Improper training can be dangerous
A San Diego woman has filed a lawsuit against a Chula Vista chiropractor accusing him of collapsing her lung during an acupuncture procedure that he is not licensed to perform.
The problem here was obvious, when you aren’t trained properly, you can’t get a license to use acupuncture on patients. Acupuncture can be very dangerous if not used properly, an improperly placed needle can penetrate arteries, organs with the lungs being at the highest risk, even the brain!
Even somebody such as a chiropractor who has extensive anatomy training can make a potentially fatal mistake if they are not properly trained on depth, angle and length of the needle.
When acupuncturists are properly trained and licensed, the risks of both adverse events and serious adverse events are rare, as discussed in this previous blog post. But when acupuncture is performed improperly, such as this video in a previous blog post of a medical doctor puncturing a patient’s lung, it becomes a dangerous therapy.
So if you are planning on getting an acupuncture treatment, find the regulatory college in your state or province, and verify that the person claiming to be able to perform acupuncture is actually registered and licensed with the regulatory college to limit your risks of adverse events during or following your acupuncture treatment.