At a glance
Shingles blisters and severe pain on the lower back and flank, cleared by treating both the channel blockage and the virus.
Presentation
A 49-year-old patient came to the clinic with blisters and severe pain caused by shingles, spread across the lower back and flank on the left side of her body. Shingles pain can be intense and unrelenting, and she was looking for relief from both the pain and the outbreak itself.
Diagnosis
The pattern had two parts: Qi blockage along the Urinary Bladder and Gall Bladder channels — the meridians crossing the lower back and flank — which produced the pain, and the shingles virus itself, which produced the blisters and added to the pain. Treatment therefore addressed both the channel blockage and the underlying viral activity.
Treatment
Treatment combined channel-balancing acupuncture with several weeks of antiviral-oriented herbs:
- Lung-channel and Heart-channel points on the arm — needled to balance the Urinary Bladder and Gall Bladder channels and relieve the pain
Herbs were prescribed for several weeks to clear the virus from within, working steadily alongside the acupuncture.
Result
All of the pain resolved, and the blisters shrank, dried out, and disappeared. By treating both the channel blockage and the virus, the outbreak cleared and the severe pain that came with it let go.
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.