Name: Soren
Sex: Male Age: 54 Nationality: Denmark
Profession: Professor Height: 172cm Weight: 66 kilos
Major complaint: ALS (amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis ) for one year and
eight months. The neck is feeble to support the head,
muscular atrophy on two shoulders, obviously, on arms.
Swallowing and speaking are of slightly influenced.
Last October, there was no obvious reason
that the patient felt feeble neck. The check by EMG
(electronic muscle graph) reveals
ALS in this March, also confirmed by the result of MEP
(motor evoked potential).
No headache and hair loss. No obvious
reduction of eyesight. No dry eyes. Tinnitus, when pressing
the ears, tinnitus disappears. No runny and blockaded nose.
A bitter taste in the mouth. No
obvious dry mouth. The appetite is almost normal. Prefer
cold water. Drink much water. There is much phlegm which is
yellowish and sticky. No chest oppression. A little bit
difficult to breath deeply,
especially when lying flat. No palpitations. No discomfort
at the right rib-side. No abdominal distention. No vomiting
sense.
The bowl movement is twice a day.
Frequent urination with white color.
No night urination. No back pains, no cold sense on the
back.
The two legs are not influenced too much
by the ALS. Yet the muscles tend to be flaccid and shrink a
little bit. Generally speaking, the two legs are strong and
convenient.
Now he feels a little bit tired everyday.
The emotional state is optimistic. The slight influence
happened after the diagnosis of ALS. Not many dreams.
The patient could not hold up two arms
properly. The power of the two hands is not influenced too
much. He feels heavy sense on the two arms.
Do not feel hot sense in the afternoon in
the soles and palms. No abnormal sweating.
The tongue coating is greasy and
yellowish, relatively thick. The tongue body is slightly
sore with slight teeth marks found.
The pulse is soggy and moderate.
Diagnosis: ALS (Amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis), western medicine
Atrophy Pattern
(traditional Chinese medicine)
Treatment strategy:
Tonifying the liver and kidneys, enriching the
spleen, reducing phlegm, clearing heat, and moistening yin
and quickening blood circulation.
Treatment method: Herbal tea, acupuncture
and massage every day.
codonopsis root
15g
ovate atractylodes rhizome
15g
ophiopogon
tuber
12g
cuscuta seed
10 g
, etc.
Two dosages to be
prescribed.
A dosage a day, 200ML each time, twice a
day.
Dr. Ming
July 10, 2005. The patient said he gets
used to our tea. No abnormal feeling such as stomach
distention and vomiting sense.
The muscles on the neck, arms and back
are of aching pains after massage and acupuncture yesterday.
No other obvious improvement. The urine
is whitish. The bowl movement is OK.
Fine sleep. The spirit recovers from the long
journey.
The tongue coating is less greasy and
yellowish.
The mouth is a little bit bitter.
Strengthening and
tonifying the spleen, quickening blood circulation
and opening channels.
codonopsis root
20g
ovate atractylodes rhizome
15g
ophiopogon
tuber 10g, etc.
Two dosages to be
prescribed.
Dr. Ming
July 12, 2005. The patient said a little
bit stronger neck to support the head. The arms have no
improvement of convenience.
The tongue coating is less yellowish and
greasy. The same formula as
above for two days.
Dr. Ming
July 13, 2005. The voice is little bit
rough. The phlegm is less in the throat. The mouth is less
bitter. The arms are still heavy. The legs are still little
bit heavy. The appetite, sleep and spirit are
normal. The urine is slightly yellowish. The tongue coating is less yellowish and
greasy.
Dr. Ming
July 14, 2005. The voice becomes normal.
The mouth is less bitter. The arms are still heavy. The
appetite, sleep and spirit are normal.
The patient said this morning he feels
more muscles on the right back. This is just self-feeling.
The headache happens in the past every
morning always. Yet this morning only 30% headache left and
disappeared quickly this morning after getting up. The tongue coating is less yellowish and
becomes thinner.
notopterigium10g
codonopsis root
20g
ovate atractylodes rhizome
15g, etc.
Two dosages to be
prescribed.
Dr. Ming
July 15, 2005. The patient did not feel
obvious improvement. The neck is still feeble to support the
head. Slight headache when getting up
this morning. The tongue coating is less yellowish and
thick. The appetite, sleep and spirit remain the
same.
Dr. Ming
July 16, 2005. The patient told us there
was a best sleep last night without any waking up. In the
past always there was breaking in sleep, with nervousness
about his health problem.
There was no headache this morning when
getting up. The neck is less stiff but still weak to support
the neck.
The arms are still heavy. But in the
daytime, he feels yesterday the arms are easier to
raise upward.
The tongue coating is still yellowish and
greasy.
Also another change is that the stool is
not sloppy like before. It is normal form this morning.
No bitterness in the mouth.
mulberry twig
10g
codonopsis root
20g
ovate
atractylodes rhizome
15g, etc.
