Hospital Culture

Being in a hospital is an interesting perspective on the country. You can see that a strong family fidelity still remains, everyone is accompanied by their family or friends, grandparents bring in their grandchildren daily for years, grandchildren come with their grandparents every day for weeks who have trouble walking. The acupuncture clinic is a real social institution, where patients chat about their illness and problems as well. It is remarkable that this remains.

Some great cases this week are the elderly people who have trouble walking. One woman, who is about 80 years old has lower back pain and hip pain. A week ago, she could barely walk. But she gets acupuncture daily with tui na, not sure about herbs, and she is already walking with a cane and much less pain. UB 23, 36, 40, 60, GB 30, 34, 39, 40, KI 3, Xi yan, needle head moxa on gb 30, 34, 39, and cupping lumbar and down the leg.

Another patient is an 80 year old man who is coming in for sciatica, but also has coronary artery disease and HBP. He could not walk from the pain and was in a wheel chair. After a few treatments he is more mobile, although he is still unable to walk unassisted. UB 23, 36, 57, 60, GB 30, 34, 40,, PC 6, si shen cong (for HBP), LI 4 sometimes, add UB 62, GB 39, cupping down the leg.

May 24- Headache, Eye diseases, Facial Paralysis

The majority of what I've been seeing this week is the headache, stroke, and backpain, and of course, facial paralysis. Many of the the facial paralysis patients are showing improvement, there is a very pretty young woman, who however is not. She's had it for over 3 months. But another young woman has been coming everyday for 25 days, and she can now close her eyes, and is almost back to normal.

Working in the hospital you get to know the patients, they come everyday often, for 10 or more days. Acupuncture is really a social institution here, everyone know what is going on with everyone else, and all talking about their families and diseases. There is no privacy, I think it is not a concept at all in china. Because I kind of stand out, patients are sometimes scared of the foreigner needling them at first, but then after they know I can needle, they think it is special and want me to treat them. Funny being an non-Chinese in the hospital.

The headache treatments have been very successful. This patient is a 40 year old women, with chronic daily headaches for six years. No irregular blood flow, poor sleep, bitter taste in the mouth, frequent urine, periodic breast pain, dry frequent stool, red tongue with yellow coat. Points are tai yang, St 8, Pc6, Sp 6, GB 20, Kid 3, GB 40, 41, Sp 10, Si Shen Cong, yin tang, Lu 7. This is her 6th treatment and her headaches are much relieved.

One sided headache is very similar presentation- selection of GB 41, SP 6, Sp 10, St 36, Lu 7, LI 4, Li11, Yin Tang, Tai Yang, Si Shen Cong.

There are also a lot of eye diseases. I mentioned a man with optic nerve degeneration. He comes everyday and always says he is a little better (so I am not sure what that means, but I believe he was completely blind at one point). He receives alternating back/front treatments of st36, Ki 3, GB 37, UB 2, St 4, Tai Yang, SI 6, LI 4, Li 11, and on the back GB 20, Ub 17, 18, 20, 23, Li 44, SI6, GB 37. Another patient has degeneration of the retina. UB 2, ST 4, si shen cong, LI 11, LI 4, Si 6, St 36, Ki 3, GB 37, Tai yang.

An interesting one is shoulder pain from shingles for one month. She reports great relief from the treatment. 7 star needle on the area, GB 20, LI 15, True Shoulder, Sj14, LI 11, Li 4, Ashi in shoulder.

Oh yea, one of my favorite things my teacher does is needle ST 39 through to UB 57 for shoulder pain, particularly after stroke to treat the UB luo and the yang ming.

Stroke

Many people know that TCM is known for the treatment of stroke. We see a lot of post stoke patients, generally they are a number of years after their stroke and are coming in for pain. Although I don't know the severity of the stroke at the first onset, it is seemingly remarkable about the recover of these patients. Most of them are walking and have a full life, with minor pains in the joints. I have to look into this further in the inpatient department to track more recent cases.

One patient complains of "cold" pain in the left shoulder, arm, and leg, which is worse with weather changes. She is 8 years post hemorragic stroke, she can walk and take care of herself. I do not know her age, but she looks like she is in her early 60's (although I honestly can't tell how old Chinese people are because they seem to age quite well). BP of 150/100. The points are LI 11, LI 15, LI 4 ashi at LI 13 with moxa, warming needle, SJ 7, ba xie, st 36, KI 3, all on effected side. She also receives tui na on the shoulder and leg. An Alternative treatment was si shen cong, Liv 3, St 41, 36, GB 32, GB 40, and the three shoulder needles with warming needle.

Another patient who did not recover as well. He also had a hemorrhagic stroke one year ago, but he still has difficulty walking, some facial paralysis, and dysphasia. Similar treatment, with the addition of scalp motor line, UB 57, GB 39, all on effected side.

Neuro Cases

As I mentioned, there are a lot of neurology cases. Two of them are young children, very similar. One girl, 2 years old, suffering from post-encephalitis syndrome, which she suffered when she was 8 years old with a 39 celcuis fever. She does not have balance and only says mama and baba (daddy). Her mother and grandmother bring her in every day for tui na and acupuncture.

TX- quick needle on body points such as ge shu, gan shu, shen shu, pi she, Ki 3, St 36, Li 4 and 11. Also, she does head needling, the 3 needle technique, laos san zhen, 3 needles for intelligence and si shen cong. The Lao shen cong are in the back of the head, above du 16, anin center, and 2.25 away from the center line. The intelligence needles are 2 cun about the top of the ear, above the center, and in the back.

Another boy who is 8 has been coming everyday for years. He was bron prematurely with a hypoxic brain injury as well. He cannot walk, but he can speak and interact. his grandfather brings him in everyday. Same treatment.

In the Hosptial

I've arrived in Changsha and I've been getting into the hospital life an routine. I'll try to post some interesting cases every week about.

Currently, I'm in the acupuncture department for a few days, after I will go to Tui Na, Nei ke(Internal Medicine), and finally pi fu ke (dermatology). We see about 20-30 patients everyday, and that is only in the morning. The doctor I work under has 2 rooms, one with 4 beds, the other with 2. One of the surprising things is she does not take the pulse, except for the first day, or look at the tongue in general. Only occasionally when she is confused about a patient does she.

The majority of cases are facial paralysis, other neurological diseases, and joint pain with I would say the of the neck, back, hip, and shoulder being most common. Often these people are in treatment, so I will not have a conlcusion when I post. There are so many, so I will post only the interesting ones.

Female, 48 years old, hip pain, after surgery from a car accident. Open up the GB with GB 30, 34, 39, 41 all with warming needle (not 41) , UB 67. Injection of Bu Zhong yi qi tang at GB 30, and 34. Take out the chen pi, add da zao and hong hua. Patient has received 4 treatments in as many days and reports a significant relief.

Facial paralysis- 7 star needle on effected area for 5 minutes, LI4, LI11, SJ 18 and many other local points. If it is chronic, more than 3 months, use e-stim. Needle warming on the above points. Patients are treated 5-6 days per week.

Tinnitus, female in her 60's- 7 star needle around the ear in front and back. GB 19, SI 17, SJ 3, 7, ST 36, KI 3, GB 41, Si shen cong.