Lipoma

What is the patients overall diagnosis? tongue, pulse? related symptoms?

Generally treating just locally like you appear to be doing will not work. You first need to treat the patient outside of this one symptom (i.e. completely based on an overall tcm diagnosis - dampness, lv stagnation, etc...) and then work in some local points. Generally I would focus (my bias) on huatuo point on the back, so in this case huatuo of L3-S2 depending on pressure sensitivity and exact location of the mass. You can also needle around the mass (literally placing the needles 4-6 or so depending on the size of the mass at the base and relatively deeply below it). Then do cupping and/or tuina above and below the mass.

Thank you very much for the guidance. I will come back with feed back.

Dear Chad,

As guided by you, The patient is being treated on Huatuo points (L3-L4) where he had pain on pressure. (He was not aware of this till I checked) In addition, he is been treated on following points Gb34, Liv3, SP6 for tonifying these meridians. Also cupping is done on the mass for around 7-10 minutes after acupuncture is done.

Within last week the mass has softened. and it appears that it may be absorbed in the due course. What can be done further that will accelerate the process?

Thank you for your valued guidence.

Lipomas are benign tumors composed of adipose tissue that appear to originate from an unknown cause from a western medicine perspective, but may arise from injuries in an area, even minor ones. There are, however, many different forms of benign growths and malignant growths so proper diagnosis from a western perspective is a good idea. On the western side, surgery and/or liposuction and other methods are often used with high success rates.

From a TCM perspective there can be multiple causes and they would be particular to the individual - generally some combination of qi and/or blood stagnation and/or dampness/phlegm leading to obstruction. In the majority of cases focusing on resolving dampness if appropriate and resolving qi stagnation would be the treatment of choice. Once they are fully formed, however, treatment can be more difficult than in the early stages. For some surgical removal followed by more constitutional acupuncture treatment to avoid re-occurences would be ideal, for others an appropriate combination of acupuncture, tuina, cupping, bloodletting and/or Chinese herbal medicine would be better, particularly in those with systemic outbreaks.

I use the Phlegm Resolving formula for lipomas a lot if it is in fact caused by phlegm.

Dear Nepal,

Apart from Huato points what other points did you use and what was the frequency?

thanx

k k mishra