According to authorities, a guy from New York City who is accused of providing acupuncture treatments without a license allegedly pierced a woman's lungs during her treatment, keeping her in the hospital for nearly a week.
On May 10, 2022, the 63-year-old woman went to C&W Medical in the Queens neighborhood of New York City because she was feeling stomach and back pain, according to District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Between May 18 and October 28 of last year, she received more than a dozen sessions from acupuncturist Yong De Lin, as reported by CBS News.
During her final meeting with Lin, she started to feel sick and collapsed, according to Katz. Before sending the patient home, Lin, 66, allegedly gave her extra acupuncture and cupping therapy.
Shortness of breath caused the patient to pass out and collapse, according to authorities. The woman was taken to a hospital for emergency surgery after a bystander dialed 911. The woman's lungs had both collapsed as a result of the acupuncture sessions, the hospital found. The woman spent six days in the hospital.
An Unlicensed Acupuncturist
Lin was charged with assault in the first and second degrees, first-degree reckless endangerment, and unlicensed professional practice on Monday.
He has not sought the state license necessary to provide acupuncture treatments, according to the prosecution. If found guilty, Lin may spend up to 25 years in jail.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health claims that there have been relatively few reports of acupuncture-related problems, despite the agency not providing any data.
Candidates must pass a test given by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Washington in order to practice acupuncture in New York.
According to the theories of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is a medicinal procedure in which tiny needles are placed into the skin at certain points to restore balance to the body.
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A Huge Risk
In his nearly 40 years of practice, Dr. Yemeng Chen, head of the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mineola, New York, claimed to have never heard of a punctured lung, as reported by The New York Times.
According to Dr. Chen, who spent ten years on the state's education department's acupuncture board, it is a risk that students are specifically warned to avoid.
A lung could be punctured by using the incorrect method at a spot in the upper back between the spine and shoulder blade, he warned.
The most frequent significant acupuncture complication, according to a 2013 report in the Journal of Thoracic Disease, is pneumothorax, which is defined as the presence of air between the chest wall and lungs that may cause the lungs to collapse. The illness is, however, "quite rarely reported," per the study.
According to Dr. Chen, anyone looking to get acupuncture can quickly check a practitioner's licensure on the Office of the Professions website of their state's education department.
Related article: Acupuncture Is Safe And Effective Option To Pain-Relieving Drugs In Emergency Cases, Study Confirms
