Acupuncture Treatment of Reynaud’s Phenomenon

Cardiovascular

Chief Complaint: Cold hands & feet

Western Diagnosis: Reynaud’s Phenomenon

Medical History: 56 y.o. male with h/o mild HTN, BPH. Very active, a runner, healthy diet with vigorous exercise routine. On meds for HTN & BPH.

Questioning exam: Presented with c/o cold hands and feet, worse in cold weather. Hands appeared purple at distal portion pink on dorsal palms and white on proximal palms. Hands were very cold to touch.

Pulse exam: Hands & feet were otherwise soft and supple, sometimes moist and clammy. Pulses were normal except for SP/LV pulses which varied between slow to soggy for the spleen and wiry for the liver

Tongue exam: Tongue was moist and pink with a slightly thicker white to occasionally yellow coat at the base.

OM Diagnosis: Spleen qi deficiency with damp/phlegm, Lv qi stagnation.

Treatment Principle: Tonify the spleen, dispel damp, transform phlegm, freecourse liver qi

Point Prescription: 4 gates, ba xie, ba feng, sp 6, st 36, st 40 li 10 or li 11 (ashi)

ba xie and ba feng with moxa cones X3, alternating with e-stim from li 10 or li11 to ba xie & st 40 to bafeng

Herbal Formula: pt did not want to take herbs

Lifestyle Prescription: reviewed dietary habits and made some minor changes

Results: after six months of treatment, the pt’s hands were no longer purple and cyanotic looking but were pink overall, still slightly cold to touch but with noticeable improvements in temperature. the pt’s blood pressure had also improved from initial bp’s of 160/100 to 120-130/70-80. Pt’s also stated his cardiologist was impressed and did not wish to see him for 6 months, unless he felt the need to be seen.

Synopsis: By focusing on the overall circulation issues and making small dietary changes, this patient manifested significant improvement of his initial c/o cold hand & feet.

Clinic Name: Balanced Therapeutics

clinic address: 1400 Spring Street

Silver Spring, MD 20910

clinic phone number: (301) 452-1540

email address: michellerodriguez64@comcast.net

Last modified: September 8, 2009  Tags: ,  Â·  Posted in: Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Neurological