At a glance
Lower back pain that was affecting her work and life was relieved for good with two treatments.
Presentation
A 46-year-old patient moves and carries heavy goods in a warehouse. Three months earlier she had hurt her lower back and left shoulder.
Diagnosis
- The lower back pain was caused by Qi stagnation on the Urinary Bladder (UB) and Gall Bladder (GB) meridians in the lumbar area.
- The shoulder pain was caused by Qi stagnation on the Triple Warmer (TW) meridian, from the base of the neck to the shoulder joint.
Qi is the commander of blood: where Qi moves, blood moves, and where Qi stagnates, blood congeals. Qi is also responsible for moving and transforming body fluids. When Qi stagnates, fluids don’t transform properly and pool into phlegm-dampness. Once phlegm-dampness or blood stasis forms, it becomes a physical obstruction in the channels and organs that further blocks the flow of Qi and worsens the original stagnation.
This patient had mild phlegm dampness and blood stasis, so to relieve the pain for good, the treatment needed to clear those as well as break up the Qi stagnation.
Treatment
- For the lower back pain — Dr. Tan’s scalp acupuncture on the UB and GB meridians
- For the shoulder pain — “SP-6-KD-3A”: needling tight, swollen spots between KD-3 (Taixi) and SP-6 (Sanyinjiao), using Dr. Tan’s balance method
- Herbal medicine — the formula Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang, to break up blood stasis and relieve pain
- Home care — clearing phlegm dampness by eating smaller meals
Result
All of the pain was gone once the needles were inserted at the first treatment. The pain had returned at a much lower level by the second appointment, and after the second treatment it was gone for good.
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.