ABSTRACT
In Kampo Medicine, abdominal manipulation is a very important diagnostic procedure. This is because some abdominal signs appearing in the abdominal wall indicate a specific group of Kampo formulations. Recently the author revealed that distension and tenderness in the epigastrium (shinkahiko) was closely related with transport points of the back meridian root. It was also revealed in 28 cases that relaxation of this cluster of the transport points by means of acupuncuture needle brought immediate elimination of distension and tenderness in epigastrium. This new knowledge suggests two facts : that a mutual origin expresses both tenderness of epigastrium and the cluster of transport points, and secondly that some unknown reflective system inhibits the vagal afferent signal which originates in the upper digestive tract, by means of acupunctural procedure to the transport points of the back. And also the results of this study suggest that the existence of a vagosympathetic reflex system lies behind shinkahiko. This new evidence may break-through in two different paradigms, i.e. Kampo and acupuncture, and proposes a new means of traditional medicine for the future.
ABSTRACT
It is not a few cases that present with fever and fatigability of an unknown cause. We report a case of fever and fatigability treated effectively with hangeshashinto. The case was 47 year-old woman who had been having fever and fatigability for three years. Sometimes she could not go to work because of this malaise. She was diagnosed with patterns of qi deficiency, upper body heat and lower body cold, qi stagnation and stagnant blood. We carefully considered shinkahiko (epigastric tightness and resistance).<br>Hangeshashinto was prescribed, and her complaints improved remarkably. Hangeshashinto is a well-known Kampo formulation for treating disorders of digestion. But this suggested that hangeshasinto is effective for a variety of symptoms in patients with digestional disorders, who also have a shinkahiko condition.
ABSTRACT
Dai-kankyo-gan has traditionally been used for great resistance for tenderness upon pressure in the epigastric region (Shinkahiko) and rigidity of nape (Kohai-kyo). We treated two cases with Dai-kankyo-gan for years.<br>Case 1 was a 75-year-old male patient. He had been experiencing shortness of breath after slight exertion since 1986, and had been treated with theophyline, bronchodilator, and expectorants, as well as prednisolone for emphysema and pneumoconiosis. After receiving Dai-kankyo-gan, the patients Kohai-kyo and dyspnea improved and he was able to stop taking prednisolone. It is well known that Dai-kankyo-gan makes Shinkahiko and Kohai-kyo better. In this case, it improved throat discomfort as well.<br>Case 2 was a 56-year-old female patient who had been suffering from stiff shoulders and headaches. After receiving Dai-kankyo-gan, Kohai-kyo improved and the thick coating on the tongue was normalized.<br>Shinkahiko, which depends on stasis of body fluid, is usually normalized with the improvement of subjective symptoms. But in these cases, it was not cured.