Low Back Pain Due To Multiple Causes
My name is Doug Lane. I have had back issues for most of my life. The last few years have been especially troubling. I was treated for frequent muscle spasms with physical therapy, muscle relaxers, and lidocaine rubs. This numbed the pain but did not treat the cause.
After an especially bad episode of back pain, my general practitioner took X-rays that revealed I had spondylolisthesis. This is where the L5 vertebra slips forward and over the S1 vertebra causing compression and significant pain. I was then referred to an orthopedic specialist. I was treated with steroid injections which covered the pain for 18 months. When the effectiveness of the injections wore off, the pain was greater than before.
I needed an MRI before further steroid injections. The MRI revealed spinal arthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and 3 bulging disc. This was in addition to the spondylolisthesis. I did not respond to further steroid injections. I was devastated and the pain was much worse.
I was then referred to the Specialty Pain Hospital for chronic pain. I was given narcotics (opiates) and naproxen which I took around the clock. These medications came with their own set of negative issues. At this point I took medical leave from work, was depressed, and angry.
Unable to face that life would be this way from now on, my husband looked for alternatives to hopefully relieve my pain. While on-line he discovered Dr. Li Lin of Southern Acupuncture and Herbology.
I was a little skeptical but willing to try anything. The first visit I arrived with a pain level of 5 ½-6. Li Lin explained that the first treatment may not last as long as acupuncture is cumulative. After the first Acupuncture treatment with Li Lin my pain level was 0. And for Three full days!
There after, I have gone for treatments twice a week for a couple of weeks and am now down to only once a week. I did not realize how badly the pain was until it was gone. My pain level has rarely been more than a 2 or 3. I am feeling so much better mentally as well as physically.
Not only that, my use of narcotics(opiates) and Naproxen has grown less and less to where I no longer take them at all!
Li Lin is a true professional and well educated in her art. I have only great praise for Li Lin. She has definitely improved the lives of myself and my family as well as many others.
Andrenal Fatigue, headache, no fingernails, sports injury
Vertigo, migraine, sinuses, pain and more
From: Patsy
To: Dr. Li Lin
Thank you for your work
October 12, 2011 10:38 PM
Dear Dr. Li Lin,
Greg and I cannot thank you enough for the quality of life you have given us since first visiting you at Ni's Acupuncture in Merritt Island in December 2010! You continue to be available to help us when our health is challenged or our body needs acupuncture and/or cupping for healing. THANK YOU!
For many many years, I contemplated going to Ni's Acupuncture and Ancient Chinese Medicine. Then one night we were in the Celebration, FL area shopping and met a young saleslady in one of the stores. She knew Merritt Island, FL because she was a patient of yours. She said she had started having severe headaches and the Orlando area specialists did MRIs, yet could not find the problem. They put her on strong pain killers that did not touch the severe pain. Someone recommended her to you. After visiting and starting the herbal tea, she was soon healed and the pain gone completely. She did say that tea tasted horrible, but it was so worth it to be well again. She didn't care the cause of her pain, just that she was now well and back to enjoying her youth.
Greg and I walked out of that store in Celebration, looked at each other and said it was time for me to go see you. We made the appointment that week. It was the best appointment I have ever had in my life! It was a unique experience in how you do your diagnosis and so different than we were accustomed, yet it gave me back so much quality of life that I had missed for over 25 years. I cannot thank you enough!
It is so easy to recommend you to family, friends and acquaintances because your work is so amazing and so wonderful!
If you remember, I first came to you when my sinuses were out of control following a severe reaction to the flu shot in 2010. It was getting difficult to function in a day with the normal odors in daily living. This was beyond the allergy problem I previously had with hay fever and odors of fragrances and smoke. You prescribed the herbal tea and within drinking 2 teas of 8 ounces each, my sinus were clearer than they had been in over a year. It was awesome to breathe so clearly!
That same tea prescription was also to help with my vertigo/migraine problem that I had suffered with for over 25 years. Over all those years, I saw many American doctors with only one of them diagnosing it as Basilar Migraine (the vertigo and migraine would occur separately and weeks apart). There "was no cure", but "take the prescription phenergan for the nausea".
