ABSTRACT
We report a case in which daibofuto was effective for knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. The case was an 84-year-old woman, who tried various drugs for right knee pain at multiple hospitals, but the effect was insufficient, so she visited the hospital hoping for Kampo treatment. Although no qi deficiency was observed systemically, joint swelling and mild heat sensation were observed locally. Additionally, in plain X-ray findings, severe knee osteoarthritis including joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation, and osteosclerosis was observed. We administered sokeikakketsuto and hachimigan, but no effect was obtained. Since daibofuto was effective to some extent, we changed to a decoction and increased the amount of crude drug, and then sufficient effect was obtained. Daibofuto has an effect on qi deficiency, and it is frequently used for rheumatoid arthritis with mild synovitis. Daibofuto was also effective for knee osteoarthritis in the elderly ; therefore we believe that both diseases have a common pathological condition.
ABSTRACT
We report a case in which goreisan with hoketsuzai (blood-tonifying formula) was successful in the treatment of a marked nutritional disorder. A 17-year-old woman was screened for prominent emaciation of unknown cause. After the administration of goreisan, edema was reduced and her body weight increased. Subsequently, anemia improved and muscle mass increased with a combination of shimotsuto or sokeikakketsuto. It is possible that goreisan with hoketsuzai improved the water balance of the whole body including the digestive tract, and restored the digestive and absorptive function.
ABSTRACT
In daily medical examinations of orthopedic surgery, treatment for chronic pain is sometimes needed. We report a case of chronic pain developed after an open fracture 15 years ago and successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. A 35-year-old man unfortunately sustained an open fracture in his right lower leg in a traffic accident at his age of 20 years. He underwent 12-13 surgeries for osteosynthesis, post-operative focal infection, and leg extension. Subsequently, he developed periodic pain in his right ankle joint. He consulted our clinic because of the severe pain; although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were ineffective, sokeikakketsuto was dramatically effective. To treat chronic pain after an old fracture, sokeikakketsuto may be considered as a choice of treatment.
ABSTRACT
Arthritis of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb is typically treated with oral anti-inflammatory drugs, external medicines, and temporary external fixation. We report 3 cases of arthritis of carpometacarpal joint of the thumb that were successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. In cases 1 and 2, a 50-year-old woman and 68-year-old man, respectively, were diagnosed with arthritis of the carpometacarpal joint and were successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. In case 3, a 66-year-old man complained of pain in the second carpometacarpal joint caused by gout, and was successfully treated with eppikajutsuto and daiobotampito. However, the pain in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb due to arthritis remained, and was successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. Eppikajutsuto and daiobotampito were effective for acute arthritis such as gout, and sokeikakketsuto was effective for osteoarthritis. Overall, patients with different diseases in the various local regions may have slightly different clinical presentations even in the same case.
ABSTRACT
Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes are clinical manifestations of osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints. Heberden's nodes typically affect the distal interphalangeal (DIP) and Bouchard's nodes, the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of a fingers in patients with osteoarthritis. We describe osteoarthritis of the interphalangeal joints in 3 women who were successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. Case 1 : A 58-year-old woman presented with pain in the DIP joint of her left middle finger and was diagnosed with a Heberden's node. Case 2 : A 60-year-old woman presented with pain in the DIP joint of her left ring finger and was diagnosed with a Heberden's node. Case 3 : A 37-year-old woman presented with pain in PIP joint of her left ring finger and was diagnosed with a Bouchard's node. All women were successfully treated with sokeikakketsuto. In conclusion, sokeikakketsuto is a useful Kampo medication to treat mild-to-moderate pain secondary to bone, joint, or spinal conditions, as well as non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
ABSTRACT
