[Case study]One lower-back pain, hip pain and thigh pain case

A 55-year-old female patient complained of pain on both sides of the waist (mainly on the left waist), pain on the front and lateral sides of the thigh, and pain in the fixed position of the bottom of the left buttock. The patient said that it would be more comfortable to use something against the pain point on the bottom of the buttocks. The pain in the buttocks started after the patient’s endometriosis tumor biopsy, and the pain became more pronounced during menstruation. The patient reported that she had undergone a Western medical examination, and there was no lumbar disc herniation, and spinal stenosis was found on the right side. She has also sought physiotherapists and acupuncturists for treatment, but the effect was limited. The pain level can be as high as 8/10 and 6/10 at the time of presentation, and the pain is accompanied by a small amount of numbness. Due to the pain, the patient did not dare to walk as usual. The patient has been afraid of the cold and the wind for many years. In winter, her whole body is uncomfortable, and her waist becomes cold and heavy. The urine is basically normal, the spirit is good, the sleep is normal, the habit of going to bed late, the throat is dry with phlegm, and the menstrual amount is small. The tongue is pale and enlarged, with a thin white coating. Pulse is thin/taut/fast. The diagnosis of TCM was blood deficiency, blood stasis and yang deficiency. Treated with the combination of acupuncture and medicine, after 6 times of acupuncture and 4 times of traditional Chinese medicine treatment, the patient’s feeling improved significantly. The patient did not continue the treatment due to the infection of the Covid. After two months, the feedback was all good.

Why is the combination treatment of acupuncture and medicine used in this medical case?

First, the pathogenic factors of patients are much more complex, and there are many possible factors for pain, such as pain due to yang deficiency, pain due to qi and blood deficiency, and pain due to blood stasis. From the distribution of pain, it includes the Shaoyang meridian, the Taiyang meridian and the Yangming meridian. Acupuncture and medicine can better cover these factors;

Second, for the pain of deficiency syndrome, especially the weakness of qi and blood, the first thing to do is to supplement the qi and blood, otherwise, the effect of pain treatment will be greatly affected. The combination of acupuncture and medicine can significantly speed up the progress of treatment.