Clara Nguyen, 70 year old TN Patient

Her Personal Story of Success with Acupuncture

I am Clara T. Nguyen, a 70-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia (on the right side) in early 2001. Since then, I’ve been treated by neurologist who prescribed Tegretol and the daily doses was of 600-800 mgrs . Aside from the medication, I have sought other alternative treatments such as 12 sessions of acupuncture and 7 sessions of chiropractic neck/collar manipulation. Unfortunately, both methods didn’t bring any help. I’ve considered undergoing a cyber-knife operation but postponed in light of the possible serious side effects. Like others suffering TN, I’ve also tried supplements including vitamin B12 and GABA-Val (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid and Valerian).

After all these attempts at getting rid of the pain, it was still there. On a personal pain scale from 1 to 10, it was a 4. In the morning I couldn’t speak, unless I’d stretched and walked for an hour to release some of the stiffness. Chewing food, even if I used the left side of my mouth, always had to be done with extreme care if I didn’t want to trigger the pain. 

I’m a fighter who doesn’t like to surrender, so I decided to try acupuncture again. Thanks to God, I have found the right person who had helped me for a successful treatment. Below is how the treatment has been progressing.

It started on March 23, 2005 and at the time of this writing (May 25, 2005), I’ve had 20 sessions. At the beginning, there were 3 sessions per week, and then it we went down to twice a week and once a week to the end. After the sixth session (just 2 weeks after starting!), the pain dropped from a 4 to a 1 on my personal pain scale. The acupuncturist told me to drop the Tegretol from 600 mgrs/day to 400 mgrs per day. When the pain remained at the same level, he advised to cut down to 200 mgrs per day. But this time the pain came back to around a 2 and I returned to taking 300 mgrs per day at the ninth session.

From the tenth to fourteenth sessions, the pain continued to decline to about a .75.  After the fourteenth session, I had reduced the Tegretol to 150mgrs/day. After the sixteenth session (May 02, 2005), I stopped taking the medication completely. While there’s still a little pain, it has been reduced by about 95% from my initial pain level of 4.  After the twentieth session, the acupuncturist decided to take a break in the treatment for 4 weeks. He wanted to give the whole body system time to relax and to reestablish its harmonic rhythms.

While undergoing the acupuncture treatment, I took herbal formulas prepared by the acupuncturist. The herbs were started at session four and continued right up to the end. There were 24 dosages altogether. At first, he had me take one dosage a day. Then it was one dosage every 1½ days and finally a dosage every 2 days. I took the last dosage after the eighteenth session.

Right now as the pain is under control and I can speak and eat normally without any disturbance as before. I am thankful to God for bringing me to the right person and guiding him in successfully treating me.

I highly recommend to anybody suffering of Trigeminal Neuralgia to try acupuncture, but of course with a treatment done by a right person. The person who helped me is a very talented and well educated man born in mainland China.  He graduated from the Beijing University (one of China’s most prestigious institutions) with a doctorate degree in Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture. His training included 6 years of schooling and 5 years of practice in public clinics. He also received a Ph.D. degree in Micro-Circulation from the University of Kyoto. I consider him to be quite accomplished for someone his age, 45. He devotes much time doing research and practicing Chinese Healing with herbs and acupuncture.

 A very conscientious practitioner, my doctor spends about 1½ hours for each patient session, inserting needles, stimulating, vibrating and heating them with herbs candles. My husband, who has some basic knowledge about acupuncture, has spoken with him at length during every session. As the doctor works on me, he reveals his observations and insights into treating TN with acupuncture. My husband compiled his philosophy and strategies and we present them below. If you decide to try acupuncture, his approach may help you work with your practitioner. 

• Treating each patient, though with the same kind of illness, is like facing a different war. You have to understand the patient’s problem. In this case it is the TN. Where, when and how has it happened?

• What is the likely cause? Specifically, it is a facial nerve problem. However, in general, the Qi meridian is stagnant. (my pulse is taken before and during the treatment to assess where the energy flow is weak, and if it’s yin or yang.)

• You must define a flexible strategy for dealing with TN. My doctor works to locally control the pain and at the same time to push the Qi meridian flow back into harmony. He combines the two approaches (the specific with the general) and moves from one session to the next. At the end of each session, he determines when it’s okay to reduce the chemical medication. He also thinks about how to best combine the effects of the insertion needles with herbs dosage that he provides.

• Each session is a tactical battle. My doctor always carefully considers every spot where he inserts a needle. His figures out the appropriate needle size, direction, depth, level of stimulation needed, and time for points that require electric vibration or the heat of herb candles. His decisions are based upon his knowledge and many years of practice. He tailors each session and each needle to the changing needs of the patient and state of the TN.

• There are over 600 strong points on each side of the human body (left and right), and each one has a different function. Just knowing them all isn’t enough. Combining the points to promote healing is most important.

• There are over 12,000 kinds of herbs used in Chinese medicine. Knowing how to select and combine the right ones depending on the condition of a patient reflects the practitioner’s art and skill.

• There is harmony everywhere in the universe, environment, and human body. Whenever there is an imbalance or inequality, problems and illnesses arise. Restoring the harmony also requires following some order. This is totally empirical and established in the Ba Quai calendar, which suggests the right day, time, and main part of the body to use the acupuncture needles. Dr. Xu always follows the information given on that calendar when he starts figuring out his treatment strategy for each session. His methodic needle insertions are done in a specific order to achieve balance.

• Treatment requires patience. Results cannot be expected after just the few first sessions. Illnesses that have existed for a long time may be more difficult to treat and take longer to heal. Herbs are a good for maintaining and extending the healing process.

From my recent experience, I’ve learned that acupuncture is a science based on abstract notions. Putting it into practice with efficiency is really the art of the practitioner. When I first went to my doctor, I thought that the acupuncture would maybe relieve my TN symptoms. But in combination with the herbs, it has actually restored the vital energy flow in my body.

I am amazed and delighted. I hope that my experience will help you.    

Updated 5-27-05