Acupuncture for Epilepsy
ACUPUNCTURE FOR EPILEPSY & SEIZURE DISORDERS
Studies in China have shown acupuncture to be a safe, reliable way to reduce or lower seizure activity. However fewer than 5 percent of Chinese studies on acupuncture have been translated into English. One study indicated that treatment of epilepsy with herbs, acupuncture and massage had the best results.
One German study involved 98 people with epilepsy, ranging in age from 2-52. All drugs were discontinued during the first weeks of therapy. Acupuncture treatments lasted from 1 - 18 months, and 65 people showed marked improvements with an absence of seizures during a one-year period without drugs. Afterwards, patients received acupuncture maintenance treatments once over 2-3 months. Relapses occurred in 5 cases.2 "In my own opinion," says Ruth Livingstone of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, "acupuncture can help relieve some of the problems which exacerbate epilepsy - stress, poor sleep, etc."
In the U.S., most of the research on acupuncture has been done on dogs. In one study of 5 dogs, all had decreased numbers of seizures after being treated with acupuncture. Three continued to have fewer seizures with lower levels of anticonvulsants; the other two dogs also had a reduction in seizures.
CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES FOR EPILEPSY & SEIZURES
ACUPUNCTURE POINTS FOR EPILEPSY
shenmen (HT-7), shenting (GV-24), shentang (BL-24)
GV11 • Shen Dao • Governing Vessel 11 Spirit Path.
Location: Below the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra (T5).
shenzhu GV12 • Shen Zhu • Governing Vessel 12 Body Pillar.
Location: Below the spinous process of the third thoracic vertebra (T3).
(GB-13), xinshu (BL-15), baihui (GV-20)
"extra points," sishencong (M-HN-1) and yintang (M-HN-3)