Well, you proved all that wrong when you prescribed the tea on my first visit. Within one week of drinking that tea, my vertigo problem was cured and has not returned yet! Often travel would set it off causing me to be ill for at least 3 days. After seeing you, I purposely booked back to back road trips that I knew would set it off and result in the illness. On both trips, I was WONDERFULLY SURPRISED that there were NO SIGNS OF VERTIGO and that it was the best traveling I had in over 25+ years! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I also had started taking prescription sleeping pills throughout 2010, because I was having great difficulty getting to sleep many nights. I did not want to take the pills, yet the doctors had no other solution for my sleep problem. You were able to solve it for me quickly and had me sleeping like a baby through the night in no time! How wonderful it is to get a good nights sleep again and drug-free!
Greg's blood pressure is under control resulting in him being able to get off the prescription pills to control it.
We are both free of prescription drugs and have been since starting with your services in December 2010! It is wonderful!
When I start getting sick, I am able to call and see you quickly. I had the start of 2 sinus infections in 2011 and both times you prescribed herbal capsules to heal me of that type "flu". Prior to seeing you, I was getting these about 4 times a year and each time was resulting in a prescription for antibiotics that required a second dose of a stronger antibiotic and taking over a month to heal. After seeing you, I get the herbs quickly and feel better within a day and completely healed in about a week at the most. No more prescription antibiotics!
Tiffani, my daughter, from the Orlando area was visiting one week. She started getting a sinus problem. I encouraged her to see you immediately, which she did. Again, your herbal capsules helped her quickly. She too was able to avoid strong antibiotics that were also causing her to have stomach problems.
Drew, my grandson, has also been coming to you. Not only have you helped him with his sinus and eye problems, but you encouraged him in his education and offered to let him intern with you. He is still a little too young for the internship, but I hope one day he will be able to intern with you even if that is in Chapel Hill, NC.
Now for the acupuncture and cupping/bleeding experience. You helped eliminate some recurring problems in my low back and in my foot with acupuncture. One night, I slept wrong on my left side and woke about 3:00 a.m. feeling like my entire left shoulder was broken having severe pain. As that day progressed, the pain remained severe and limited my head motion. I came to see you early that afternoon. You did a massage behind my ear lobe, did acupuncture and followed it with cupping and bleeding. You spent alot of time with me. However, when I left your office, I was completely pain free! I was truly in awe of your expertise!
During one of my earlier visits, I had a pain in the groin area on the left side that I had suffered for over 10 years. Your acupuncture chart indicated a vein in that specific area. You were able to eliminate that pain. I had seen 3 different gynocologists and none could give me a diagnosis or had ever heard of such a pain. Yet, it would be so irritating at night especially when I went to bed. I thought it was perhaps a nerve pain. One doctor wanted to do some minor surgery in the area to "eliminate a pain he didn't know the cause and was just speculating". I refused that surgery and continued to live with the pain. You were a God-send and completely eliminated it in one visit to your office!
I could go on and on about your services and how you have changed our lives for the better! It is so wonderful to have that quality of life back that we were each missing! I thank God often for you! You are not considered just our doctor, but also our friend. You care so much about your patients and genuinely care about helping them! You are a blessed woman!
Our entire family is sad to hear you are moving to China for four months and then starting your own practice in Chapel Hill, NC. Yet, we appreciate that you are stepping out in faith and following the destiny set for your life. You will always be our doctor! We will definitely keep in touch!
Chapel Hill is about 4 hours from my sister's house in North Carolina. However, she is anxiously awaiting you to begin your practice as she plans to be one of your first patients! I told her I plan to visit you there once you settle! Please do keep in touch!
God bless you, Dr. Lin, as you begin a new adventure in life! You have our love and support and so much gratitude for all that you have done for us! I will try to see you before you leave in November.
