title: Successful treatment of chronic nausea and vomiting related to body piercing and tattooing with integrative medicine interventions.
abstract: Chronic nausea and vomiting of uncertain etiology can be debilitating and uncomfortable for patients while frustrating for clinicians. This article presents the case of a young woman with chronic nausea and vomiting of unknown etiology resulting from body piercing and tattoo scars on body areas that Chinese Medicine asserts are related to the gastrointestinal system. The patient had long-term total resolution after 1 treatment session consisting of neural therapy for scars resulting from a tongue ring, belly ring, and tattoo near her left wrist along with acupuncture treatment. The research community is called to further evaluate the possible association of body piercing and tattooing with nausea and vomiting along with the possible treatment options of neural therapy and acupuncture.
authors.affiliation: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey (Dr Chung); Chung Institute of Integrative Medicine (Dr Chung) and Won Sook Chung Foundation (Drs Chung and LaRiccia), Moorestown, New Jersey; New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, Morganville, New Jersey (Dr Chung); Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (Dr LaRiccia); Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in the departments of Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine (Dr LaRiccia).
authors.forename: M Kyu
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: LaRiccia
mesh_terms: D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult