suggestion is to find a practitioner of Oriental Medicine that is willing to do an initial consultation with him so he can get a clearer idea of the prognosis.
In general, acupuncture by itself typically gives anywhere from a day to a week of pain relief on it's own after each treatment. Also generally speaking, the cumulative effects of acupuncture often lead to longer intervals of pain relief and a hastening of recovery. Herbal medicine is used as an adjunct to enhance pain relief and recovery, as well as topical applications such as creams or patches/plasters. Some practitioners may even choose to use herbal medicines or external applications for treatment without using acupuncture at all.
As far as the injury is concerned, the doctor is probably right about the crutches being to blame. Some part of his arm was bearing the force of using the crutches, whether the wrist, elbow or shoulder, and the symptoms are a reflection of injury due to that force. Not a very fair thing to have happen on top of the surgery for the original leg injury is it!
The good news is that the sooner he receives acupuncture, the better it will work. And it is commonly useful for helping nerve injuries, which can be very stubborn and take a long time to heal up.
Finally, remember that there are plenty of well qualified Oriental Medical practitioners out there so make sure he finds one that he feels comfortable with and confident in.
