A Case Report of Multiple System Atrophy in a Cerebellar Ataxia Patient Suffering from Gait Disturbance Treated with Korean Medicine

Objective: To describe the effect of Korean medicine on gait disturbance in a patient with multiple system atrophy and cerebellar ataxia. Methods: We observed a 75-year-old female patient who had multiple system atrophy and cerebellar ataxia. The patient was treated with Korean medicine, including acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine (Yukmijihwang-tang-gamibang and Boyanghwano-tang-gamibang) for 38 days. We evaluated the patient with the Korean version of the Berg Balance Scale (K-BBS), the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS), and the Numeric Rating Scale-11 (NRS-11). Results: After treatment, the patient’s symptoms were improved. The K-BBS score increased from 9 to 19, while the UMSARS score decreased from 16 to 12 in Part I, from 15 to 7 in part II, and from 4 to 3 in part IV. The NRS-11 score of gait disturbance decreased from 10 to 5. Conclusions: Korean medicine may be an effective treatment for gait disturbance in multiple system atrophy with cerebellar ataxia. Keywords: multiple system atrophy with cerebellar ataxia, gait disturbance, Korean medicine