Case Report 1: Effects about Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝

It was 11-30-2006 when a 59-year-old lady came into MAC. She had a history of kidney cancer on her right side, which was removed on June 2005. Currently, she complains that she had a left side abdominal pain with fever for a while. She went to her family doctor who had prescribed her antibiotics, for a total of 24 days. Her abdominal pain had decreased, but she still had a slight pain in the left lower abdominal side. Surgical options were rejected by her, and she decided to look for alternative treatment, such as acupuncture and herbal therapy.

After undergoing acupuncture and herbal treatment (once per week to every two weeks per treatment) her condition had improved and the pain was gone. She was then recommended to have maintenance scheduled every two months.

At this momentary, she told us that her medical insurance did not cover kidney cancer conditions. Also, shed had informed us that her mother had a history of breast cancer. The Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝was recommended for her anti-tumor condition, to which she agreed upon.

Since she started taking Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝, her general condition had become much more stable, with no more severe pain in her abdomen. Occasionally, she complained that she had a lower left abdominal pain, but was under control with acupuncture treatment.

As of December of 2009, the price of Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝had jumped up in the USA and a lot of companies were out of supply. Then American Ginseng Xi Yang Shen was substituted for her. Immediately, she told us that she did not like the smell of American Ginseng Xi Yang Shen, and really wanted to back on the Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝.

On March of 2010, she had found out that she had a pre-cancerous condition on her skin, and was told that surgery was necessary to remove it. 

We discovered the new source of Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝. In June of 2010, she started back up on Ling Zhi, and has been in good health since.

We hope that Reishi Mushroom Ling Zhi 灵芝can continue to keep her in good shape.

Case Report 2: Migraines

VISIT ONE- A 23-years-old-female, UF (University of Florida) graduate student complaint migraine, 2-3 times a week for 5 years. Also she has a pain in her head, neck, shoulder areas and she has TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) history too.  Recently she takes imitrex, orthotricyden for her migraines. 

She said that back to her high school, she had a shoulder pain first and then developed her migraines. She went to chiropractic to get treatment, 2-3 times for almost one year. Symptoms got better. Later on, she developed another health condition: allergy to ‘dust’ which triggers her migraines. Plus she had ‘TMJ’. She took anti-migraines which can help to ease her symptoms immediately. But she still struggle her migraine because her could not work regularly. She also took birth-control pill. Usually her migraine got worse afternoon.

DIAGONOSIS:1. Liver Qi stagnation; 2. Qi and blood stagnation; 3. Liver yin and qi deficiency.

After the first treatment, her migraine was decreased. In the past 5 days, only one day she got migraine episode, even the night before the second treatment, she had a hard work (usually that might trigger her migraine) but migraines did not happen.

……

It is another almost half year, her condition was pretty stable and she finished her Master degree and also got a job at the Washington DC area.

Case Report 3: Shingles

VISIT ONE - 8/1/2001 A 64-year-old woman came in with a case of shingles. A week before her first visit she had cold-like symptoms such as a headache and sore throat but no cough. Two days later, she felt pins in her left arm and burning sensations. Upon physical examination, she had red blisters and swelling along the medial side of her left arm. On the left side of her neck, there were bean sized lymph nodules. She also carried a slight fever.

PE: Pulse reading: her pulse rate was 76/m, pulse was string (on her right side), chi position was weak on her left side. Tongue was pale, with white-thin coating.

DIAGNOSIS: wind-heat invasion into the Lung and the Liver meridians.

Case Report 4: Knee Pain MCL (The medial collateral ligament) Injury

The patient is a 53-year-old woman who works as a physician’s assistant of cardiology at the VA hospital. The patient had persistent swelling and pain in her right knee off and on for a year and a half. Recently the pain had become worse and she had difficulty bending her right knee and complained that the pain increased at night. 11 years ago she underwent knee surgery. She also received acupuncture a month previously for managing her lower back pain. At the time she made an appointment for surgery, she decided to try acupuncture therapy first for her right knee.

Previous history: The patient previously had ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) surgery in 1994.

Upon TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) physical examination, her right knee became reddish, swollen, pressure and pain at the Sp 9 area, difficulty bending, ligament test was not satisfactory due to her swelling knee. Her tongue had a white and thin coating. Her pulse was strong but slow.

DIAFNOSIS: Qi and blood stagnation

After her three-day (daily) treatments, her right knee pain and swelling had decreased and the mobility of her joints improved. She decided that she had no need for surgery and canceled her appointment.

The interesting thing was that she had an allergic reaction to the topical herb. One week after the initial herbal application, her knee had a rash and there was itching and swelling (see picture). We had to discontinue her topical treatment. (Luckily she did not complain of the topical herb during the first 2-3 days of the treatment). Her knee was still in good shape.

Almost two years after the treatment she does not have any complaints of her right knee.