Patient Cases

Non-Healing Clavicle Fracture  

Patient Presentation
Jeff, a 27-year-old long-haul truck driver broke his collar bone (clavicle) in a pick-up basketball game. His doctor told him that it was a clean break and should heal on its own within a month. He gave Jeff a sling and recommended that he not use his left arm in order to allow the fracture to mend itself. The doctor told him to come back for x-rays in 3 weeks. Jeff followed his doctor’s instructions and did not use his arm, but at his return visit the x-ray revealed no bone growth had occurred to reattach the two ends of the broken collar bone. His doctor suggested he take calcium and return in 3 more weeks for another x-ray. Once again, the follow up x-rays revealed no bone growth. At this point, the doctor told Jeff that if his bones did not begin to knit together, a plate would have to be surgically inserted to attach them.

Jeff had always been afraid of needles. However, the thought of surgery was more terrifying. Although he felt some trepidation, Jeff came to me because he heard that I had been successful in treating his type of problem.

Examination and Diagnosis
Except for his broken clavicle I found Jeff to be a healthy, non-smoking, non-drinking man with a reasonable diet, considering his profession. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) bones are considered to be in the domain of the Kidney energy, however Jeff did not present with any obvious deficiencies. This was a case where the symptom was the only problem.

Treatment
I treated Jeff twice weekly for 2½ weeks. At each visit he was treated both with acupuncture and also with electric stimulation of the needles in the vicinity of the fracture.

Treatment Results
Immediately after receiving his first treatment Jeff reported that he experienced absolutely no pain from the needles. In place of his state of anxiety, he now felt a wonderful sense of peace. Three weeks after his first treatment with me, Jeff returned to his orthopedist for another x-ray. This time the x-ray revealed substantial bone growth.

Jeff was extremely relieved by this news. He subsequently healed completely . . . without surgical intervention.


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