Acupuncture Treatment of Skin Infection – Midtown, NYC

by Jeffrey Medina| September 30, 2024

This was an interesting case I recently had, with no known explanation. A colleague of mine at the beginning of the week on Monday had cut the skin on her left Achilles’ tendon while putting on her shoe. Two days later she noticed moderate itching along the lateral malleolus (ankle) and had developed severe back pain as the day progressed. She described the back pain as intense and that it enveloped her entire core from front to back like a tight belt that wouldn’t release.

On Thursday of the same week, she could barely walk due to intense pain in the low back and left outer ankle. When examining the ankle the skin was inflamed and red. I advised her to get on antibiotics but in the meantime my goal was to alleviate pain and inflammation.

We began the treatment by bleeding UB 67 on the lateral tip of the little toe. UB 67 is the jing-well point of the urinary bladder channel. Jing-well points are used for heat and acute inflammation along the entire pathway of the channel. After the procedure, she felt immediate relief in the ankle, back, and reported being able to walk better. Treatment proceeded by cupping the entire back and examining the entire urinary bladder pathway. The urinary bladder pathway runs along the back in four columns, passes through the glutes, hamstrings, calfs, lateral ankle and terminates at the little toe.

While examining these regions, obstructions were found along the lung shu region, sacral fascia, Weizhong (ub40) and back of knee. Each of these regions were treated. At the ankle we used a quick needle technique because in Ling Shu chapter 10 it mentions when there is heat needle quickly. In her case the entire ankle was in significant pain and very red and swollen.

After treatment she noticed relief, decreased redness in the ankle, and less pain in the back. I expected her to take antibiotics that night and finish the course recommended, but to our surprise and amazement she texted me stating that the entire ankle and skin was completely healed approximately 20 hours after treatment.

Acupuncture is an amazing medicine and can help alleviate and heal inflammation no matter where it occurs in the body.