Mum shocked to discover why son was 'walking unusually slowly'

His plight was only revealed when his mum asked him why he was 'walking unusually slowly' and he told her what he'd done. Photo / Australscope

Remembering the late nights of cramming for school exams is enough to send most of us into a hot sweat.

But one 13-year-old boy will probably forever nightmares until the end of time about his inventive study technique.

The young teen was so keen to stay awake and get his homework completed, he decided to shun the usual option of drinking copious amounts of caffeine and instead inflict excruciating pain on himself.

And he did so by inserting a 10cm acupuncture needle into his penis to stop himself falling asleep, news.com.au reported.

His bizarre and desperate technique has been revealed after the wince-inducing photos of the needle inside his manhood were released by Xi'an Children's Hospital.

The teen, who has not been named, was said to have struggled with walking after the incident, with his mum reportedly telling local media he was "walking unusually slowly".

It was 15 hours before he revealed to his parents what actually happened.

"He was walking unusually slowly, so I told him to speed up, but he kept walking slowly," she said. "He finally said: 'Mum, I have to tell you something. I kept falling asleep while doing homework, so I tried to wake myself up by putting a needle up my urethra'.

"I asked him why he hadn't told me sooner, and he said: 'I tried to tell you earlier, but I didn't know how to'."

The needle was more than 10cm in length. Photo / Australscope

Wang Shengxing, deputy head of urology at the hospital, examined the teen after he was referred from a smaller local hospital.

The consultant said: "It hurt when he walked and when he urinated.

"His parents were quite distressed.

"The needle measured 10 centimetres and was completely inside his urethra, nearing his bladder.

"He was at risk of infection or bleeding; if it had moved, it could've ruptured his bladder or arteries."

The acupuncture needle, which belonged to his grandmother and had been taken from her drawer, was removed in an emergency operation.

Naturally, social media had a lot to say about the boy's unusual activity, with many saying it highlights the "pressure" kids feel to be successful.

"Words fail me," another said on Facebook.

"I'm wincing reading this, next time have some pro plus and a can of red bull.... My god, this is horrific to read," another said.

Luckily, the teen is expected to make a full recovery — but we expect this is something he won't forget for a very, very long time.