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Wenhui Qiao C.M.D. Acupuncturist

National Board Certified Acupuncturist
License Maryland Board of Acupuncture
License Virginia Board of Acupuncture

Acupuncture for Stroke

More than 2,400 years ago the father of medicine, Hippocrates, recognized and described stroke-the sudden onset of paralysis. In ancient times stroke was called apoplexy, a general term that physicians applied to anyone suddenly struck down with paralysis. The first person to investigate the pathological signs of apoplexy was Johann Jacob Wepfer. Born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in 1620. He was the first person to suggest that apoplexy, in addition to being caused by bleeding in the brain, could be caused by a blockage of one of the main arteries supplying blood to the brain; thus stroke became known as a cerebrovascular disease. There are two forms of stroke: ischemic - blockage of a blood vessel supplying the brain, and hemorrhagic - bleeding into or around the brain. An ischemic stroke occur when an artery supplying the brain with blood becomes blocked, suddenly decreasing or stopping blood flow and ultimately causing a brain infarction. This type of stroke accounts for approximately 80 percent of all strokes. When an artery in the brain bursts, blood spews out into the surrounding tissue called a hemorrhagic stroke. Such strokes account for approximately 20 percent of all strokes. Symptoms of stroke appear suddenly. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; Sudden confusion, trouble talking, or understanding speech; Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; Sudden severe headache with no known cause. Stroke prevention is still the best medicine. The most important treatable conditions linked to stroke are: High blood pressure.Treat it. Cigarette smoking. Quit. Heart disease. Manage it. Diabetes. Control it. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). Seek help. Therapies for stroke include medications, surgery, or rehabilitation. The most popular classes of drugs used to prevent or treat stroke are antithrombotics (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) and thrombolytics. There are two prominent types of surgery for stroke prevention and treatment: carotid endarterectomy and extracranial/intracranial (EC/IC) bypass. Rehabilitation Therapy is available to help rehabilitate post-stroke patients.

My treatments for anxiety and depression combine acupuncture, microcurrent electrical therapy (the current is so low, people do not feel it), and herbal medicine. Acupuncture and microcurrent electrical therapy can relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The herbal supplementation is key to the effectiveness of the treatments. The treatments will not be as effective with out the supplements. The herbal formulas are used to address stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The success rate for this type of treatment is very high, 75%+. While severe depression may require more intensive treatment, relief of stress and anxiety is usually felt immediately and not as many treatments are required.

Acupuncture therapy for stroke-caused conditions such as paralysis, speech and swallowing problems, and depression is commonly used in the Orient. Many studies involving thousands of patients have been published in China and Japan, demonstrated significant help. These studies indicate that patients get well faster, perform better in self-care, require less nursing and rehabilitation therapy, and use less healthcare dollars. Ancient Chinese medicine explained the stroke (paralysis) as the results of [Fong] or [Wind] injuries which attack the human patient and become Yin or Yang, producing leprosy or hemiplegia. Other names for stroke are [Trung fong] and for leprosy are [Fong cui.] In the chapter of [The Fong,] [Paralysis,] and [The Eight Kind of Fong] in the book of Su-Wen, Linh-Shu (Huang-Ti Nei-Ching) are found. Acupuncture has been applied to treat paralysis patients as long ago as the first Chinese medical publications appeared in print. In the book [Shu-Wen] (Huang-Ti Nei-Ching) it is stated that the most important points in treating paralysis was on the Stomach meridian. Recently, the cerebral acupuncture technique has been reported to be used widely for stroke victims in China with a very successful recovery rate. The basic explanation of how cerebral acupuncture works is found in the [lnterior-Exterior] rule which theorizes that by needling of the scalp (exterior), the treatment can be realized in the cortex (interior). At least one of the following cerebral acupuncture points have been used, depending on the patient condition: Motor point, Sensitivity point, Controlling tremors and chorea point, Vertigo point, Speech point I and point 2, Walking coordination point, Equilibrium point. Fundamentally we used the group of [Tien- Hsin Twelve Points,] also referred to as [Ma Dan Yangs Twelve Points.] Ma Dan Yang was the name of a famous doctor in the 12th century (1123-1183) under the Sung Dynasty. He became well known because he successfully used these [Twelve Points] to treat his patients.

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