A 50 year old woman came to our office complaining of lower leg edema. She was taking a water pill and had tried other medications without success. This edema acupuncture case study describes how we were able to reduce her lower leg swelling.
The Problem
Edema (a.k.a. swelling) can happen any place in the body. But it is most common in the lower legs, ankles and calves. Our patient did not have any liver, heart or kidney disease that could explain the swelling. In fact, she was active and healthy overall. She had developed the swelling after giving birth to her third child 10 years earlier, and had not been able to get rid of it since.
In this edema acupuncture case study, our patient’s lower legs were extremely swollen, all the way down to the ankles. Compression socks helped a little, but they were uncomfortable and did not give long term relief.
The Solution
Chinese medicine recognizes various causes for edema. One of them, which happened to be the cause for our patient, is called Spleen Qi Deficiency leading to Damp Accumulation. The body is unable to regulate water metabolism properly, leading to water accumulation (swelling and edema). Acupuncture strengthens Spleen function, boosting the body’s ability to regulate water. This directly leads to a reduction in swelling.
The acupuncture points used in her treatment included SP9, SP3, ST36, LI10, GV20 and Yintang. Other points were used at different times during the course of her treatments. After 7 sessions (once a week) her edema was 90% resolved. She returned for monthly maintenance, at which time the edema went away completely.
A side benefit in this edema acupuncture case study included a boost in our patient’s energy levels and weight loss of 10 pounds. In addition, she started exercising more regularly (something she loved but has reduced when the leg swelling started).
What To Expect
All needles are sterile, single-use and hair thin. Our patient in this edema acupuncture case study was not bothered by the points, and most likely you won’t be either. She found the treatments quite relaxing. And while she did not fall sleep during her sessions (which many of our patients do) she always felt calm and peaceful during and after her treatments.
Next Steps
Come in and try acupuncture if you are encouraged by what you have read in this edema acupuncture case study.
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Edema Acupuncture Case Study
We have a high success rate treating edema. This case study is fairly typical for how edema responds to acupuncture treatment. Feel free to call us if you have specific questions about your edema.
