The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine (대한한방내과학회지)

The Society of Internal Korean Medicine (대한한방내과학회)
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Patient Improvement Following Acupuncture in the Treatment of Locked-In Syndrome Caused by Bilateral Pontine Infarction - A Case Report

침술치료로 호전된 양측성 뇌교경색으로 인한 감금증후군 환자 1례 - 증례보고

  • Choong-hyun Park (Dept. of Internal Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Sun-woo Kwon (Dept. of Internal Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Yi-jae Kwon (Dept. of Internal Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Jung-min Son (Dept. of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Ji-yoon Lee (Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine of Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Hyo-jeong Lee (Dept. of Internal Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital) ;
  • Seong-hwan Park (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Se-Myung University) ;
  • Jung-eun Lee (Dept. of Internal Korean Medicine, Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital)
  • 박충현 (동수원한방병원 한방내과) ;
  • 권선우 (동수원한방병원 한방내과) ;
  • 권이재 (동수원한방병원 한방내과) ;
  • 손정민 (동수원한방병원 침구의학과) ;
  • 이지윤 (동수원한방병원 한방재활의학과) ;
  • 이효정 (동수원한방병원 한방내과) ;
  • 박성환 (세명대학교 제천한방병원 한방내과) ;
  • 이정은 (동수원한방병원 한방내과)
  • Received : 2024.09.12
  • Accepted : 2024.10.21
  • Published : 2024.10.30
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Abstract

Introduction: This report describes a case of locked-in syndrome (LIS) due to a bilateral pontine infarction. Case Presentation: A patient with LIS showed worsening despite treatment with thrombolytics, anticoagulants, and antiplatelet agents for acute pontine infarction. On the 8th day post-infarction, the patient was referred to the Internal Korean Medicine Department and received 83 days of acupuncture therapy. Treatments were conducted daily, excluding holidays and Sundays, for 15 minutes at various acupoints, including Baihui (GV20), Qubin (GB7), Jianyu (LI15), and Hegu (LI4). Muscle strength was assessed using manual muscle testing (MMT). Post-treatment, improvements were observed: right upper extremity strength increased from grades 0 and 1 to 2 and 4, while right lower extremity strength increased from 0 and 0 to 2 and 3; the results were similar for both left extremities. Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy led to a noticeable improvement in muscle strength in the LIS patient.

Keywords

References

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