This 35-year-old woman came to me with a chief complaint of peri-umbilical abdominal pain that had started one month ago. When it began she visited a local free clinic where a variety of tests were performed, including imaging, all inconclusive. She was diagnosed with PID, given antibiotics, and sent home. Since then she has been experiencing pain daily, often with nausea. The pain is worse with food and stress. She also feels bloated. She recalls six years ago receiving an ultrasound while in Columbia and being told something was wrong with her spleen.She also reports anxiety, depression, irritability, insomnia, and recent stressful events, such as the ending of a traumatic relationship and the loss of her job. In early 2018 she had an episode similar to a seizure, where she fell due to loss of muscle control. She is struggling with the lack of a permanent housing situation, which includes not having access to a kitchen, thus making it difficult for her to have control over her diet.She also reports various other symptoms, such as neck pain, skin rashes, tinnitus, chronic allergies, cough, yeast infections, and PMS.
Her history of birth trauma, the emotional issues she struggles with, and her pulses indicate a primary diagnosis of Heart Shock. In Chinese Medicine experiences that are traumatic and difficult to integrate result in shock to the Heart, and as the Heart is the ruler of the body-mind any instability or chaos in the Heart can go on to affect the rest of the organ networks.
Acupuncture + Herbal Formula for Abdominal Pain
We did acupuncture to restore her connection to her sense of self, needling only 5 points in the treatment. I prescribed a custom herbal formula. I also gave her an individualized homeopathic remedy.
It took her several weeks to slowly come off the psychotropic medications she was taking. Two months after seeing me she is doing very well, and reports she is feeling much more steady, positive, hopeful, and grounded.
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