Record of first visit
Date of first visit: 20/08/08 Name: Mee
Gender: Female Date of birth: 10/01/1981
Chief complains: Over weight increasing 8 kg in 4 months
Descriptions (4 diagnostic methods)
A: Asking
Present illness complains: The patient Increases 8 kg in 4 months. She sleeps well, has very good appetite, normal defecation and urination. She prefers warm drink, no abnormal pain, nor headache, no chill and fever, has to go to toilet during sleep if she drinks after 9 pm. She feels sore low back easily when cooking, has dry mouth but ok after drinking.
Past history: Had an operation on her left leg to revive the nerve of leg 7 years ago.
Lifestyle: no smoking, no alcohol, but has busy and stressful life
Family history: no
Menstruation, marital & obstetrical history: Single, no child,
13, 5~7/ 30, the last period is 15 Aug. 08, normal amount, red colour, no clots, feel pain in the first 2 days, especially having cold drink or ice food before the period
B: Inspection
General: Energy level: 8/10
Others: NAD
Tongue: Corpulent tongue body, slightly purple, thick tongue coating on middle and lower jiao area
C: Auscultation/Olfaction
Sound: NAD
Odours: nothing abnormal detected
D: Palpation
Body areas: NAD
Pulse: Slippery pulse, weak in both Chi area
Case Summary
Diagnosis: Obesity
Syndrome Differentiation: Dampness in middle jiao underline spleen qi deficiency
Explanation: Dysfunction of spleen in transportation and transformation result in dampness retention in middle jiao and the body.
Treatment principles: Tonify spleen and stomach, resolve phlegm-damp, and promote bowel movement and urination.
Points and Therapies: Zhong wan, xia wan, qi hai, shui fen, tian shu, dai mai, zu san li, nei ting
Explanations:
Zhong wan, xia wan, and qi hai tonify the function of organs; shui fen promotes the function of urination and eliminate dampness; tian shu can increase defection and release phlegm retention; zusanli tonifys sp and st; dai mai promotes the circulation around the waist; and nei ting helps to release heat and dampness in the body.
Ear points: Jidian, Kedian, pi, wei, qionao, shenmen
Explanation: Jidian and kedian help to control appetite, pi and wei points help to strengthen spleen and stomach; qionao for hormone, shenmen calm the mind
Life style advice:
Have healthy food, regular exercise, go to bed earlier
TCM Etiology and Pathology:
Definition: The standard body weight (kg)= body height (cm) -- 100. Obesity refers to excessive adipose tissues. The diagnosis of obesity may be made by the body weight which exceeds the standard body weight by 10 -- 20%. The fat on the neck, low abdomen and buttocks is obviously excessive. Obesity is manifested by disorder of metabolism like fatigue, lassitude, hidrosis and various neurosis, headache, palpitation, and abdominal distention. Obesity may speed aging and cause various diseases. The disease includes simple and secondary obesity.
Etiology and Pathogenesis
(1) Overtaking Greasy food
Accumulation of fat will affect the transportation and transformation of spleen to cause retention of phlegm damp in the interior which result in obesity.
(2) Dysfunction of lung in descending
Failure of warming function of kidney, retention of damp heat in the interior result in obesity
Differentiation
(1) Dysfunction of spleen in transportation and transformation
Main Manifestations: Poor appetite, weak constitution, loosen stools, flaccid muscles, fat body, flabby tongue, weak, soft and moderate pulse.
(2) Retention of damp heat in the interior
Main Manifestation: Large amount of eating, constipation, thirst, foul breath, tense muscles, fat body, red tongue with sticky coating, rolling, rapid pulse.
(3) Derangement of thoroughfare and conception vessels
Main Manifestation: Fat neck and buttocks, lumbar pain, weakness of legs, irregular menstruation with less amount of menstrual flow, pale, flabby tongue, deep, thready pulse.
WMS:
Definition
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.
Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.
Causes
Causes of Obesity
Weight gain and obesity are caused by consuming more calories than the body needs, most commonly by eating a diet high in fat and calories, being sedentary or both. However, the imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned can also be caused by a number of different obesity-related factors, including genetic, hormonal, behavioral, environmental and even cultural. It is important to remember that obesity is not always simply a behavioral issue. In fact, endocrine researchers are on the forefront of medical research into the mechanisms of metabolism, appetite and satiety and their connection to obesity. For instance, genetic traits, the way a body expends energy, hormones that affect the way calories are processed (hyperthyroidism), and other organ systems in the body can all affect appetite. Eating disorders, metabolic syndrome, behavioral issues and an individual environment and culture may also affect the development of obesity.
Treatment
Treatment for obesity includes a range of therapies, such as diet and exercise, behavior therapy, weight loss drug therapy and bariatric surgery. In assessing which type or combination of treatment(s) is most suitable, various factors are considered. These factors include the degree of patient overweight, patient health history, mobility, as well as the ability of the patient to comply with dietary and other behavioral guidelines.
Treatment for obesity will be most successful if you create a long-term plan with your doctor. A reasonable goal might be to begin making lifestyle changes by increasing physical activity and limiting calories.
