How does Chinese medicine treat multiple sclerosis?

This is an excerpt from the article "Clinical Experiences of Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis" published in the fourth issue of the 26th volume of the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Combined in Critical Care in August 2019. Chin J TCM WM Crit Care, August 2019, Vol. 26, No. 4.

http://www.cccm-em120.com/zhongxiyiguokan/26/501.pdf

Les auteurs de l'article sont 張翠玲 (Zhang Cuiling), 於朝霞 (Yu Chaoxia) et 於福年 (Yu Funian).

Case 1: Female patient, 17 years old. Initial consultation on September 4, 2011. The primary complaint is numbness in the palms of the hands without an obvious cause, accompanied by intermittent headaches and a sensation of abdominal obstruction for 3 months. The patient also experiences sleep disturbances, fatigue, anxiety, dry mouth, excessive sweating, a tendency towards constipation, and mild abdominal pain during or after menstruation. The confirmed diagnosis at Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany is relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with lesions affecting the 2nd to 7th cervical vertebrae of the spinal cord and the brain. The initial treatment involves injections of 250 µg of interferon-beta every 2 days, which relieved the abdominal issues but did not improve other symptoms.

The patient has a 12-year history of chronic sinusitis, frequent colds, pale complexion, fatigue, geographical tongue, slightly red tongue, thin coating, fissures, and a thin, rapid, weak pulse.

Diagnosis: Deficiency of Qi and Yin with blood deficiency.

Treatment: Tonify Qi, nourish Yin, and strengthen blood. Acupuncture points selected include Lung Shu, Heart Shu, Diaphragm Shu, Liver Shu, Spleen Shu, Kidney Shu, Baihui, the cervical spine interspace, Xuehai, Zhongwan, Qihai, Guanyuan, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Taichong, with sessions twice a week. Combined with Chinese herbal medicine Shengmai San and the formula Si Wu Tang with adjustments. The patient is advised to keep warm, especially in the neck, lower back, lower abdomen, and feet, and to consume warm foods and beverages.

After 10 acupuncture sessions, the symptoms of hand numbness, headaches, excessive sweating, fatigue, anxiety, and disrupted sleep disappeared. Mood and sleep improved, and bowel and urinary functions returned to normal. To prevent relapses, the frequency of acupuncture sessions was gradually reduced from once a week to once a month, and the treatment lasted for 1 year. MRI scans showed old lesions. No relapses were observed during a 5-year follow-up.

Case 2: Male patient, 67 years old. Initial consultation on January 20, 2012. The patient had initially sought medical attention 5 years earlier due to vision problems and had been diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) at Tübingen University Hospital in Germany, with lesions affecting the 2nd to 7th cervical vertebrae of the spinal cord and the brain. He had been treated with 125 µg interferon-beta injections every 2 weeks, but his health had not improved. Over the last 2 years, his muscle weakness had significantly worsened, making him unstable while walking and leading to reduced mobility. He frequently experienced dizziness, headaches, chronic insomnia, and depression, regularly taking pain relievers. MRI scans showed continuous disease progression, with narrowing of the 4th to 6th cervical vertebrae.

The patient had a history of overexertion, an unbalanced diet, and a preference for cold and raw foods. His complexion was dull, his tongue had a thin white coating, and his pulse was slow, fine, and rough.

Diagnosis: Deficiency of the liver and kidneys, insufficiency of Qi and blood with blood stasis, and liver Qi stagnation.

Treatment: Significantly strengthen Qi and blood, nourish the liver and kidneys, with a combination of herbs including Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang and Si Wu Tang with adjustments.

Regarding acupuncture, the main points were selected along the Yangming meridian, the Taiyin foot kidney meridian, the Du Mai governing vessel meridian, and the Hua Tuo's Jia Ji Xue spinal points, in alternation with moxibustion. Points included Lung Shu, Heart Shu, Diaphragm Shu, Spleen Shu, Liver Shu, Kidney Shu (to strengthen Qi and blood), Hua Tuo's Jia Ji Xue (to release Qi and blood stagnation, moisten meridians, and nourish the kidneys), Baihui, Neiguan (PC6), Shénmén (HT7), Qu Chi (LI11), Hegu (LI4), Qihai (RN6), Guanyuan (RN4), Taixi (KI3), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Yanglingquan (GB34), Zusanli (ST36), Jiexi (ST41), Taichong (LR3), and more. The needles were used to tonify the liver and kidneys, strengthen Qi, and promote blood circulation, ensuring an abundance of Jing (essence) and Xue (blood) to nourish the bones and muscles, while calming and dispersing Qi stagnation.

Jiao's head points were also used, including the motor area, the sensory area, the foot reflexology area, and the emotional and mental area. Sessions were held twice a week. After 20 acupuncture sessions, the patient showed significant improvements in sleep and mental state, a substantial reduction in muscle weakness, and the disappearance of headaches and dizziness. Acupuncture sessions were then gradually spaced out, going from once a week to once a month, with intermittent periods during which the patient alternated between Si Wu Tang and Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan (a Chinese remedy). After 40 acupuncture sessions, the patient's symptoms improved. He continued treatment for 2 years and achieved near-complete recovery. No relapses were observed during subsequent follow-up.

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