Rambam Treats Rare Spinal Infection After Acupuncture
Although acupuncture is generally considered safe, a rare spinal infection following treatment had severe consequences for one patient.
Shoshana*, a generally healthy and active woman in her fifties, arrived at the Green-Wagner Department of Emergency Medicine at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) with mild w
eakness in one hand.
A thorough examination, including a CT scan, revealed no clear cause, so physicians admitted her for further investigation and observation. Within 36 hours of arrival, her condition had deteriorated rapidly, and she had developed partial paralysis in all four limbs. An emergency MRI revealed a large abscess in her neck that was placing dangerous pressure on her spinal cord.
The source of the infection remained unclear. When Shoshana mentioned that she had undergone acupuncture a week earlier, her physicians suspected a possible link. “Cases like this are very rare, but her recent treatment raised the possibility that the needle had introduced bacteria that caused the infection,” explains Dr. Shachar Vider, a senior physician in Rambam’s Spine Surgery Unit. “An infection around the spine can progress rapidly and cause severe neurological damage.”
Surgeons performed emergency surgery to drain the abscess and relieve the pressure. However, her condition continued to deteriorate. A second MRI revealed another abscess in the neck region, prompting a second emergency operation. Only after surgeons drained the second abscess did Shoshana’s condition begin to improve.
According to Dr. Vider, the medical literature describes 22 reported cases of spinal epidural abscess—an accumulation of pus in the space surrounding the spinal cord—following acupuncture. The rarity of Shoshana’s case also led Rambam physicians to document it in a case report and literature review published in the International Journal of Spine Surgery. The publication reviews similar cases reported over the past 28 years, highlighting how unusual this complication is. The authors emphasize that acupuncture is generally considered safe, while underscoring the importance of recognizing and treating rare complications promptly.
Dr. Vider emphasizes the importance of taking even minor symptoms seriously and acting promptly when a patient’s condition deteriorates rapidly. She further emphasizes that such a rare complication does not necessarily indicate negligence by the acupuncturist: “Shoshana's case reminds us of the importance of adhering to hygiene and infection prevention practices, even when performing seemingly simple procedures, and seeking prompt medical assessment if unusual symptoms develop.”
* Name changed to protect patient privacy.