<p>We reported a patient whose left hypochondrial pain disappeared after treatment with jidabokuippo and sokeikakketsuto. An 81-years-old woman developed pain after bruising for 2 months. Intercostal nerve block temporarily reduced the pain ; however, considerable pain subsequently remained. The patient received Jidabokuippo and Sokeikakketsuto. Seventeen days later, the patient was relieved from the prolonged pain and had melanotic defecation. This suggests that formulas classified for the treatment of potential blood stasis may relieve prolonged pain.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p>Sokeikakketsuto was administered to 33 patients with recurrent cramps of the calf appearing once a week or more and persisting for 2 weeks or more. Treatment response was evaluated 1 month after the start of drug therapy. Patients whose cramps disappeared immediately after starting were regarded as showing a complete response, those with disappearance after 1 month as showing a partial response, those with a reduction to <50% after 1 month as showing a slight response, and those in whom 50% or more of cramps persisted after 1 month as showing no response. A complete response was achieved in 12 patients, a partial response in 11, a slight response in 9, and no response in 1. In 23 (69.6%) of the 33 patients, cramps disappeared within 1 month after the start of drug therapy. In 32 (96.9%), there was a reduction to <50%. In 29 (87.8%) of the 33 patients, cramps disappeared within 3 months, suggesting the efficacy of this drug. Two-package administration in the evening/at bedtime was more effective than 1-package administration for controlling cramps of the calf at night until early in the morning. The intensive pre-attack administration of 2 packages before sleep was the most effective. Sokeikakketsuto may be useful for treating recurrent cramps of the calf.</p>
ABSTRACT
We encountered 4 cases of calf cramps in which the herbal mixture shakuyakukanzoto was ineffective but another herbal mixture sokeikakketsuto was effective. In case 1, the patient was a 73-year-old man. He had a history of calf cramps, and started experiencing calf cramps more frequently about1month before he made his first visit to our department. Shakuyakukanzoto (7.5g/day) was initially prescribed, but the frequency of cramps did not change. Then, shakuyakukanzoto was replaced with sokeikakketsuto (7.5g/day), and this resulted in rapid alleviation of the symptom. In case 2, the patient was a 67-year-old woman undergoing outpatient care for shoulder stiffness, low back pain, etc. She started experiencing calf cramps at night and underwent shakuyakukanzoto (7.5g/day) treatment. The frequency of cramps did not change, and hence, shakuyakukanzoto was replaced with sokeikakketsuto (2.5g at bedtime). The symptom was alleviated in response to this therapy. In case 3, the patient was a 66-year-old woman undergoing treatment for low back pain at our department. She experienced calf cramps and was treated with shakuyakukanzobushito (3.0g/day). The response was poor, and the herbal mixture was replaced with sokeikakketsuto (7.5g/day), which resulted in the disappearance of her cramps. In case 4, the patient was a 75-year-old man undergoing treatment for a cold sensation in the left leg. He experienced calf cramps and was treated with shakuyakukanzobushito (1.5g/day). This therapy resulted in only temporary relief from the symptom. After the herbal mixture was replaced with sokeikakketsuto (2.5g/day), the cramps disappeared rapidly. Thus, sokeikakketsuto, which improves blood flow and is thought to manifest analgesic effects, may be used for treating patients with calf cramps who do not respond to shakuyakukanzoto.
ABSTRACT
We report 5 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) successfully treated with Kampo medicines. In total, we investigated 10 patients with PMR, including the 5 patients here treated in our department. Results showed that Kampo medicine was effective in 6 cases. One of the 6 refused steroid drug administration, and tapering dosage steroid was difficult in the other 5 patients due to myalgia or inflammation. Except for one case, C-reactive protein in most of the effective cases was below 3.0 mg/dl. On the other hand, the non-effective cases had severe inflammation levels and needed steroid therapy. The effective cases were treated with sokeikakketsuto, tokakujokito, keishibukuryogan, choyotokasyakuyaku, yokuibushihaishosan and tokishakuyakusan, which have the effect of improving oketsu states. Thus, it was considered that Kampo medicine has the potential for treatments in PMR patients who have difficulty tapering steroid dosage and mild inflammation. Moreover, this suggests Kampo medicines that improve oketsu state are useful for PMR treatment.
ABSTRACT
We report 5 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) successfully treated with Kampo medicines. In total, we investigated 10 patients with PMR, including the 5 patients here treated in our department. Results showed that Kampo medicine was effective in 6 cases. One of the 6 refused steroid drug administration, and tapering dosage steroid was difficult in the other 5 patients due to myalgia or inflammation. Except for one case, C-reactive protein in most of the effective cases was below 3.0 mg/dl. On the other hand, the non-effective cases had severe inflammation levels and needed steroid therapy. The effective cases were treated with sokeikakketsuto, tokakujokito, keishibukuryogan, choyotokasyakuyaku, yokuibushihaishosan and tokishakuyakusan, which have the effect of improving oketsu states. Thus, it was considered that Kampo medicine has the potential for treatments in PMR patients who have difficulty tapering steroid dosage and mild inflammation. Moreover, this suggests Kampo medicines that improve oketsu state are useful for PMR treatment.
