More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Tourette's Syndrome and Chinese Medicine
Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition in which signals from the brain cause a person to involuntarily twitch, tic, sniff, utter vocal noises, and in rare cases, call out random words.
Chinese medicine understands disease as the combination of signs and symptoms. Those who are diagnosed in Western medical terms as having TS are often viewed as presenting with either one of or a combination of well understood patterns. A skilled practitioner will properly identify the pattern due to the symptoms commonly observed in TS. Traditional Chinese Medicine has focused on the body's energy meridians to provide relief using acupuncture and herbs with little to no risk of side effects.
Liver Yin/Blood Deficiency
The liver acts as a “military commander” who exercises authority in collecting and directing the blood. Liver/blood or yin deficiency may lead to the development of internal wind tics. The liver is responsible for nourishing the tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints and eyes. When it cannot properly store the blood, symptoms such as tics, blurred vision, eye floaters, dry eyes, fine tremors, muscle spasm (cramps), dizziness, numbness or tingling occur.
Kidney Yin Deficiency
The kidney is the conserver of Qi, or the Essence of human life. It regulates the storing or releasing of Qi. The deficiency of kidney yin leads to lack of body fluids and ensuing dryness, resulting in a dry mouth at night, persistent dry cough, night sweats, constipation and scanty dark urine. Deficient kidney yin results in a weakening of the person, such as in poor memory, premature aging, stiffness of the spine, dimness of vision and hearing, loss of teeth, dizziness, tinnitus and vertigo. Deficient kidney yin induces a deficiency of enthusiasm and melancholy or depression ensues.
Kidney/Heart Disharmony
The manifestations of kidney/heart disharmony are anxiety, palpitation, mental restlessness, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, poor memory, anxiety, aberrations of behavior, disjointed thinking, intense mood swings, dry mouth, night sweats, fatigue, sexual and emotional anxiety.
Acupuncture Treatment
The main purpose of acupuncture is to balance the body's system in order to restore and balance its energetic flow to a normal, healthy state. Disease arises because of deficiencies or imbalances of vital energy in the energetic pathways and their associated physiological systems in the body.
Acupuncture needles send information to the brain to release endorphins to the pituitary gland. From the Chinese point of view, this clears pathogenic wind from the liver meridian. According to Chinese medicine theory, any abnormal body movements are due to internal heat that creates internal wind. Acupuncture is used to clear the internal heat.
