Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

A Turkish medic has shared shocking images of a patient who was ‘treated’ for a bad back by a quack doctor who inserted a plastic rope into his body.

The 25-year-old unidentified male patient living in the Turkish province of Elazig went to the orthopaedic specialist with the complaint of severe low back pain.

Orthopaedic Specialist Dr Noyan Dirlik, age not disclosed, who examined the patient was then shocked by what he saw.

Two holes were made in the patient’s waist, and a rope was threaded under the skin through the holes.

Stating that the patient who is dealing with animal husbandry was diagnosed with ‘ankylosing spondylitis’ two years ago, Dr Dirlik said: “The patient, who was diagnosed with the disease which is long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine, tried many treatments, but when the pain did not go away, he resorted to alternative methods.

“Someone with no medical training, who said that he would treat the patient’s complaint, did this under the name of alternative medicine.”

He said that the patient had suffered an infection as a result of the alternative treatment which he described as a “very risky situation”.

He added: “If the infection progresses to the nerve roots, nerve damage may occur. If this infection progresses, it can lead to death.

“We come across useless applications under the name of alternative medicine a lot. However, this is the first I’ve seen threads under the skin in my professional life.

“The patient has been living like this for five months. A hazardous practice that could have deadly consequences.”

Noting that if the infection progresses, it may damage the internal organs and cause sepsis, Dr Dirlik stated that he will start the treatment from the beginning of the week and may have to clear the infection with surgical intervention.

Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practices (GETAT) have started to be implemented in the Turkish public hospitals under the control of a medically trained and certified doctor, with a regulation issued by the Ministry of Health in 2014.

These practices include 15 different applications such as acupuncture, hypnosis, and phytotherapy.

However, threading a plastic rope through the body is not one of them.