Your initial goal should be to improve your health, not to achieve an ideal weight. Although the "formula" for weight loss-to burn more calories than you take in-is not complicated, it is often hard to achieve and maintain. Along with lifestyle changes, medicines and surgery may be options for some people. The treatment you need depends on your level of obesity, your overall health, and your motivation to lose weight.
Changing eating habits: Eating fewer calories while increasing activity is the best way to lose weight. For most adults, a low-calorie diet of 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men is recommended for weight loss.
Increasing activity: Physical activity helps you burn more calories. One of the best ways to increase your activity is by walking. It is an activity that most people can do safely and routinely alone or with family members, friends, coworkers, or pets, and it is easy to work into a daily schedule.
Sticking with it: If you stray from your plan one day, get back on track the next day.
Remove temptations, and think before eating: If you have easy access to a lot of high-fat, high-sugar, tasty foods, it is tempting to eat them. Take a look at your environment and see what causes you to eat more than you need. Stress, family, your environment, and other influences can affect your progress.
Follow up consultation
Patient Name: Mei Treatment Number: 02
TCM Disease: Obesity Date: 27/08/08
Current condition/ changes:
The patient lost 1 kg, but there is some white discharge with a bit dark blood during this week.
Treatment Principle:
Same
Prescription:
Same treatment, but replace Daimai and Futu with Yin lijg quan
Explanation (if any adjustment):
The patient has discharge after treatment, so omit daimai to reduce stimulation in abdominal area, and use yinlingquan to eliminate the dampness.
Lifestyle Advice (if any adjustment):
Same
Follow up consultation
Patient Name: Mei Treatment Number: 03
TCM Disease: Obesity Date: 03/09/08
Current condition/ changes:
The patient is back to same weight, but there is no discharge now.
Treatment Principle:
Same
Prescription:
Use the same treatment in the first treatment.
Explanation (if any adjustment):
The patient has no discharge after treatment, so change back to the first treatment which seems to have good result.
Lifestyle Advice (if any adjustment):
Same
Follow up consultation
Patient Name: Treatment Number: 04
TCM Disease: Obesity Date: 10/09/08
Current condition/ changes:
The patient increase 1 kg due to too many big feast this week,
Treatment Principle:
Same
Prescription:
Same treatment
Explanation (if any adjustment):
Lifestyle Advice (if any adjustment):
Same
Follow up consultation
Patient Name: Mei Treatment Number: 05
TCM Disease: Obesity Date: 15/09/08
Current condition/ changes:
The patient lost 0.5 kg. Feel tired easily, running nose, sneezing in the morning and before go to bed. The pulse is weak in chun and chi. The tongue is copulant, thick whit coating in the middle and lower parts.
Treatment Principle:
Tonify Qi and strengthen the circulation of digestive system.
Prescription:
Use back-shu points: Fei shu, Pi shu, Wei shu, Da chang shu, San jiao
Explanation (if any adjustment):
The patient has Qi deficiency in upper jiao, so try to tonify her Qi and strengthen the circulation of digestive system.
Lifestyle Advice (if any adjustment):
Same
Follow up consultation
Patient Name: Mei Treatment Number: 06
TCM Disease: Obesity Date: 15/10/08
Current condition/ changes:
The patient lost 1 kg due to flue. She coughed for 3 weeks. Feel stressful because of study, so have crave to eat, good appetite, normal urination and defecation. Swollen tongue, pulse is weak in chun and chi.
Treatment Principle:
Same
Prescription:
Zhongwan, Xia wan, Liang Men, QiHai, ShuiDao, ShuiFen, TianShu, DaHen, Zusanli, YinLingQuan, FenLong
Explanation (if any adjustment):
Use some different points but have similar functions for a change
.
Lifestyle Advice (if any adjustment):
Same
Case Conclusion
The patient increased 8 kg in 4 months. The disease for treating is obesity. The Syndrome Differentiation is Dampness in middle jiao underline spleen qi deficiency. : That is because dysfunction of spleen in transportation and transformation result in dampness retention in middle jiao and the body. Treatment principles are to tonify spleen and stomach, resolve phlegm-damp, and promote bowel movement and urination.
Acupoints are Zhong wan, xia wan, qi hai, shui fen, tian shu, dai mai, zu san li, nei ting. Zhong wan, xia wan, and qi hai tonify the function of organs; shui fen promote the function of urination and eliminate dampness; tian shu for increase defection and release phlegm retention; zusanli tonify sp and st; dai mai promote the circulation around the waist; and nei ting help to release heat and dampness in the body
Basically, the same treatment principle is applied during the section of treatment. There is only some adjustment due to the change of the patient such as discharge after the first treatment, got a flue, etc.
Ear needling can help to prolong the effect of treatment.
I think this treatment can work out well if the patient can have more regular and longer treatments because Rome is not built in one day. To treat obesity need a long-term plan and patient’s cooperation in living style such as food quality and quantity, exercise. Treatment for obesity will be most successful if the patient has strong motivation, and can work out a long-term plan with the doctor.
A reasonable goal might be to begin making lifestyle changes by increasing physical activity and limiting calories.
The initial goal should be to improve patient’s health, not to achieve an ideal weight.