Question

A patient comes to you with facial numbness, parasthesia over the trigeminal area of the right face. The patient has been seen by his PCP (Primary Care Physician) and was referred to a neurologist but the patient never went and would like to try acupuncture. What should you do?

1) Refer to a pain specialist
2) Refer to a neurosurgeon
3) Make a TCM diagnosis and treat appropriately
4) Reinforce the referral to the neurologist

Answer 1

Reinforce the referral to the neurologist because this professional has the diagnostic tools such as EEG and CT scans to properly assess the neurological condition, and potential serious conditions like a stroke need to be ruled out.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient presents with facial numbness and paresthesia over the trigeminal area of the right face and has been referred to a neurologist by their PCP, reinforcing the referral to the neurologist would be the most appropriate action. Neurologists have, beyond a physical exam, diagnostic tools such as electroencephalography (EEG) and computerized tomography (CT) scans to assess neurological conditions. It is important that the patient receives a complete neuromedical evaluation to rule out conditions like stroke or trigeminal neuralgia, which could present with such symptoms. Acupuncture may not be sufficient as a primary treatment method without a clear medical diagnosis of the underlying condition by a neurologist.