64-year-old housewife patient with a history of hypertension.

Her main complaint is pain in the left foot and lower leg for the past 3 months.

She underwent a fracture of the lateral malleolus and open reduction internal fixation more than 3 months ago.

Since then, she has been experiencing persistent pain in the left ankle, left foot, and left leg. The pain is worsened by walking, and she sometimes feels electric shock-like sensations. She is unable to walk without crutches.

Her surgeon diagnosed her with algodystrophy syndrome and stated that Western medicine does not have any effective treatment, only physiotherapy is recommended while waiting for the body to naturally recover.

The average recovery time is estimated to be between 6 and 24 months, but some patients may require more than three years to recover.

Clinical examination:

The left lateral malleolus shows a healed surgical scar. The left foot, ankle, and lower leg have slight swelling, tenderness, and redness. The temperature is relatively higher than on the opposite side.

Additional tests:

X-rays show that the left ankle fracture has healed, but the left foot shows osteoporosis. The surgeon has prescribed a scintigraphy test to confirm the diagnosis, which requires 10 days.

It should be noted that algodystrophy is a serious traumatic complication that results in a loss of normal work capacity for 6 to 24 months or more. Modern medicine does not have an effective treatment for this condition.

In the early stages, acupuncture is highly effective. The earlier the treatment, the better the results.

For advanced stages, the use of hot needles may have some effect.

Therefore, it is advisable not to wait for the test results and start acupuncture treatment as soon as possible to halt the progression of the disease.

It is important to explain to the patient that the earlier the acupuncture treatment, the better the results. There is a possibility that one treatment may be sufficient and future test results may return to normal through acupuncture.

Diagnosis:

Algodystrophy of the left leg and foot.

Treatment:

Acupuncture.

After needle insertion, her pain significantly reduced, and she was able to walk without crutches or limping.

Maintaining the needles for 20 minutes, the swelling in her left lower limb decreased, and the skin color returned to normal.

We scheduled a follow-up appointment with the patient in two weeks for a more in-depth consultation after receiving the results of the scintigraphy test.

She returned, and the scintigraphy confirmed the presence of algodystrophy. She underwent two additional acupuncture sessions and made a complete recovery.

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2. How does Chinese medicine treat multiple sclerosis?

3. How can Chinese medicine treat a 30-year-old back pain?

4. Comment prévenir la maladie d'algodystrophie ?

Case 3, Algodystrophy

(Saint Julien en Genevois Clinic)

Dr. Zhu Weimin (December 8, 2022)

Case 11, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

This 24-year-old male patient fell down the stairs 4 months ago, resulting in a fracture at the base of the fifth metacarpal bone of his right hand. After closed reduction, percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation was performed. He experienced pain in the same side hand, forearm, elbow, and shoulder.

These symptoms are likely indicative of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and should be treated promptly with acupuncture.

Physical examination: The skin color of both hands appears normal, with slight swelling and tenderness at the dorsal aspect of the base of the fifth metacarpal bone of the right hand. There is pain in the forearm, elbow, and shoulder.

Range of motion in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder is normal.

X-ray images demonstrate good reduction of the base of the fifth metacarpal bone fracture with proper Kirschner wire fixation.

Subsequent X-ray images after the removal of the Kirschner wire reveal early signs of bone demineralization. At this stage, the pain is affecting the recovery of movement and hand function. Without timely acupuncture treatment, it is likely to develop into Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Treatment: Acupuncture was performed. The pain significantly decreased after needle insertion, and there was minimal pain upon removal of the needles. He was scheduled for a follow-up appointment in two weeks (anticipating the possibility of pain recurrence). However, he did not show up for the appointment. When I called him, he mentioned that he had fully recovered. He had completely recovered at home on that day.