Retired teacher Nermin Altınbaşak, whose life became unbearable due to the complaints of "trigeminal neuralgia", which is defined as maddening pain, recovered with acupuncture treatment. Despite the different treatment methods applied, she applied to Yeditepe University Complementary Medicine Center with the guidance of her husband after the pain she could not identify and facial paralysis. After the acupuncture treatment applied by Dr. Berna Atay, she was able to return to her old painless, and healthy days in about a month.

She had a case of unbearable pain while eating, talking, and not being able to go out due to severe headaches... Trigeminal neuralgia was the source of these problems. Retired science teacher Nermin Altınbaşak was living with these complaints for about 5 years.

Unfortunately, time is lost until the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia, a neurological problem that turns the lives of the living into a nightmare. It is often confused with toothache. Nermin Altınbaşak attributed the depression to the source of her pain. The definitive diagnosis for her pain, which started five years ago, was made last September. She then received medication and physical therapy. When her problems were not completely eliminated, she applied to Yeditepe University Complementary Medicine Center for acupuncture treatment with the recommendation.

“My husband did not believe me at first”

Nermin Altınbaşak describes her experience as follows: “In the evening, I had a very severe pain in my head. I could not lift my head, but I was comfortable when I lay down. I felt the pain in my teeth, in my gums, in my eyes, all over my face. Before I started acupuncture treatment, my husband did not believe much that I would recover. He thought the pain would go away for a while, but then it would start again. I asked Yeditepe University Complementary Medicine Center Supervisor Dr. Berna Atay whether I will get a permanent result. Dr. Atay said that if the source of the problems is not psychological, it may be possible, but she still cannot give a complete, definitive answer. After starting treatment and getting the first results of recovery, my husband's initial negative opinion also changed.”

Results Started To Be Seen In The First Session

Nermin Altınbaşak, who took a short break from her treatment for about 4 weeks and 8 sessions, describes what she experienced after the start of acupuncture treatment as follows: “After the first session, there was a decrease in the feeling of pulling at the edge of my mouth and gouging in my head and teeth, and after the third session, it completely recovered. The shape of my lips got better. Now I can sleep through my painless nights. I tried to drink a lot of water during this time. I also avoided gluten and gluten foods. I wake up feeling more energized. My sleep quality was worse before the treatment, now I feel more energetic even if I sleep for a few hours.”

The Treatment Approach Changes According To The Patient

Reminding that trigeminal neuralgia is on the list of diseases that can be treated with acupuncture according to the World Health Organization, Dr. Berna Atay states Nermin Altınbaşak has achieved almost a hundred percent improvement in a very short time. However, this period may vary according to each patient and the severity of the disease.

The Results Were Quickly Seen

Dr. Berna Atay explains what she applied in acupuncture treatment in this case, which is used by two different methods, laser acupuncture, and needle acupuncture: “Our first goal was to regress complaints. It was to reduce the pains, withdrawals, contractions caused by trigeminal neuralgia and its negative effects on the chewing muscles.  We sent light frequencies with pain relief to the deep tissue with laser acupuncture. We also used anti-inflammatory and body resistance-enhancing frequencies. We detected a weak energy in Mrs. Altınbaşak's stomach meridian and applied it accordingly. She feels better both physically and psychologically. We have taken a short break from treatment for now. We will check back soon, if necessary, we will have sessions for protection every 1-1.5 months.”