 |
A
50 year old man in otherwise excellent health presented with level 8
out of 10 pain in this left arm. He complained that the left bicep
muscle felt like it was in a vice grip and that there was numbness and
pain shooting down the arm to the fingers. The
pain had started one year ago on an overseas flight after having slept
in an awkward position on the plane. He awoke with pain in the left arm
that was so excruciating that he was unable to attend his business
functions.
|
Upon
his return to the States he saw a Neurologist who performed an MRI and
neurological testing that indicated he had a C5-6 “Nerve burner” or
“Stinger”, a compression of the upper portion of the left brachial
plexus. He was given Valium and Celebrex that helped temporarily. After
five months he started to work out at the gym but found that sit-ups
were causing the left arm pain to return with greater intensity this
time. He was also experiencing difficulty sleeping, as the pain would
wake him several times during the night. In addition to being a lawyer
for a national non-profit organization, he was a cellist for a major
metropolitan orchestra. The pain and numbness affecting his left arm
and hand were severely limiting his ability to play. He had to cancel
concerts, and limit his teaching schedule with his cello students.
He
returned to the Doctor and received cortisone injections with no
positive result. Physical Therapy was tried along with Mobic to relieve
any inflammation causing pain, as well as Lyrica at night to help him
sleep. He found no relief with the Physical Therapy and limited relief
from the medications. He was looking for alternative treatment when a
neighbor suggested he try acupuncture.
My
examination of the patient’s left neck, shoulders and back revealed
extreme tightness in these areas. I performed acupuncture with
electric stimulation along with the Japanese style moxibustion called
Okyu, which is the burning of sesame seed size threads of moxa wool on
a thin layer Shuinko applied directly to the skin. These therapies
promote circulation of the energy, which when stagnant cause pain. On
the second office visit the patient reported that he felt a little
“different”. The pain was less intense and he felt a bit light headed.
The squeeze on the bicep was not as tight, and the numbness down his
arm was less severe but still significantly there.
I
sensed the patient’s desperation and was concerned my usual approach
would not achieve results rapidly enough. As I considered alternatives,
I recalled a recent conversation I had with a Medical Resident who was
trained as an Osteopathic Doctor and was entering a Physiatry
subspecialty training program. As part of her Residency, she was
working with a physician who had done some training in Oriental
Medicine. He maintained a 7,000 patient case load and had used cupping
successfully with most all of them. He resolved their complaints in
just a few sessions and they only returned when they had a new
complaint. This was challenging her training which involved drugs and
complicated procedures. This was so simple, it caused her to question
everything. Since we were friends she called me to discuss what she was
seeing. I naturally asked a lot of questions about what he was doing,
how he did it, and his results. Up to this point in my career as an
acupuncturist, I had not used cupping therapy very often. Having had
some time to mull this conversation over, and considering the urgency
with which this medication dependent Cellist wanted relief, I decided
to give wet cupping a try.
I
prepared the patient for what I was about to do, and selected the areas
to lance, then applied nine suction cups to the upper and middle
portion of the upper trapezius, and the medial portion of the lower
trapezius. The skin beneath the cups turned red and then purple under
some of the cups with the blood being dark, indicating significant
stagnation. Cups were applied for about 30 minutes. The next week the
patient reported he was feeling better. There was not a lot of pain,
the thumb was still numb, the shocks going down his arm less severe,
squeezing around the biceps still there but not as severe, and that he
no longer needed narcotics because his pain was 60% less than when he
presented at his initial office visit. I applied cups again without
lancing and he reported at the next office visit a further reduction of
the shocks shooting down his arm, and the tightness in his bicep. The
trapezius muscle had loosened significantly with the exception of an
area around Gall Bladder 21 and Triple Warmer 15. At this point I
resumed using needles and electric stimulation as my primary modality
of treatment.
This
case revolutionized my practice. I saw dramatic results with this
modality and began to incorporate it into my treatments on a regular
basis. People enjoy the feeling and appreciate the freedom it brings to
their lives. After 10 years of practice I am still amazed at the new
things I am learning.
