Advice needed

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am a new practitionerand could use some advice with this case. I

have a 58 y/o female patient with a failed spinal fusion at L4-S1.

She has burning pain that radiates from her sacrum down both

hamstrings. She also experiences occassional deep burning pain in

one calf. She also has numbness of her left lateral foot. Pain is

worse with sitting and weather changes(cold damp weather). Better

with lying down and application of heat. Since the surgery she

experiences difficult urination and sexual dysfunction. She easily

feels cold and she has some slight edema around her ankles. Now here

is where I get confused. Her tongue is short, red with a yellow

coat. There is a center crack with a brown/black moldy appearing

coat. Her pulse are also rapid and deficient. She smokes a pack a

day. Her appetite is low and she has little thirst. Her urine is

normal color. Acupuncture has been helpful but progress is slow and

as soon as the weather changes she has a flare up. Any advice on

diagnosis, herbs and points would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Denise