Acupuncture for back pain, knee pain and insomnia in transverse myelitis - a case report

This case report describes the use of acupuncture for back pain, knee pain and insomnia in a 49 year old woman with a recent diagnosis of transverse myelitis with paraplegia, sensory disturbance, and bladder and bowel dysfunction. She was receiving intensive in-patient multi-disciplinary rehabilitation but was struggling to participate fully due to pain and poor sleep quality. She received a course of acupuncture in addition to standard care and reported substantial benefits including reduction in pain, improved sleep and mood, and reduction in daytime fatigue. Effective symptom control allowed this patient to participate more fully in her rehabilitation programme. Reduction of knee pain and sleep disturbance was maintained until discharge, 15 weeks after the last acupuncture treatment. This case report suggests that acupuncture may be an option to consider for other patients with pain or sleep disturbance that is interfering with their rehabilitation programme.