I was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, paralysis on the right side of my face. My eye was stuck open, my mouth drooped causing me to dribble, and I had no movement in the right side of my face from top to bottom. I awoke one Sunday with my face like this.

Western medicine (courtesy of 1 Emergency Doctor, 1 GP, 1 Neurologist and 5 days of research through medical websites) informed me that there was nothing I could do but wait, and it could take anywhere between 3 months and 3 years to come right with a possibility that I could be like this for the rest of my life.

You were the 3rd Chinese medicine acupuncturist, I called, and the only one that provided hope for me in the first phone call “yes I have treated it, yes I can help” was your response.

You promised very little in the first session except that you could help.

The second session I asked why you were so confident that you could help when western medicine had said there was nothing that could be done. You smiled and told me I’d be better in 10-15 sessions.

I think it was about 13 or 14 sessions later and you said “now you know why I was so confident”. You were right! My face was back to normal in less than 6 weeks!

Facial paralysis is more mental pain than physical pain. It led me to have depressive thoughts, a feeling of hopelessness and fear of not ever having a working face again. Not only did you deliver on what you knew you could, more importantly, you gave me hope in one of the most frightening times of my life.

I have recommended you to others since and will continue to do so. I hope you take these recommendations as the sincerest form of gratitude.

Thank you so much.

Regards,

Brook Macmahon, 28 years old, Auckland, NZ