Is this common?

[sexy man]

I understand the basics of how acupuncture works but I've never actually had it myself.

A friend of mine went to an acupuncturist yesterday and woke up this morning with her face swollen up like a balloon, especially around her cheeks and eyes, with her skin itching and burning.

As I said, I don't know much about acupuncture but my guesses were that either this was some kind of a release from a medical problem that will calm down in a day or two, or that the acupuncturist has perhaps mistakenly used the incorrect combination of points? Of course there is the unlikely event that she is allergic to surgical steel?

Can anyone shed any light on this and is this reaction at all common? I know several people who have had successful acupuncture treatments with so side effects at all.
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[victorriau]

Hi Bannick, I'm afraid I don't know anything about acupuncture, so I can't say if this is a common thing that happens as a result of treatment. But it sounds to me like classic allergic reaction symptoms (which may or may not be as a result of the treatment - have they done anything else new, food, creams etc). I should have thought that if was a common reaction to the treatment the therapist would have given advice to suggest so. What has she done about it, has she called the acupuncturist to ask advice. Keep us posted on how she gets on.
Stephanie[sm=nature-smiley-008.gif]

 

[wonderlandxo]

I did ask her if she had tried anything new as it did sound like an allergy to me and she said no.

However, this morning she mentioned that she had a new face wash which she had started using the night before. By the sound of it, it's a heavily perfumed one so it's extremely likely to be this and nothing to do with the acupuncture after all.
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[Laynie Storie]

There is an idea, or law many acupuncturists follow called law of the cure. Where within 24-48 hours the patient experiences a symptom get much worse. To find out if that is at play it would have to be known whether or not this is a reaction that she has had in her life. If it is something new, and that she has never experienced then it is not law of cure. law of cure reactions clear up in about 72 hours.

If it is an allergy, she could go to naet.com and see an acupuncturist trained in treating allergies.