With love and admiration of your beautiful spirit,
Patsy
Sjogren's Syndrome
"I first saw Dr. Li Lin in June of 2011. I was a little apprehensive about seeing her since many years earlier I had been a patient of Dr. Hai-Sha Ni (the founder & owner of Ni's Acupuncture Clinic in Merritt Island, Fl). Up to this point Dr. Ni was the only acupuncturist that was able to help me. I had been treated by many other acupuncturists that were closer to me in Orlando and they all were a waste of my time and money. However, I was desperate for some help so I stepped out in faith feeling that anyone who had trained under Hai-Sha Ni and then was hired to work in his practice would be good.
Not only was Dr. Lin good; she was great! The condition I seek treatment for is Sjogren's Syndrome which is a difficult to treat auto-immune condition which presents itself in a variety of conditions. Dr. Li Lin was able to alleviate many of my conditions. I now sleep better, have less joint stiffness and improved energy. She has knowledge and experience in western medicine, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and acupuncture. In addition she is professional, thorough, interested and compassionate.
I feel very fortunate to have been treated by Dr. Li Lin. Although I wish her great success in her new home and practice in Chapel Hill, I will truly miss her and her beautiful spirit. Her faith is apparent and anyone who is fortunate to be treated by her will be greatly blessed. "
~ Liz from Orlando, FL
Knee pain, abdominal pain and gout
"My family has been benefited from Dr. Lin's excellent medical treatment and consultation. Her excellent knowledge in medicine, herbal medicine, and acupuncture, and professional treatment /service, plus her solid background and understanding in Natural Product and Medicinal Chemistry make her not only an exceptional doctor, an intelligent scientist but also a great friend. I have experienced several treatments from Dr. Lin and would like to share with others.
Experience 1:
I had my knee joint pain a couple years ago. I called Dr. Li (when she was a student in acupuncture school yet) and asked if she had any solution. She came to my house and gave me acupuncture twice. Since then, I have never been suffered from knee joint pain again! I was completely impressed!!
Experience 2:
When my son was 6-7 years old, he constantly told me, especially after meals, "My tummy hurts." This non-reason hurt made his eating habit irregular and unhealthy. I called Dr. Lin and asked her help. After diagnosing over the phone, she sent me some herb medicines (semi-formulated) and instructed me how to use the medicine: two spoonful's medicine, half a cup of water, stirring to dissolve, and then take it. So simple, but it did work!! Only one dose, solve the problem. After that, whenever my son's stomach hurts, he says to me: I need "Xiao Jian Zhong Tang". Now, he barely takes it because he barely "tummy hurts".
Experience 3:
Two years ago, my husband got gout. It made him extremely uncomfortable. He went to see his American doctor and received Indomethacin. However, after took the medicine several times, the pain still remained and the red swollen remained. I called Dr. Lin again. Still a telephone diagnosis, Dr. Lin sent us a pack of composed herb medicines. After the first trial (one week to ten-days), the pain was significantly reduced and the infected area appeared drastically better. I reported the results to Dr. Lin and was asked some further questions, from which Dr. Lin was able to diagnose the status and the progress of the disease and make new prescriptions for further treatment. After the second trial, my husband's gout was completely gone, and has not reoccurred."
~ Qian from Chapel Hill, NC
Sinuses
"May 2005, I went to China for vacation and caught a cold due to too much travel and stress. Then I came back to the US with very bad sinuses problem, non-stopping sniffing and stuffy nose. I was back and forth between allergy specialist and ENT doctors, but no one could help me. The sinuses problem continued, and it got worse when I was pregnant with my first child in 2006. During the whole pregnancy I always woke up with stuffy nose and dry mouth in the middle of night. So I ended up sleeping in a recliner and had to keep drinking water. In Feb 2007, when my son was 3 months old, I took my ENT doctor's suggestion and did a nasal surgery,“ the first surgery in my life. After the surgery, my ENT doctor told me that I would need to rely on some expensive prescription medicine for the rest of my life, which he had never told me before the surgery. The surgery was not helpful at all. Instead, I ended up with a lot more mucus discharges. I was really mad and regretted about the surgery.
