ABSTRACT
We report the case of a 60-years-old man who complained fever and left knee pain. Fever and arthralgia appear once a month, and these symptoms disappear spontaneously in 3 days. The patient came to our hospital to receive Kampo treatment, because the patient experienced improving these symptoms by Kampo medicine about 20 years ago. I judged the arthralgia as kanshippi, because the arthralgia improved when the patient warmed the joint. We prescribed keishikajutsubuto 7.5 g/day. Arthralgia improved after administration of keishikajutsubuto, but the attack appeared every month. We prescribed maobushisaishinto 5 g/day in addition to keishikajutsubuto 5 g/day for further improvement of arthralgia. The frequency of fever and arthralgia attack was dramatically decreased after we prescribed keishikajutsubuto 5 g/day and maobushisaishinto 5 g/day. We considered the possibility of palindromic rheumatism based on clinical symptoms, X-ray in other clinic and blood test results in our hospital. We report an effective case of keishikajutsubuto and maobushisaishinto on arthritis attacks with fever that resolved spontaneously in a short time.
ABSTRACT
There are many reports that keisikajutsubuto is effective against inflammation of finger and wrist joints, such as from snapping the fingers or scleroderma. We prescribed keisikajutsubuto for 16 orthopedic outpatients with DIP joint arthralgia and pain (Heberden nodes) on the basis of this information. The 16 cases were all women, and the age ranged from 57 to 80 years with an average of 63.4 years. The disease period ranged from 6 months to 15 years with an average of 4 years and 6 months. Eleven cases were diagnosed with deficiency pattern indicating a weak constitution and poor circulation, and 5 cases were medium pattern. Seven of the 16 patients were thin with a BMI of 20 or less. In 4 cases the inflammation of a tendon sheath on the finger was complicated. It took 3 months (from 2 to 8 months) for joint pain to be reduced. Eight patients continued taking 2.5 g of keisikajutsubuto afterwards. The joint deformity was not worse in any case. In all patients, the pain completely disappeared, or partial recovery was obtained. In addition, the local feeling of heat in the joints disappeared in all cases. Keishikajutsubuto was an effective Kampo medicine against finger joint arthritis.
ABSTRACT
We have recently seen an increasing number of patients with osteoporosis of the type that occurs as a chronic illness in the elderly, and particularly in elderly female patients. It is important not only to treat pain but to follow-up with treatments to prevent further bone mass loss. To measure bone mass in patients with osteoporosis, we employed Digital Imaging Processing (DIP). In this study, the authors examined changes in the bone mass of patients in long-term therapy with Keishi-ka-Jutsubu-to and Gosha-Jinki-Gan. As a comparative-control group, or non-treatment group, we selected 11 patients who had been diagnosed as having osteporosis in an outpatient clinic, and whose bone mass had been measured with DIP. These patients discontinued treatment, but returned to the outpatient clinic six months to one year later. The average duration of non-treatment in the control group was 9.8 months. Metacarpal index (MCI) and metacarpal bone mineral density (m-BMD) at the first visit were 0.40±0.07 and 2.22±0.38, but 10 months later they were 0.36±0.05 and 1.97±0.38, which represents a significant decrease.<br>In 20 cases given Keishi-ka-Jutsubu-to, the initial bone mass data were: MCI, 0.39±0.08; m-BMD, 2.07±0.32. Measurements performed after three, six, and nine months of treatment showed no difference or increase from the initial values.<br>In 12 cases given Gosha-Jinki-Gan, the initial data were: MCI, 0.40±0.07; m-BMD, 2.06±0.27. Measurements performed after three, six and nine months of treatment showed no difference from the initial values.<br>The severity of pain was equally reduced by treatment with Kampo formulation or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) by four weeks, but after eight weeks low back pain in patients treated with the Kampo formulation was significantly reduced compared with low back pain in the group treated with NSAIDs.
ABSTRACT
A 77-year-old woman who had suffered from herpes zoster five months previously in her right T5, 6 region consulted the author with complaints of insomnia and appetite loss due to postherpetic neuralgia. Administration of the Kampo extract Mao-bushi-saishin-to (NC127) brought about marked improvement in the pain, and the patient was able to sleep from that night onward. Later, Keishi-ka-jutsubu-to (TJ18) was given, reducing the pain still further. When Kakou-Bushi-Matsu (SO1) was added, the pain disappeared almost entirely.<br>This clinical course suggests that it was the Bushi (Aconiti Tuber), which was the only crude drug common to all three Kampo products, that was largely responsible for the analgesic effect.
ABSTRACT
Carbamazepine (CBZ) is widely used for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), however, it is associated with some side effects. A 61-year-old woman was given CBZ to relieve TN pain. The pain was relieved immediately, but on the third day of CBZ treatment, skin rash developed, and the drug was discontinued. She then received the Kampo (Japanese herbal) medical formula Keishi-ka-jutsubu-to according to the principles of Kampo diagnosis. The pain was completely controlled without any side effects.<br>For maximum effectiveness, Kampo formulas should always be selected through the Kampo diagnostic process.