Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment for Sacral Fracture: Two Clinical Cases

Abstract

This study presents the cases of a 67-year-old female with an isolated left sacral fracture and a 69-year-old female with fractures in sacrum 1, 2, and the left pubic bone. Both patients exhibited marked improvement following integrative Korean medicine treatment, encompassing acupuncture, acupotomy, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and cupping therapy. The treatment’s efficacy was assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, range of motion (ROM) in the lumbar spine, and alterations in gait and walking distance. Case 1 demonstrated an enhanced ROM and achieved independent walking after 29 days of treatment. Case 2 improved in both ROM and NRS score and could walk independently after 49 days of treatment. Significantly, radiological images showed notable changes in both cases following treatments. The study indicates that integrative Korean medicine treatment could provide clinical advantages to individuals suffering from sacral fractures.

Keywords

• acupotomy
• acupuncture
• herbal medicine
• korean traditional medicine
• pharmacopuncture
• spinal fractures