I mentioned my situation to Li. She prescribed some herbs for me. Only after 10 days, my symptoms and suffering were all gone. 10 Days! I could hardly believe! I suffered two years wasting my time and money with the doctors who couldn't help me. I am so grateful for Li and the authentic traditional Chinese medicine. I wish she had studied Chinese medicine earlier or I had reached out to her earlier. When I was pregnant with my second child in 2009, my nose is still ok. What a blessing!"
~ Liu from Wilmington, DE
Back pain
"I have been treated with acupuncture by Dr. Li. She treated my back and I have no severe pains since."
~Ron from Apex, NC
Chronic headache
"After years of living with chronic headaches, monthly migraines, and a host of other issues, I discovered Dr. Lin in Southern Village. I started seeing Dr. Lin for acupuncture in October of last year, and after the first appointment - I felt like a new person (no joke, one appointment!). I tried acupuncture before, but this was different… And soon after two or three visits, I noticed the headaches were less frequent, and I was taking fewer Imitrex for migraines. It didn't take long before I was completely off Imitrex… And now, if I feel a migraine coming on (which is rare), I simply call and schedule an appointment. Easy. Acupuncture works!"
- Joyce from Durham, NC
Headache, PMS, fatigue, poor sleep
"I started treatment with Dr. Lin last year in June. I went to her mainly because I was to looking for a remedy for my headaches, which I was experiencing approx. 3x a week. During my ovulation and my menses the intensity of my headaches increased, and the second reason I consulted Dr. Lin was because of my PMS, which included not only headaches, but also cravings (special during ovulation and period), fatigue (especially in the morning), breast tenderness, and poor quality sleep ( fit full sleep and difficulties falling asleep).
When all these problems started years ago, I consulted my OB/GYN doctor and he prescribed birth control pills as treatment for my headache and PMS, but none of the symptoms got better. From the first week with Dr. Lin's acupuncture and herbal treatment my headaches subsided and the quality of my sleep improved. I was astounded! During the period of treatment, I experience decreases in the food cravings and breast tenderness. Now, a year later, I rarely get headaches and I am able to sleep very well.
I am very thankful to Dr. Lin because through her acupuncture treatment my life quality has improve dramatically. Every morning I wake up with energized, this allows me to enjoy my day. I am able to exercise more often, even my memory has improve because now I am able to rest properly!"
-Ana from Chapel Hill, NC
Digestive problems
"I am grateful to Dr. Li Lin for restoring a quality of life not enjoyed in over two years. Sustained work and personal stress resulted in a diseased digestive system characterized by belly pain, bloating, diarrhea, low energy and weight loss. Severe reaction to various foods and the frequent urgent need for nearby restrooms halted favorite activities--travel, camping, hiking, and sampling ethnic cooking. While competent western medical providers explained gut-healing as a slow process, advised the need for stress reduction and dietary changes (mostly restrictions!), medications were prescribed primarily to treat symptoms. The medications were minimally effective. A friend's referral to Dr. Lin began the journey with Chinese herbs along with diet changes and stress reduction, all focused on long-term gut healing and balance as well as immediate symptom relief. Dr. Lin's kind presence, knowledge of both western and Chinese pharmacology and healing modalities, and almost two years adjusting herbal formulas and dosages to my various stages of healing made possible an extended 2015 summer camping/hiking vacation in the western U.S., trying local foods without fear of pain. Thank-you, Dr. Li Lin."
- Anne from Bear Creek, NC
Celiac disease, atrial fibrillation
"My work with Dr. Li Lin and Southern Village Acupuncture and Herbology began in 2014 when I returned from a trip to Italy with painful intestinal problems due to my Celiac disease. My daughter, who is studying traditional Chinese medicine, found Southern Village Acupuncture and Herbology and recommended that I make an appointment. Dr. Lin's work led to a complete recovery after two treatments.
That experience led me to seek her help when I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation for which I take prescription medication. Dr. Lin has worked on strengthening my heart with both herbs and needles. I continue one to two appointments each week that I am in town, and it has made a noticeable difference in my stamina and comfort. Now, Dr. Li Lin is using her needles to smooth out my facial wrinkles, leading two nurses I know to mention that I don't look my age of 71."
-- Diane, in Chapel Hill, NC