Patient's question:
Doctor, hello! I am currently postpartum, and my baby has been born for over two months now. Sometimes I feel inexplicably weak, especially in my right arm, which is sore and heavy, making it hard to lift my hand. Occasionally, I also have to hold the baby. I had a C-section. How could I be feeling this inexplicable weakness? What should I do?Doctor's answer:
First, check the rheumatoid factor to rule out rheumatism. Based solely on the symptom of severe arm and hand pain for three months in postpartum women, it falls under qi and blood deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), where lack of nourishment leads to pain. TCM understands pain based on its nature. If the pain in the limbs feels like a small fish wandering around, it indicates the invasion of wind pathogens. If the pain is intense and unbearable, with a preference for warmth, it is undoubtedly the result of cold pathogens. If the painful area is red and hot, with a preference for coolness, it suggests the presence of heat pathogens. If the pain feels like lead has fallen in the area, with a heavy and fixed nature, it is due to dampness pathogens. If the pain is limited only to the heels, even extending to the waist and back, or accompanied by symptoms like leg and knee pain throughout the body, it should be considered as kidney deficiency.