Help with a case

[sue church]

A 76 year old woman came to me for help with her rheumatoid arthritis. This started 6 years ago with polymalgia in the joints of her left arm.which turned into rheumatoid arthritis in both hands. She also has microcytic colitis (has to go to the loo suddenly). Gallbladder removed because of stone. 12 years ago spinal fusion of lumbar 4/5. Now facet joint problem with lumbar 2/3 discs sliding out. No pain on lying on back but pain while standing and walking. Left ankle – wrenched posterior tibial tendon ‘ split in two causing promotional – painful most of the time Orthotics in her shoe to support instep. Waiting for both back and ankle to be operated on.
Medication. 7 months ago was taking 40 units of prednisone – now down to 8 units.
Energy – tired all the time because of pain, better in the morning and exhausted in the evening.
Mentally she says she is pretty strong
Tongue coat with st crack. red on tip. small lump in lung area on left side. (looking at tongue)
Pulse – difficult to describe – squashy. could have a TB divergent pulse
!st and 2nd treatments
Scar treatments behind ears (nip and tuck), hysterectomy (Fibroids), lower back Du channel, ankle and Gall bladder. Sliding cups on back, neck and lower abdomen (cutaneous). Most painful areas are on LHS of back especially on dowagers lump, bladder channel SI channel, and TB channel. TB divergent DSD treatments.
After those treatments joints in left hand were less rigid and less painful and felt her back less painful ( she felt a crack in lower back) and less pain down her leg.
Third treatment
Asking about her father she opened up saying that her father and both ex husbands had been extremely controlling. Her life had improved since then as she was able to get a high powered job working with technology in hospitals all over England. But she paid a price as although she enjoyed it very much it exhausted her. She said it was difficult to cry but could howl. She thought that the trauma of the control had probably given her the rheumatoid arthritis and she was still holding on to it.
I only had time to apply cups to her back. Finds this very beneficial. Spent more time on lower back
I’m wondering if next time the pulses might show me Chong Mai.
Although her hands feel better after the treatments they don’t seem to hold. I know that she’s still taking steroids which can slow down the treatments but look forward to hearing what insights you may have.
I’m doing the divergent DSD as its a chronic condition and she’s in a weakened state. She’s very shocked about her physical state as she used to be so active and would love to work in her garden. She has a very good relationship with her two daughters and also her second ex-husband. I would say her cup is half full

[Mònica Martín]

Hi Sue,

Nice to read you here 🙂

The word “control” seems quite prominent in this patient’s life, particularly through male significant others. Sometimes when the person is feeling that is “getting rid” of this controlling figures, what really happens is that the controlling role is shifted to another aspect in life, so she becomes controlled by her “empowering” job. When I say “control” I mean that life is no longer in your hands but something/body else dictates how you should live your life be it your father, a partner or even a job. So maybe her job was a subsitute for the controlling figures in her life. Once she becomes “trapped” RA may become an expression of this internal “howl” claiming for freedom.

Issues of control and rigidity relate to the Metal element. Metal insults Fire. The Fire element is expressed in the Heart and the Shen, the governor of one’s own life, the ability to express and feel that one is in control, in charge. Maybe the fact that she feels controlled is an external expression of the weakness of her own Fire element. The controlling figures become the reflection of this weakness in her Fire expression. Now it is her body “controlling” her life through the pain (a remarkable feature of RA patients).

The fact that she relates the painful experience of being “controled” in her life with her physical pain and that she is conscious of still “holding on to it”, suggests that there is grief and that she hasn’t let go of that pain. A Lung Luo could help release some of that grief. Lieque 列缺 Lu7 “Broken Sequence”can help release the attachment to the past. RA started in the hands and this an area transversed by the entirety of this Luo channel, an expression of the hands as that by which we hold on to things.

The Large Intestine, as the paired organ of the Lung through the transversal Luo connection might have been the receptacle of that pathogenic emotion in the form of Heat causing inflammation (colitis). Other problems in her history such as gall bladder stones also point to unexpressed emotions and accumulation of Heat which can be addressed through the Luo lenses maybe at some point.

You seem to have been doing very well with your patient so far. I hope that considering the Luo perspective can help to expand the treatment options for her.

Keep us updated,

Monica

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