A case of septicaemia and compartment syndrome of the leg in a diabetic patient was reported following acupuncture to his calf. An emergency decompression fasciotomy was performed on the patient and Gram-positive cocci were grown from the posterior compartment wound swab cultures and group A streptococcus from his blood cultures. The patient remained in the intensive therapy unit postoperatively, requiring inotropic support and intravenous antibiotics for his septicaemia. Eventually, he made a good recovery.