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Abstract: Paralysis is the attack of wind, cold, and dampness on the muscles and joints of the body, resulting in self-conscious heaviness, tiredness, and pain in the limbs. Sciatica, or lumbar paralysis in Chinese medicine, is a disease that causes sciatica attacks due to compression of the nerve roots, causing persistent or paroxysmal pain in the sciatic nerve pathway, as well as the distribution area. The patient presented with numbness in the left lower extremity without any obvious cause, accompanied by distension and discomfort, with paroxysmal attacks.
Basic information】Female, 65 years old
Type of disease】Paralysis (secondary sciatica)
Hospital】Guanganmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Date of consultation】November 2021
Treatment plan】Intravenous infusion (blood sparing injection) + oral medication (meloxicam tablets, methylcobalamin tablets) + Chinese herbal soup (Coix Seed Soup) + physical therapy (cupping therapy + wearing waist brace)
Treatment period】7 days
Effect】The patient’s left lower extremity pain and numbness disappeared, and he was discharged from the hospital in good condition.
I. Initial consultation
Two months ago, the patient had numbness in the left lower extremity without any obvious cause, accompanied by distension and discomfort, with paroxysmal attacks, soreness in the muscles of the left lower extremity, unfavorable joint movement, obvious when holding heavy objects and bending over, no obvious swelling in the lower extremity, no pain in the small joints of the extremities, no relief after rest, and insisted on drinking a small glass of medicinal wine every day, the symptoms became more and more obvious, so he came to our hospital and was admitted with paralysis – secondary sciatica. He was admitted to our hospital with paralysis secondary to sciatica, and was asked about his previous history of lacunar cerebral infarction and no history of drug allergy.
II. Treatment history
The patient’s physical examination showed that the muscle strength of the limbs was approximately normal, the tendon reflexes were normal, the finger-nose test was normal, the Barr’s sign was negative, the closed-eye difficult-to-stand sign (lying in bed), the Brudzinski sign was negative, the Kernig sign was negative, the left limb was hyperalgesic, and the straight leg raise test was positive. The patient was advised to follow a low-fat diet for control. The electrocardiogram showed a normal electrocardiogram, the chest X-ray showed no significant abnormality in the cardiopulmonary plain film, and the abdominal ultrasound showed fatty liver, multiple cysts in the right kidney and liver cysts. degeneration and bulging, and lumbar spine osteophytes.
III. Treatment effect
Before the patient was admitted to the hospital, the left lower limb was numb, accompanied by distension and discomfort, unfavorable joint movement, soreness and heavy pain in the muscles of the left lower limb, and numbness of the skin, and the patient drank medicinal wine at home for treatment, but the effect was not good. The patient was diagnosed as having paralysis secondary to sciatica after admission to the hospital, and was discharged after the use of blood sparing injection to improve circulation, meloxicam tablets for pain relief, methylcobalamin tablets for nerve nutrition, coix seed soup to remove dampness, dispel wind and cold to relieve pain, cupping therapy to remove dampness and activate blood circulation, and wearing a waist brace and symptomatic treatment. The patient was discharged.
IV. Notes
After treatment, the numbness and pain in the left lower limb disappeared and the patient was discharged from the hospital. The patient should pay attention to less bending activities, do not hold heavy objects, rest more in bed, pay attention to diet and nutrition, maintain a normal state of mind, avoid exertion and cold, wear a lumbar girth when getting up and moving around, and turn the waist slowly every day.
V. Personal insight
The patient’s sciatica was caused by herniated lumbar disc. After the circulation-improving drug Sparing Blood Injection, the pain-relieving drug Meloxicam Tablets, the nerve-nourishing drug Methylcobalamin Tablets, the dampness-clearing, wind-dispersing and pain-relieving Job’s Tears Soup, the dampness-clearing and blood-activating cupping therapy, and the wearing of lumbar girth and symptomatic treatment, the patient’s numbness and swelling pain in the left lower limb disappeared and he was discharged from the hospital. The treatment is sometimes very effective.