A Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated with Acupotomy and Traditional Korean Medicine

This case report relates to a 40-year old male patient diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis who was treated with acupotomy and traditional Korean medicine. He showed a significant improvement in joint range of motion (ROM) in cervical and lumbar vertebrae, and in pain and functional disorder symptoms. The patient received acupotomy, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine and physical therapy (November 26, 2018 to December 17, 2018). Joint ROM for cervical and lumbar vertebrae was measured, and the pain level was assessed using a numerical rating scale. The functional disorder and quality of life scales were also assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire, and Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire. After applying acupotomy and traditional Korean medicine, the patient exhibited increased joint ROM and reduced pain, also in conjunction with improved responses in functional disorder and quality of life. ©2019 Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).