Patient Name: Ferenc Kovács

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Case-history:

I have been having problems with my joints over the last 12 years. At first, one of my knees got swollen and painful, then the other as well. Later, fluid accumulated in the joint. Because of that and the increased pain, my joint movement became limited. In the following years, the chronic inflammation extended to the wrist and elbow joints and the spine. In addition to the chronic inflammation, about 5-6 years ago I started having symptoms of acute inflammation of the wrist joints (pain, swelling, redness, heat) with a high fever. These symptoms lessen in spring, but in summer and fall, they get worse. The changing weather conditions make my symptoms get worse as well. I have been thoroughly examined many times. I was diagnosed with chronic polyarthritis, but the possibility of Lyme disease was also considered. Some tests proved it, others did not. Now it is considered that I have Bechterew disease.

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During the past years, I have been taking non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs for a long time. For a shorter time, I also took antibiotics in a large dose, and steroids. In addition to the drug treatment, I also went to physiotherapy and special gymnastics. These treatments had helped some, but in general, the disease got worse. About 3 years ago, I went to the Yamamoto Institute, where Dr. Oanh and her co-workers advised me to choose the catgut-embedding acupuncture treatment. As a result of this acupuncture treatment, I have experienced positive changes. Generally, I feel better, I have gained weight from 48 to 70 kg. I also have fewer medical problems. The acute periods with the high fever have gradually ceased. Before, during these acute periods, my wrist got swollen to 2-3 times its original size, so I had to wrap it up with an elastic bandage. Since most of the time my right wrist was affected, it made even the smallest everyday tasks very difficult to do. I think, that even though my chronic problems still exist, the disease is not getting any worse, or if it is, it is progressing at a much slower pace. Now there are some periods of the year when I do not need to take any anti-inflammatory and painkiller drugs at all. I think this is due to the catgut-embedding acupuncture treatment and Dr. Oanh and her co-workers. I can recommend this treatment and the Yamamoto Institute to everybody who has similar problems, which cannot be cured in the traditional medicinal system. Even though the 20 minutes long treatment is not too pleasant, you get used to it because it is simply better with it than without it.