Effect of Complex Korean Medicine Treatment on Sacral Insufficiency Fracture: A Case Report

Abstract

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIF) are a common, but often underdiagnosed source of lower back pain without apparent trauma. This report presents the clinical outcome of a 75-year-old female with SIF, and an underlying medical history of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. She was treated non-operatively, in-hospital, with Korean medicine. Patient progress was assessed using the numerical rating scale and self-reported symptoms. Post-treatment, the numerical rating scale score for pain in her hip decreased from 7 to 2. At admission, the patient was unable to sit, and could only walk 3 m with assistance. At discharge, she could sit for longer than 1 hour and walk further than 200 m unassisted. On the follow-up visit, the patient was asymptomatic, and x-ray scans showed ossification of the sacral and pubic fractures. These results suggest that, Korean medicine can effectively reduce pain and aid rehabilitation in patients with SIF, without the need for surgery.

Keywords

• conservative treatment
• pelvis
• spinal stenosis
• stress fracture