This itching pain case involved a 27-year-old man who came to our clinic complaining of persistent itching on the top of his feet and legs, which was driving him crazy. The condition began nine months earlier while he was on a mission trip in Central America. It was hot on the trip, and they were working in extreme humidity with no available air conditioning.
Doctors had ruled out a fungus or bacterial infection, and he had no damage to the skin. But the itching was intense, especially at night, and was slowly creeping up his legs, higher and higher each month. He worried that it would eventually encompass his entire body.
Inching Pain Case
During his intake exam, our patient in this itching pain case revealed that he always ran on the hot side, sometimes experiencing night sweats. In addition, he had a history of constipation, was easily irritated, and had an abundance of energy. His tongue was red with a scanty coating, and his pulse was full, wiry, and rapid.
These signs and symptoms pointed to the root of his itching problem – he had internal heat. During his trip, he experienced even more heat and humidity, which lodged in the channels of his lower body. Furthermore, his constipation and tendency toward irritation also pointed to internal heat. Therefore, his acupuncture treatment strategy was to clear heat, transform dampness, and open the channels of his lower extremities to improve qi circulation.
Acupuncture Treatment for Itching Pain
We selected the following acupuncture points for his treatments: LV3, ST43, GB40, KD2, KD6, ST36, SP9, LI11, GV20, and Yintang. While he was initially nervous about the needles, he soon felt relaxed and even fell asleep during his treatment. The following week, upon his return, he reported that the itching had diminished after his session by 25 percent. He was amazed at the results and eager to continue treatment.
Most of these acupuncture points played a dual role – they corrected the imbalance of excess internal heat in the body while also opening channels and calming nerves in our patient’s feet and lower legs. Following his second session, he experienced another 25 percent relief. It took just four treatments to resolve his itching pain completely. A six-month follow-up revealed that the condition never returned.
The Root Cause of Inching
Itching at its root is a nerve problem. The sensory nerves send a message to the brain saying, “It itches down here.” Of course, that’s a Western anatomical view. However, it helps to have this information when designing an acupuncture treatment. We know that heat in the body can manifest as itching. Blocked qi in the channels can also present as itching. Add to that a nerve dysfunction, and we have all the makings of chronic itching pain.
Acupuncture excels at healing damaged nerves, whether it presents as shingles, peripheral neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, or sciatica. If a nerve is unhappy, acupuncture can usually fix it and restore normal function – which means no more pain. So for our patient in this itching pain case, we not only cleared internal heat, transformed dampness, and opened blocked channels but also healed the nerves in his feet and lower legs.
Internal Heat – The Root of Many Problems
Not surprisingly, our patient in this inching pain case also found relief for his constipation, irritability, and general feelings of heat. Constipation is often due to excess heat in the large intestine. Likewise, heat is often the culprit, along with qi stagnation, for a quick temper and irritability. The selected acupoints helped correct his body’s internal thermometer while improving his qi circulation.
Our patient’s night sweats were another form of internal heat due to a different imbalance called yin deficiency. You may have heard of yin and yang. The yin-yang principle of Chinese medicine represents balance. Each component represents certain aspects. For example, yin represents coolness, while yang signifies warmth. Someone displaying yin deficiency has a lack of coolant in the body. The treatment strategy for such a person is to nourish (promote) his yin.
Many Types of Heat
Our patient had two types of internal heat – excess yang heat (full heat) and yin deficient heat (empty heat). We know this because his heat symptoms revealed each type of heat. His feeling hot all the time and red complexion indicated excess yang heat, while his night sweats pointed to yin deficiency heat. His constipation and irritability were due to a combination of both.
This itching pain case highlights one of the reasons acupuncture is such an effective treatment for so many conditions. This medicine is nuanced enough to recognize different pattern imbalances in the body responsible for a patient’s health condition. Our patient’s itching pain resolved quickly because we recognized and addressed all the components involved. By addressing the root causes of his itching, we restored his body to homeostasis.
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What our Clients are Saying
For the past three years I have suffered from whole body itching. I had every type of test imaginable, but doctors found nothing wrong. They put me on antidepressants, but that did not help. I found raleigh acupuncture on the web. I can not describe exactly what they did, but I can tell you that it helped. My itching is so much better. I am very grateful for their work. I feel it’s saved my life.
When I get stressed my arms start to itch. It gets so bad that I can bleed from the scratching. It’s embarrassing and very painful. My cousin told me about acupuncture and I went to Raleigh Acupuncture. They totally helped my itching problem. I can’t believe it. They said in order to help the itching they also had to make me less stressed. Well, they were right. Now I feel less stressed. But even when I do get stressed, my arms don’t itch. This treatment is fantastic. I told my whole family about it. Now they go there for their problems too. Thank you!!
I developed eczema as a child and have managed the condition for years with steroid creams. Recently my stress level went up from a work situation, and the itching became intolerable. The creams didn’t help and I was desperate. Research online led me to Raleigh Acupuncture. They treated the itching by reducing my eczema. It worked better than the cream ever did. I wish I had done this 15 years ago, as my skin and itching is 90% better.