Healthspan Blog

June - Herkimer, NY - February 2007 Four years ago I thought I had a toothache. I had dull pain in the upper right side of my face. I went to the dentist. No cavities, but an old root chip could be seen on the x-ray. He sent me to the oral surgeon. After more x-rays he found abnormal bone growth called exostosis. He shaved it down and removed the bone chip. It was the worst pain in my life! One month later, back to the oral surgeon. I had a cat scan, thinking I may have had a sinus infection. No sinus infection. Back to the dentist. X-rays detect another root chip, so back to the oral surgeon. He disagrees and tells me I do not need surgery. On my own again, I ask my primary care office to give me a referral for a neurologist. He prescribes Tegritol and Neurontin. Both made me dizzy and sick.

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June - Herkimer, NY - February 2007

Four years ago I thought I had a toothache. I had dull pain in the upper right side of my face. I went to the dentist. No cavities, but an old root chip could be seen on the x-ray. He sent me to the oral surgeon. After more x-rays he found abnormal bone growth called exostosis. He shaved it down and removed the bone chip. It was the worst pain in my life!

One month later, back to the oral surgeon. I had a cat scan, thinking I may have had a sinus infection. No sinus infection. Back to the dentist. X-rays detect another root chip, so back to the oral surgeon. He disagrees and tells me I do not need surgery. On my own again, I ask my primary care office to give me a referral for a neurologist. He prescribes Tegritol and Neurontin. Both made me dizzy and sick.

I had a couple of different types of MRI’s. Nothing found. Then the neurologist asked me if I cried a lot and I answered “no”. He says, “of course you do” and gave me Zoloft and said he thought it would help the pain. Still taking Zoloft, and still in pain, somehow I ended up at the root canal specialist. I finally begged the man to give me a root canal because my daughter’s wedding was coming up in Colorado. The man was kind enough to try it for me. Still in pain $750 later.

I should mention that all this time my family was worried about my getting addicted to the pain meds and kept begging me to go for acupuncture. I had one trip to the hospital after I passed out in the bathroom. Don’t know why – probably the combination of medications. I was missing a lot of work at a job I used to love. But now I was under a lot of stress and went to work angry most days. That was part of the state that I was in.

I decided to see a doctor that many had recommended to me. She finally talked me into trying acupuncture.

I had three treatments and haven’t had pain in three months now, other than a few twinges. At the first session the pain stopped in about five minutes after the needles were in. I never felt the needles. Joyce makes you feel so relaxed to begin with, I actually dozed off on the table. After four years…I finally tried acupuncture and so far I’m still pain free.

Thanks Joyce and Dr. Perlanski.

My family thanks you too!

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