Herbal Therapy
1) Internal Medicine
a. Syndrome of qi and blood stagnation
Therapeutic methods: Promoting blood flow to resolve the stasis, activating qi flow to stop pain.
Prescription: Modified Taohong Siwu Decoction
b. Syndrome of collateral disharmony
Therapeutic methods: Relaxing tendons and activating collaterals.
Recipe and herbs: Modified Huoxue Shujin Decoction. The herbs see the treatment of the same syndrome in lumbar strain.
c. Syndrome of blockage of pathogenic wind-cold dampness
Therapeutic methods: Expelling wind and dampness, warming and dredging meridians.
Recipe and herbs: Modified Wutou Decoction
d. Syndrome of kidney insufficiency
Therapeutic methods: Tonifying the kidney and strengthening tendons.
Recipe and herbs: Modified Busheng Zhuangjin Decoction
2) External Therapy
(1) In the early stage, Sanse Application is externally used. In the late stage, Shangke Xiaoyan Paste or Tianhe Gutong Plaster, or Zhenghonghua Oil or Zhenggu Liquor is externally applied.
(2) Acupuncture Therapy
The acupoints are Dachangshu (BL25), Zhibian (BL54), Ciliao (BL32), Huantiao (GB30), Chengfu (BL36), Weizhong (BL 40), Yanglingquan (GB34 ), Chengshan ( BL57 ), Xuanzhong (GB 39), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Kunlun (BL60) and Ashi Points. Five to seven points on the sick side can be selected each time, reducing method is applied with the needle retained for 20 minutes, once a day, ten times making up a course.
(3) Tendon-smoothing manipulation
The patient first takes a prone position. The operator successively applies kneading, rubbing, grasping, pinching, rolling and pressing manipulations on the painful regions of the waist and limbs. Then, the patient takes a lateral position with the lower limb on the top flexed and the other lower limb straightened. The operator presses the patient's posterolateral aspect of ilium with one hand and pushes the anterior part of shoulder with the other hand, pulling obliquely with his two hands in an opposite direction to make the waist twist, sometimes a "Kata" (click) sound can be heard or felt. Afterwards, the patient straightens his lower limbs, and the operator presses the lumbosacral portion with one hand and holds up the thigh with the elbow of the other arm, applying hyperextension of the waist and thigh for 3 to 5 times, then does the same on the other side. The manipulation should be done every day or every other day for a course of one month. This is suited for the mild case of prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc.
Cupping Therapy
Points selected: Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL 40) and Yanglingquan (GB 34).
Keep the cup sucked in place for 5-10 minutes and cover the exposed skin with the carpet to keep warm. Two months is a course of treatment.
