One treatment every three weeks.
At a glance
Severe constipation, with only one bowel movement a week, back to normal daily bowel movements by improving the body’s sensory and motor nerve function and tonifying Qi and Yang.
Presentation
A 50-year-old patient, formerly a nurse, had to give up her job after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) twenty years earlier. She couldn’t feel her legs and feet well, and they had become weaker and harder to control, so she walked with a cane. She no longer had the normal sensation of needing a bowel movement and had only one bowel movement a week.
Diagnosis
Her sensory and motor nerves were not functioning well in the legs, feet and abdomen. In TCM terms the pattern was severe Qi and Yang deficiency, meaning the body lacked the energy or functional power to carry out its daily tasks.
Treatment
Treatment combined scalp acupuncture, body acupuncture and herbal medicine:
- Scalp acupuncture: the upper fifth of MS6 and MS7 — for the sensory and motor nerves of the lower limbs and trunk. MS6 is the anterior oblique line of the vertex-temporal area, running from Qianshenchong obliquely to GB-6 (Xuanli); its upper fifth treats impaired movement in the lower limbs and trunk. MS7 is the posterior oblique line, running from DU-20 (Baihui) obliquely to GB-7 (Qubin); its upper fifth treats impaired sensation in the lower limbs and trunk.
- Acupuncture — Dr. Tan’s combination for MS.
- Herbal medicine — one formula to raise the body’s Qi, and another for Yang deficiency in the lower burner and bowel flow. She alternated between the two based on her condition and pulse diagnosis.
Result
She regained the sensation and strength for daily bowel movements, so the severe constipation changed to normal daily bowel movements.
She also no longer needs a cane to walk, and she is able to travel internationally and take an active part in volunteer work in her community.
Additional notes
This reflects an individual patient experience, not clinical trial data.
Results vary from person to person depending on the condition, its severity, and how an individual responds to treatment. TCM and acupuncture are not a substitute for care from your physician or another regulated health professional. If you’re dealing with a serious or urgent symptom, please see a doctor first.