The low back pain is often intractable and leads to the drop of the daily living activity. These symptoms are good indications of Kampo medicine. We report 5 cases of low back pain that saikokaryukotsuboreito treatment succeeded regardless of psychogenetic presence. These patients complained of low back pain and lower melagra or numbness of limbs. Four of 5 cases did not have any psychogenetic presence. After administration of saikokaryukotsuboreito, their pain decreased and walking distance was improved in to 4 weeks and analgesics were not required. Generally, saikokaryukotsuboreito is prescribed for patients with psychogenetic symptoms, but these treatments based on abdominal patterns were effective even if they do not have subjective psychogenetic symptoms. Saikokaryukotsuboreito may be the differential prescription for such low back pain cases.

A 59 year-old woman with rashes of forehead and chest visited our hospital in hope of treatment with Kampo medicine. The rashes had occurred at the age of 50 years old and gradually spread. She had been diagnosed with psoriasis vulgaris by a nearby dermatologist. Though she had been treated with the steroid ointment, the symptom had repeated exacerbation and remission for nine years. At the first examination, her exanthems were damp, concentrated on frontlet and was seen in posterior cervical region, precordial region, upper and lower limb. Jizusoippo was prescribed, and the exanthem improved significantly in 4 months. In conclusion, jizusoippo can be effective in cases of psoriasis that the exanthems are damp and concentrate on head.

In Kampo medicine, a tongue examination, whereby the shape and color of the tongue is observed, is thought to reveal the constitution and condition of the patient. In Japan, numerous books on this tongue examination have been published. However, tongue findings are expressed differently in these books, and a standard description for such findings has yet to be established. A standard description would be useful when examining the tongue, and when educating students of Kampo medicine. We therefore compared how tongue colors and shapes were expressed in the Japanese literature on tongue examinations (12 publications).
Using these results, we have arrived at a standardized description for tongue findings in accordance with Kampo specialists of tongue diagnoses at many facilities. In the process, we focused on easily recognizable findings that can be noted with short clinical examination times, and that can also be understood by beginners.

We administered daisaikoto to 13 patients with traumatic cervical syndrome and observed complete responses in the following 2 patients. Patient 1 was a 40-year male. He was in the xiaoyang stage, and showed high abdominal tension and marked chest oppression. These findings were indications for daisaikoto. Patient 2 was a female in her 50 s. She was in the xiaoyang stage, showed moderate abdominal tension and chest oppression, and was aware of chest tension and constipation. Evaluation using the VAS in the 13 patients showed a complete response in 3 patients, partial response in 6, minor response in 1 and no response in 3. To clarify indications for daisaikoto in this disease, findings of Japanese Oriental Medicine in the 13 patients were evaluated. Of 9 patients with high abdominal tension, 8 showed partial or complete responses. Of 4 patients with moderate abdominal tension, a complete response, partial response, and no response were observed in 1, 1, and 2, respectively. In addition, objective abdominal coldness was present in both patients with moderate abdominal tension who showed no response but not in the patient showing a complete response.We confirmed the importance of therapy based on oriental medical syndromes when daisaikoto is used for traumatic cervical syndrome. However, patients with moderate abdominal tension without abdominal coldness can be differentiated from others for this therapy.

Chronic fatigue is a common symptom in primary health care and caused by various organic and functional diseases. Although improvement is attained by controlling underlying organic disease, it is sometimes difficult to relieve fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or dysthymia. We have encountered patients with idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) successfully treated with sansonintokagen. A 62-year-old female complained of chronic fatigue several years after menopause, and had normal status in routine blood and image analyses at a nearby hospital. Her condition was diagnosed as ICF with sleeplessness. Treatment with sansonintoaogibakumondo for 8 weeks improved her chronic fatigue and sleeplessness, and enabled her to continue housekeeping. This observation suggests that this kampo formula may be a useful agent for ICF.

Chronic fatigue is a common symptom in primary health care and caused by various organic and functional diseases. Although improvement is attained by controlling underlying organic disease, it is sometimes difficult to relieve fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or dysthymia. We have encountered patients with idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) successfully treated with sansonintokagen. A 62-year-old female complained of chronic fatigue several years after menopause, and had normal status in routine blood and image analyses at a nearby hospital. Her condition was diagnosed as ICF with sleeplessness. Treatment with sansonintoaogibakumondo for 8 weeks improved her chronic fatigue and sleeplessness, and enabled her to continue housekeeping. This observation suggests that this kampo formula may be a useful agent for ICF.

Boiogito, which has been used for obesity, edema and arthritis by using flabby constitution as a clinical indication, is mentioned in Jin Kui Yao Lue (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber). We experienced five cases of wind-wetness syndrome or edema caused by the pathogen Wind successfully treated with boiogito. There were common findings in these cases, i.e., heavy sweating or perspiration while sleeping, chilly feelings and worsening of the evening subjective symptoms and pulse diagnoses, such as floating, string-like and congested pulse in objective findings. On the basis of these cases, we investigated the efficacy of boiogito extract in 10 patients having the all of common findings mentioned above. As a result, boiogito improved symptoms in 8 patients. This suggests that medical examination by interview and distinctive pulsation are important in deciding the Kampo diagnosis for boiogito.
findings ; Clinical ; symptoms <1> ; Indication of ; CONSIDERATION

Medicine, Kampo ; Names ; Disease ; Diagnosis

We demonstrated two patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), successfully treated with Kampo medicine, and considered the resemblance between the clinical manifestation of FMS and SHO for Kanzo-bushi-to.The first case was a 52-year-old women who consulted a local hospital in 2001 due to althralgia and myalgia in the left hand, bilateral elbows, shoulders and foot. Her condition was diagnosed as FMS without abnormal findings in the thorough medical examination. Treatment with NSAIDs was not effective, so she consulted our department in 2004. She was treated with Keishi-ni-eppi-itto-ka-ryojutsu-ka-boi-ogi-kakkon. After two mouths, her symptoms had reduced to 50% by visual analog scale (VAS). By March 2006, her symptoms had significantly decreased to 20% by VAS and NSAIDs became unnecessary.The second case was a 58-year-old woman who had suffered from tolerable pain in her right elbow for 10 years. In 2004, she visited the Department of Orthology at her local hospital due to pain in the neck, bilateral arms and shoulders. There were no findings on cervical X-ray or neurological examination, and NSAIDs were administered. Her symptoms did not resolve, therefore, she consulted our department in 2005. She was diagnosed with FMS, based on fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for FMS of ACR (American college of rheumatology) in 1990. She was treated with Kanzo-bushi-to. After 3 months, her symptoms had reduced to 30% by VAS. By Mar. 2006, her pain had redused to 25% by VAS and she was physically fit enough for a daily life.
CSF1-R ; symptoms <1> ; Medicine, Kampo ; Pain ; Fibromyalgia