Occurred Facial Pain during Acupotomy at a Site 5 pun Left of GV16: A Case Report

Abstract

This study evaluated a case of trigeminal nerve stimulation during acupotomy at a site 5 pun left of GV16. The study participant was a 52-year-old male suffering from upper neck pain and numbness, which was managed by acupotomy at a site 5 pun left of GV16. During acupotomy, the patient experienced unexpected numbness and stiffness of the left zygomatic bone. This area corresponds to the distribution of the maxillary nerve, which is the second branch of the trigeminal nerve. After approximately one month, symptoms of numbness and stiffness disappeared without rendering medical treatment. These side effects are presumed to be associated with the trigeminocervical complex and stimulation of the trigeminal nucleus within the spinal cord. Thus, during the acupotomy of the upper neck, especially at GV16, the needles should be inserted slowly, and the patient’s response should also be monitored.

Keywords

• acupotomy
• facial pain
• trigeminal nerve