Two dosages to be
prescribed.
Dr. Ming
July 17, 2005. The patient said that the
neck is still feeble. The appetite and sleep and spirit are
the same as yesterday.
The tongue coating is still yellowish and
greasy.
Dr. Ming
July 18, 2005. The patient felt slight
improvement. He said when he walked this morning, the toes
are more convenient.
The tongue coating is less yellowish and
greasy obviously. There is only little phlegm in the
throat. The same formula as before, 2
dosages.
Dr. Ming
July 19, 2005. The patient does not feel
obvious improvement compared to yesterday. The right part of
the neck is stiff.
Now, making a test to
see the state of the neck.
Let the patient lies flat, he could make the upper body and
neck up successfully. In the past in Denmark, he has to turn
to the right side, and gets up helped by the right arm.
The tongue coating is less yellowish and
greasy.
Dr. Ming
July 20, 2005. The arms and shoulders are
still very heavy. It is inconvenient to
raise up the two arms. The neck muscles are more
relaxed. The neck is a little bit stronger to support the
head.
The appetite and sleep are normal. There
is no thirst. The stool is a little bit constipated.
The tongue canting is as yesterday. Today
tried to nourish the blood.
tangkuei
root 10g
codonopsis root
15g
ovate atractylodes rhizome
15g, etc.
Two dosages to be
prescribed.
Dr. Ming
July 21, 2005. The appetite and sleep are
normal. The energy is not so bad. The heaviness of the arms
remains the same.
This morning tried to test to
raise up the upper body and head
from a straight position when lying flat, it is successful.
In the past months, the patient was not powerful to do such
an action.
The tongue coating is yellowish and
thick.
Dr. Ming
July 22, 2005. The appetite and sleep are
normal. Yesterday, the patient did not feel so tired.
Generally speaking, the left arm is
relatively little bit more convenient to move and
raise up. The right arm is still
not convenient.
No bitterness in the mouth.
Still little phlegm in the throat.
The voice is clearer in the
daytime. In the evening, the throat is little inconvenient.
The stool is not constipated. The urine
is slightly yellowish.
The tongue coating is less thick.
The same formula as
above for 2 days. The acupuncture and massage are continuing
daily.
Dr. Ming
July 24, 2005. The appetite and sleep are
normal. Yesterday, very fatigue the muscles around the neck
is tight. Today, the above condition is better.
The tongue coating is continuing to be
less yellowish and thick.
The two arms are able to use power. It
also seems that the muscles on the right upper back are
little bit more.
Dr. Zhu Ming
July 25, 2005. Yesterday making the test
to raise up and down the head for
three times, so suddenly the loss of control of the head
happened, so in the afternoon and evening, the neck very
weak. Also he is very tired.
The appetite and sleep are good.
Generally speaking, the energy is not so strong.
So tired.
No dry mouth, no stomach discomfort. The
bowl movement is once a day. The urine is little bit
yellowish.
The tongue coating is slightly yellowish
and greasy.
Dr. Ming
July
26, 2005. Appetite and sleep are normal. The throat is
little bit more convenient. The front half part of the
tongue coating is much better.
The arms are still very heavy. No dry
mouth. Urine is slightly yellowish. This
morning, no headache. The neck is little bit
stronger.
cooked rehmannia root 20g
codonopsis root
15g
ovate atractylodes rhizome
15g, etc.
22 dosages are offered. Among
them, 20 dosages are for continuous treatment at home in
Denmark since the patient has to leave Huaihua on July 27.
Dr. Ming
July 27, 2005. Today
it is the last day for the patient to get treatment here.
The patient said that this condition, ALS
is a progressing disease, so in this month his condition
should worsen if without the treatment; so this is a good
thing.
On the other hand, our doctors tried to
make a final test. Asking the patient to lie flat; without
the help of the two arms, the patient raises his upper body
and head up successfully again. This is impossible before
our TCM treatment. So this is a good improvement.
The patient has normal appetite and
sleep. The neck muscle is little bit stronger.
The bowl movement is normal. The urine is
whitish. Both the hands could use the power almost close to
normal state, yet the muscles are still flaccid on two arms.
Our acupuncture and massage doctors could
feel that the muscles on the neck and back are less tight.
They feel that the muscles on the upper back are increasing
a little bit.
The tongue coating at the root of the
tongue is disappearing somewhat which is a good sign.
We suggest the patient a few
acupoints, offer twenty day
herbal tea for the patient to continue the treatment.
Once being at home in Denmark, try to
continue herbal tea, massage, acupuncture, so that the
patient could recover steadily.
Also could consider coming back to our
hospital for continuous treatment. The patient is glad to
accept our advice.
So, generally speaking, after
our 20 days comprehensive TCM treatment, the patient has got
some good improvement as to this internationally difficult
condition.
Dr. Zhu Ming
