J.K.'s Case Study

Coughing, GERD, Sarcoidosis, Stress, Exhaustion

J.K. came to Phoenix Rising concerned about his diagnosis.

He was diagnosed with idiopathic fibrosis of the lungs with sarcoidosis in the lungs that contributed to frequent, severe coughing. In 2019, his pulmonologist diagnosed him with progressed fibrosis in his lungs with talks of potentially needing a lung transplant in the future. He also had blocked arteries

When he presented in the clinic the first day he could not talk without coughing. His complexion was ashen, and he was exhausted. He complained of having sore muscles in his torso and legs as if he had a hard workout although he has not been able to work out due to his condition. His sternum was sore due to consistent coughing with recurring frontal headaches and dizziness. He gained 22 pounds after being prescribed prednisone, a steroid medication, for 15 months to stop his coughing. He was also on antibiotics for four months to stop a lung infection.

J.K. has a past medical history of acid reflux for 18 years and despite having lung issues in his adult life he never had lung disease in his younger years. He was a world-class distance swimmer. J.K. explained he has a very stressful job that contributes to his illness. He emotionally ate and craved fast-food prior to starting treatments with us and overall felt “down and stressed”. He was often worried about his health.

In J.K.'s words:

"Dr. Jordan has made a big difference. The acupuncture and cupping sessions have made a big difference in my quality of life. The environment is safe, relaxing and a place of healing. I can't say enough good things about Phoenix Rising."

The Results

During his first acupuncture treatment he did not cough for the entire 40 minutes he rested with acupuncture needles in. He was even able to take a nap and mentioned feeling ‘very relaxed’. He was prescribed to come in for acupuncture twice per week until his symptoms were manageable. Although he was only able to do weekly treatments and sometimes bi-monthly he was seeing more improvement than he had with any other medical intervention prior. 

J.K. was not prescribed Chinese medicine since he was still on antibiotics and steroid medications. However, he was able to take CBD oil from our clinic. The CBD oil helped keep him emotionally calm and calm his coughing episodes. He eliminated dairy, gluten, fast food, and processed foods per our recommendations and immediately started our food therapy recommendations to help support lung health. The next visit he no longer had an issue talking to me without coughing. 

During the time frame of October 2019 to 2022 as he kept up with his treatments, he was eventually able to stop taking the antibiotics and steroids, and I prescribed him Chinese medicinal herbs to support his lung function and lung tissue in 2020. When I was able to combine both herbs and acupuncture his pulmonologist saw improvements in his lung tissue and fibrosis slowing down. 

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