{"id":20315,"date":"2026-07-31T10:32:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/sessions\/needling-the-numb-a-case-report-of-a-57-year-old-female-with-right-sided-facial-numbness-treated-with-acupuncture\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:32:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:32:43","slug":"needling-the-numb-a-case-report-of-a-57-year-old-female-with-right-sided-facial-numbness-treated-with-acupuncture","status":"publish","type":"wsa_session","link":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/sessions\/needling-the-numb-a-case-report-of-a-57-year-old-female-with-right-sided-facial-numbness-treated-with-acupuncture\/","title":{"rendered":"Needling The Numb: A Case Report of A 57-Year Old Female with Right Sided Facial Numbness Treated with Acupuncture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Trigeminal neuropathy (TNO) presents diagnostic challenges in primary care, often requiring multidisciplinary work-ups to rule out serious etiologies. This case of a 57-year-old female with progressive facial numbness explores\u00a0Fraternity\u00a0by integrating traditional family medicine with\u00a0integrative medicine\u00a0to enhance outcomes when conventional treatments are limited.A 57-year-old female presented with a one-year history of progressive right-sided facial numbness. A comprehensive work-up, including neurological exams, hypertensive screening, cranial CT,\u00a0syphilis screening, and inflammatory markers (CRP\/ESR),\u00a0ruled out malignancy, vascular compression, infection, and inflammatory causes. While findings of dyslipidemia and peripheral lipomatosis were noted, they were deemed unrelated. The patient was referred for\u00a0integrative medicine\u00a0and received three 15-minute acupuncture sessions (1\u20132 week intervals) utilizing acupoints ST6, ST7, GB14, GB26, LI20, Yin Tang, and Tae Yang.This case demonstrates an innovative &quot;Fraternity of Care&quot; by utilizing acupuncture not as a secondary alternative, but as a coordinated first-line non-pharmacological intervention within a tertiary hospital\u2019s Family Medicine department. It highlights the Family Physician&#039;s role in bridge-building between high-tech diagnostics (CT imaging) and traditional needle-based therapies.The key lesson is that\u00a0integrative medicine\u00a0safely alleviates TNO symptoms. Formalizing interprofessional referral networks is vital to ensure equitable access to diagnostics and non-pharmacological symptom management.The management of this case highlights the clinical challenge of trigeminal neuropathy, where standard pharmacological treatments often carry side-effect profiles that patients may find unacceptable. By utilizing the Numbness Numerical Rating Scale, we were able to quantify the success of a non-pharmacological intervention. The reduction in symptoms from moderate to low suggests that medical acupuncture can effectively modulate sensory deficits. Furthermore, the psychological relief expressed by the patient after ruling out malignancy underscores the importance of the Family Physician&#039;s role in providing reassurance alongside physical treatmentIn conclusion, trigeminal neuropathy requires a dual approach: rigorous diagnostic work-up to rule out poor-prognosis etiologies and an open-minded therapeutic strategy. This case demonstrates that medical acupuncture is a safe and viable adjunct in primary care. This illustrates\u00a0Fraternity\u00a0by showing how diverse practices coexist to provide holistic care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-20315","wsa_session","type-wsa_session","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session\/20315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wsa_session"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}