A Patient with Piriformis Syndrome Combined Spondylosis Deformans Treated by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Abstract

In the present study, acupuncture treatment has performed in a patient with spondylosis deformans combined piriformis syndrome, and applied to relief the hypertonus of the piriformis in the right buttock. As a result, the mitigation of right buttock pain and subsequent improvement in the range of the hip joint motion were observed from the early stage of treatment. These acupuncture effects are probably due to pain relief that resulted from increased local muscle blood flow following acupuncture stimulation. In addition, the present patient was suspected of double lesion neuropathy consisting of spondylosis deformans complicated by piriformis syndrome. From the present study, acupuncture therapy is thought to be useful method of enhancing the decompression of an entrapped nerve and vessels by increasing blood flow in the affected muscle in entrapment neuropathy such as thoracic outlet syndrome or piriformis syndrome.