Patient Cases
Wrist and Elbow Pain
Presentation
Dick, 39 years old, came to me suffering from intense wrist and elbow pain. As a life-long commercial fisherman Dick was at sea for days at a time, constantly working in cold, wet, dangerous conditions, while frequently lifting heavy lines and nets. For years he had been forcing himself to work in spite of the increasing pain, but it had recently become so intolerable that he worried he might lose his livelihood.
Examination and Diagnosis
A strong, fiercely independent man, Dick was quite healthy except for his wrist and elbow pain, which no longer subsided during his land-bound periods. When I examined him, there were no physical signs of inflammation or swelling, but he demonstrated intense pain when flexing his wrist; a pain which became excruciating when pulling weight. Although this pain followed the Large Intestine meridian, he reported no bowel changes. Chinese Medicine considers the Large Intestine meridian to be one of the metal elements. The emotion associated with this element is grief, which corresponds with loss. Dick reported, with great sadness, that he had recently gotten divorced and he was limited to seeing his twins much less often than he wanted.
Treatment
I treated Dick with both acupuncture and electric stimulation. This approach addressed the specific pain symptoms and also his related challenge of appropriately holding and letting go (which manifested both on the physical and emotional levels).
Treatment Results
After four sessions Dick reported that his wrist and elbow felt much better, with significantly less pain. He then went on another commercial fishing expedition and, upon his return, reported that he had experienced only mild pain while lifting. After three more treatments, Dick pronounced himself "healed". By this time, he had also become more philosophical about his family situation. I didn't see him after that for two years, but then he returned for another series of six treatments to restore his pain-free status and enable him to continue in the profession he loved.
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