“My Only Regret is That I Didn’t Start Earlier.”

Lewis R. of Taneytown has accompanied his wife, Ellen, to all her doctor appointments for the past 6 years. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Ellen suffers from wide-spread muscle pain and exhausting fatigue on a daily basis, and sometimes has heightened sensitivity to touch and dizzying headaches. To make matters worse, Ellen also experiences symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in her feet which she describes as a chilling numbness, “ice-pick” like pain, and a constant feeling of cold. 



After reading an article about the specialized treatments for both fibromyalgia and neuropathy at Patapsco Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine, located in Eldersburg, Ellen and Lewis decided to look into treatment for Ellen. Encouraged by the success of other patients, they had hope that her quality of life could improve.

“After a while, I noticed Ellen’s daily pain levels decreasing. She seemed to have more energy to do things that made her happy, which made me happy.” Lewis reminisces. “I know the saying ‘happy wife, happy life,’ so I found joy watching her be able to decorate the house for the holidays and plan our springtime garden – something she hasn’t been able to do for years.” 

“But the problem came when she wanted me to take her downtown to walk around to go shopping.”

The problem was that Lewis had difficulty walking long distances. Nearly 30 years ago, Lewis had drop foot and electrifying sharp pains that would shoot down both legs. At the time, as a young man, he was recommended surgery to relieve the debilitating pain and improve his ability to walk. The surgery was a success and he was able to continue his active lifestyle. 

“But 3 years ago, the sharp pain returned with a vengeance. I thought, hey, the surgery worked last time, I ought to do it again.” Lewis reports.

After the surgery, Lewis was recommended 6 months of physical therapy to rebuild his strength and walking ability. “While Ellen was undergoing treatment at Patapsco Acupuncture, I had my own appointments to keep with my physical therapy program. I wanted to get my strength back.”

 “But I had some concerns. I kept thinking ‘something isn’t right.’ After two rounds of physical therapy, I noticed this aggravating and persistent feeling of numbness in my shins and feet. I kept hoping it would get better, but it just didn’t. And I still feel unbalanced while walking. I thought the exercises would help, but I’m still concerned I could lose my balance if I take a wrong step!” 

“I felt so disappointed.” Lewis shares, “I just couldn’t keep up with Ellen!”

One day, during Ellen’s treatment at Patapsco Acupuncture, Lewis brought up his concerns with Dr. Low, who explains: 

“We found that Lewis did in fact have significant sensory loss in both feet and legs. This sensory loss explains his loss of balance and the feeling of numbness. The good news is that we have a unique program that can actually rehabilitate nerve function so that people can get feeling back in areas that feel numb or hypersensitive. We utilize acupuncture, an ancient medical practice that is highly effective at reducing pain, as well as modern technologies to encourage systemic healing at the cellular level. Lewis’ own wife is a testament to the kind of success that we have with our patients when they follow through on their treatment plan. I’m confident Lewis will get similar results.”

Tom made the decision to begin his own treatment plan at Patapsco Acupuncture.

“I did what I thought I was supposed to do, as recommended by my other specialists, and their methods just didn’t help as much as I thought they would. After seeing Ellen’s improvement, I wanted to give myself the chance to try something different – it was either that or decide to live with this irritating feeling the rest of my life. After just a few weeks I can already feel a difference! I am walking better. I don’t feel as unstable, especially when turning corners. One day soon I will be able to keep up with my wife.  My only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.” 

If you or someone you love is suffering from a chronic pain condition, the team at Patapsco Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine is here to help you to get your life back in the new year.