What is postpartum rheumatism? What kind of tests do I need to do? Western medicine does not have the name of postpartum rheumatism rheumatism, Chinese medicine believes that it is mostly due to postpartum weakness and external exposure to wind and cold, mainly manifested as joint and muscle pain, fear of wind, cold, sweating changes and other symptoms. However, because of the hormonal, internal environment and emotional fluctuations in women during childbirth, rheumatic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.) and endocrine diseases with similar manifestations may also be induced, so careful examination and exclusion are still needed. In addition, some patients may develop postpartum depression, which is a “physical and mental illness” – a physical illness caused by psychological factors – and needs to be carefully identified. Therefore, for patients who are first diagnosed with postpartum rheumatism, careful tests such as the immune panel, ANA antibody profile, thyroid function, and psychological assessment are still needed to carefully screen for possible diseases. How is postpartum rheumatism treated? As already mentioned above, similar symptoms can be seen in true rheumatic diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.), endocrine diseases, psychological diseases, etc. For these patients, treatment options need to be selected formally depending on the type of disease (e.g. rheumatoid requires formal application of immunosuppressive agents, hypothyroidism requires thyroxine supplementation, anxiety requires anti-anxiety treatment). However, for patients who have undergone detailed examination and ruled out serious rheumatism, we generally use TCM evidence-based treatment, and some patients can achieve very satisfactory results The effect of TCM on the treatment of postpartum rheumatism? Chinese medicine believes that postpartum rheumatism is mostly due to postpartum weakness and external wind and cold, wind and cold stagnation, positive deficiency is unable to drive the evil out, so the joint muscle pain, fear of wind, cold, sweating changes. According to the patient’s qi and blood, yin and yang, deficiency and reality, Chinese medicine uses the means of benefitting qi and blood, nourishing liver and kidney, warming meridians and dispersing cold condensation, etc., to regulate, and some patients can achieve good results. Can cupping and fumigation be performed for postpartum rheumatism? According to Dr. Xie Yu, postpartum rheumatism is mainly deficiency, and “blood and sweat have the same origin”, a lot of sweat often consumes qi and hurts fluid. Postpartum rheumatism using cupping, fumigation and other treatments tend to increase sweating, although it can work for a while, but can not cure the root cause, but can make the condition worse. I do not recommend cupping, fumigation treatment for postpartum rheumatism patients. Psychological adjustment of postpartum rheumatism? As mentioned above, some patients with postpartum rheumatism are emotionally related, and there is even diagnosed “postpartum depression”. For patients with relatively heavy or diagnosed “postpartum depression”, they need to go to a psychological specialist for treatment. For patients with relatively mild disease, they need to correctly establish confidence in facing the disease, strengthen psychological guidance, and also need to exercise in moderation, more gatherings with friends and relatives, and even travel and trekking, to enjoy the mood, which is also very beneficial to this disease. What is the prognosis of postpartum rheumatism? The prognosis is good for patients with postpartum rheumatism who have been excluded from immune diseases, endocrine diseases and other common diseases, which can cause physical discomfort but generally do not cause joint destruction or disability. Therefore, patients need to have confidence and not be overly afraid of this disease.