ABSTRACT
Rehabilitation and exercise are occasionally restricted by intractable pain to an extent greater than that estimated due to physical dysfunction. Here, we report three patients with intractable pain in whom Kampo medicine was highly effective, in cases where common treatments such as the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nerve blockade proved ineffective. Sokeikakketsuto extract was prescribed for three patients with different conditions: intermittent claudication of cauda equina due to lumbar spondylolisthesis, posttraumatic chronic psychogenic pain, and complex regional pain syndrome type 1 that occurred after cerebral infarction. Sokeikakketsuto extract alleviated severe pain and therefore facilitated rehabilitation and exercise in all three of these cases. From the viewpoint of Kampo medicine, we hypothesized that all three cases shared some common etiology of blood abnormalities, although conventional medical diagnosis differed for each. We suggest that treatment with Sokeikakketsuto extract corrected the blood abnormalities, thereby resulting in the successful treatment of intractable pain in these patients.
ABSTRACT
We report on a case of Hailey-Hailey disease successfully treated with Sokeikakketsuto. This case was a 70-year-old woman. Her mother, grandmother and elder sister had the same symptoms. From 2004 August, she noticed erythematous exudative lesions with itching on both sides of her inguinal area. By September, she was diagnosed with Hailey-Hailey disease histologically. We treated using a topical corticosteroid at first. This had little effect, so we considered treatment using Kampo medicines. We diagnosed a kidney Yin-deficiency from a fissure of her tongue, thirstiness, numbness in the region below the umbilicus and night sweat, thus and selected Rokumigan. We then diagnosed deficiency of Qi from her general malaise, so chose Hochuekkito. The pathology of Hailey-Hailey disease exists mainly in the epidermis which covers most of the body's surface area. And this indicates the presence of pathogenic wind factor. We considered the presence of dampness as a disease-inducing factor because of her exudation, and the presence of the heat from her erythema. So we also selected Eppikajutsuto as an anti wind-wetness-heat drug. Her general condition was very much improved with these administrations, but her skin lesions improved very little. So we stopped Eppikajutsuto, and Sokeikakketsuto administration was started instead. After this change of drug, her skin lesions were improved remarkably.
ABSTRACT
Rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA rats) show obvious inhibition of the local inflammation when steroids (DXM) are administered. But the contraction of thymic or adrenal atrophy, spleen hypertrophy, and reduction of activity of serum dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV are recognized. In rats where Sokei-kakketsu-to or Yokuinin-to was administered, prominent anti-inflammatory effects like dexamethasone were not found; however the contraction of thymic or adrenal atrophy, spleen hypertrophy, and reduction of activity of serum dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV was not recognized. In addition, after withdrawal of drugs, rebound in regional joints did not occurr as with steroids, and the reducing effect for arthrocele was prolonged. Therefore, it was concluded that those two formulations have an effect on the immune system —with anti-inflammatory effects for AA rats— and these action mechanisms are different from that of steroids (DXM).
ABSTRACT
The hematological effects of Sokeikakketsu-to, Yokuinin-to, Keisi-ka-jutsubsu-to, Eppi-ka-jutsu-to, and Sairei-to observed on the AA rats were investigated. The time course of blood count and albumin, sialic acid and acid-soluble glycoprotein in the serum whs. were measured. Sokeikakketsu-to had the strongest anti-inflammatory effect on the improvement of Inflammatory Index Substances, platelets, and the Arthritis Score for changes in synovitis. Yokuinin-to was also effective. When these Kampo medicines were administered in the early stages of AA, Sokeikakketsu-to improved the AA signficantly. The results may suggest that Sokeikakketsu-to works for the control of autoimmunity. On the other hand, Keisi-ka-jutsubu-to aggravated the AA when it was administered in the early stages of the AA.
ABSTRACT
The effects of Sokei-kakketsu-to, Yokuinin-to, Keisi-ka-zyutsubu-to, Eppi-ka-jutsu-to, and Saireito extracts on Adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats were investigated. After administering AA, we measured the volume of rat hindpaw as the inflammation index, and observed the changes of synovitis histologically. Each extract showed different effects on AA rats. Yokuinin-to and Sokei-kakketsu-to had remarkable effects on inflammation and changed the histological observations of synovitis. Eppi-ka-jutsu-to also had effects on the uninjected hindpaw, but Keisi-ka-jutsubu-to and Sairei-to had no effect on hindpaw inflammation, nor did they change synovitis histologically.