The Effect of Korean Medicine Treatment on Cerebral Infarction with Hemiplegia: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction Stroke refers to a sudden brain disease that results in disorders in the anatomy of the brain. The cause is a sudden circulatory disorder of the cerebrovascular system that creates a consciousness disorder and hemiplegia. Despite aggressive treatment after the onset, stroke is a social problem because the patient has difficulty in recovering from sequelae that can include limb movement disorders, language disorders, and emotional disorders. In this study, we describe the effect of traditional Korean medicine treatment on the sequelae in a subacute cerebral infarction patient admitted to a Korean medical hospital. Case presentation A 67-year-old male patient was diagnosed with cerebral infarction circa 2005, and his condition had not improved. Around March 15, 2018, he experienced the sudden onset of a cerebral infarction in his daily life. This was confirmed by a brain MRI, and he was hospitalized at other hospitals, but he showed no improvement. We conducted a manual muscle test (MMT) to evaluate the patient’s exercise and strength. His gait level was measured to evaluate his degree of walking. He was treated with Bojungikgi-tang and acupuncture twice a day. After 34 days of inpatient treatment, the patient’s exercise strength improved from Grade 2+~Grade 3 to Grade 3+ determined by the MMT, and his walking ability improved from Gait Level 3 to Gait Level 4. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment can help treat patients with hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction. Keywords: cerebral infarction, hemiplegia, Korean medical treatment, acupunture