Patient: Description of the condition (onset time, main symptoms, hospital, etc.): female, 57 years old. around July 2010, the left thumb numbness, around October began to extend to the leg, now the entire lower limb in a state of numbness and tightness, walking unstable need to assist Once as a herniated disc with Chinese herbal medicine smoked, but no effect Is it good treatment? What should I pay attention to in my daily life? Thank you! Li Liping, Acupuncture Department, Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Subacute joint degeneration is a degenerative disease of the nervous system caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Most of them start in middle age or above, and become subacute or chronic clinical course, with progressive development of the disease. Once diagnosed, high-dose vitamin B12 treatment should be started, otherwise irreversible neurological damage may result. Without treatment, the disease will continue to progress with neurological symptoms. If the disease is treated aggressively within 3 months after the onset of the disease, complete recovery can often be achieved. Therefore, early diagnosis and timely treatment are the keys to improve the prognosis of this disease. If neurological dysfunction remains after 6 months to 1 year of adequate treatment, further improvement is less likely.