Acupuncture gives Kym the chance to hold her grandson again

Kym Smith, a 62-year-old grandmother from Margate, was doing some gentle exercise when she felt something crack in her back, followed by excruciating pain.

Kym said: “I had a virus and so had been sitting around more than normal and gained some weight. I thought I’d pull myself together with some gentle exercise but the pain in my back suddenly became unbearable.

“I struggled to turn my neck, I had lost feeling in my lower legs, I could barely peel a potato or hold Robin, my 6-month-old grandson because the pain was so intense.”

Unknowingly to Kym, she had suffered a vertebral fracture of the spine.

Kym said: “The pain was so bad I knew it had to be worse than a pulled muscle or something, but I had no idea I could fracture my spine by doing gentle exercise. I have lymphedema which causes chronic swelling, but it wasn’t until this happened that I found out I also have osteopenia, which is why my spine is weaker.”

Kym’s GP gave her strong pain relief and sent her to various clinics for assessment, but the one place she found to help the most was in physiotherapy.

Kym said: “When they suggested acupuncture I was a little bit sceptical, but I would have tried anything to relieve the pain so all I could do was hope that it would help.

“After my first acupuncture session, I found myself able to move again. It was like someone had taken a collar off of my neck so I could turn again. It felt like a miracle.

“It works so well that I’m no longer on strong pain relief such as Morphine or Tramadol. I am still in pain, but it is much more manageable as the acupuncture can keep me going for a couple of weeks until my next session.

“I am so grateful to my physiotherapist Cecelia James who has literally had to pick me up off the floor in pain. I had no idea how much physiotherapy could help me, give me my quality of life back and the chance to hold my grandson again.”

Cecelia James, musculoskeletal physiotherapist said: “Kim has made such an improvement from her first session with us following her acupuncture and daily exercise at home. It's lovely to see her moving so much more freely and in a lot less pain. For me, this is what being a physiotherapist is all about, helping patients to reduce their pain and go back to doing the things they love most."