
My full process Diagnosis + Treatment | Real acupressure Real Thinking | 6 months Leg Pain
Patient Case Summary
• Patient: 70-year-old Cambodian woman
• Chief Complaint: Left hip and leg pain for 5–6 months
• Symptoms:
• Mild tightness and soreness in the lower back
• Dull pain in the left thigh, hamstring, knee, and calf
• Difficulty walking, especially during sit-to-stand transitions
• Takes longer to lie down in bed
• Previous treatment: acupuncture and painkillers at another clinic
• Referred by a friend to try our treatment
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🔍 Physical Examination Findings
• Left knee:
• Limited flexion
• Cannot bend fully; heel cannot touch buttock
• Pain during passive flexion (heel to buttock)
• Left hip:
• Limited range of motion
• Passive flexion toward right lower abdomen triggers dull pain in the left thigh
• Passive abduction causes sharp pain on the medial side of the left knee
• Tenderness:
• Lower back
• Left gluteal area
• Groin
• Popliteal fossa (back of knee)
• Swelling:
• Mild swelling in the left knee
• Neurological findings:
• Straight leg raise test: negative
• Reflexes: normal (knee and Achilles)
• Sensation: normal
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🧠 Diagnosis:
1. Deep muscle strain in the lower back and hip
2. Left knee osteoarthritis (degenerative changes)
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🔍 Clinical Thinking / Reflection:
1. Not true sciatica — but pseudo-sciatica.
Although the pain appears similar to sciatica, the negative SLR and no neurological deficit suggest a myofascial or mechanical origin rather than nerve root compression.
2. Knee arthritis — but not the whole story.
The limited knee motion and swelling may point to osteoarthritis, but the presence of significant tenderness in the lower back and hip muscles suggests that the pain could be referred from proximal structures.
3. Pelvic imbalance as a root cause.
Deep muscle tightness in the lumbar and gluteal region likely created a pelvic imbalance, leading to inguinal ligament tension, which then irritated the femoral nerve or lateral femoral cutaneous nerve — explaining the diffuse thigh and leg pain.
• When the left hip was passively flexed toward the right abdomen: posterior thigh and lateral thigh pain occurred
• When the left hip was abducted: medial knee pain appeared
→ These patterns support the theory of mechanical tension affecting neural pathways
4. Instant diagnostic confirmation with palpation.
Pressing the junction between the inguinal ligament and ASIS resulted in significant symptom relief within one minute.
After treatment, the patient’s walking improved dramatically, as if a switch had been turned off。
5, Ongoing treatment will focus on addressing the deep muscle injuries in the lower back and hip. These muscles—such as the psoas major, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus—are often the root source of pelvic imbalance and referred leg pain. By releasing these tight structures, we can reduce stress on the inguinal ligament and restore functional movement. Key Takeaway: Not all leg pain originates from the leg itself. Deep muscular and fascial imbalances in the pelvis and groin can silently drive long-term pain patterns, easily misdiagnosed as knee arthritis or sciatica.
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🧩 Key Takeaway:
Not all leg pain originates from the leg itself.
Deep muscular and fascial imbalances in the pelvis and groin can silently drive long-term pain patterns, easily misdiagnosed as knee arthritis or sciatica.
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