psychological-behavioral
Acupuncture to Quit Smoking - Treatment Protocols
Submitted by yyh_staff on Mon, 2008-06-30 08:53.Acupuncture is used with good success to help people stop smoking, and is useful in treating the full range of addictions and addictive behavior. Acupuncture works to adjust cravings by balancing your body's brain chemistry and is also useful to help heal the damage caused by smoking. The treatments are unique, from an acupuncturists perspective, as there are many fixed protocols talked about to help people stop smoking. Below you will find some of the more common treatment patterns for smoking cessation.
Chinese Medicine Smoking Cessation Treatment
Submitted by yyh_staff on Mon, 2008-06-30 08:37.Our Conditions Treated with Chinese Medicine section has treatment information for a broad range of conditions. Chinese Medicine is used clinically to help patients quit smoking, as well as all other addictions and addictive behavior. Our discussion of smoking cessation first looks at the condition from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective. We discuss the signs, symptoms and TCM diagnoses commonly found in people addicted to nicotine.
Acupuncture for Psychiatric Disorders - Treatment Protocols
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 13:03.Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for stronger psychiatric disorders. There are many ways to treat this condition with Eastern Medicine and our presentation is only one of many possible options.
- Differentiation:
- Kuang - Yang Conditions:
- Phlegm Fire
- Empty Fire - arises from long-term yin depletion
- Dian - Yin Conditions:
- SP Qi & HT Blood Deficiency - may arise from excessive worry and/or overthinking which, over time, injures the functions of the HT and SP
- Phlegm Accumulation - related to long-term excessive or repressed emotions, in particular anger, which weaken the ST/SP and lead to an accumulation of phlegm
- Phlegm Fire - Kuang/Yang
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Acute condition with outbursts of anger a/or aggressive activities, irrational actions, abusive language, flushed face, red eyes, insomnia.
- Tongue: Red or Red/Purple w/greasy yellow coat
- Pulse: Full, slippery, wiry
- Treatment Points:
- Empty Fire - Kuang/Yang
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Strong restlessness but more subdued than with the fire conditions, little self-control, patient may be thin a/or emaciated, yin deficient signs such as mallor flush, heat in the 5 palms, night sweats, insomnia.
- Tongue: Red w/no coat
- Pulse: Thin, rapid
- Treatment Points:
- SP Qi & HT Blood Deficiency - Dian/Yin
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Poor concentration, muddled thinking, forgetfullness, dream-disturbed sleep, insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, fearfulness, sadness, fatigue, poor appetite.
- Tongue: Pale
- Pulse: Thin
- Treatment Points:
- Phlegm Accumulation - Dian/Yin
The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:
TCM Psychiatric Disorders Treatment Theory
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:56.Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of treating psychiatric disorders. However, it has been only recently that practitioners and researchers have correlated older theories and treatment protocols with modern diagnoses.
Within TCM there are two main types of strong psychological disorders:
- Dian - yin type which is associated with withdrawal, passivity and anti-social behavior, generally considered more chronic.
- Kuang - yang type which is associated with aggressivity, movement and violence, generally consider more acute.
Our modern diagnoses may fit into one or both of these categories at any given time. Conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may waver between either category whereas other conditions such as generalized anxiety disorders, agoraphobia, etc. may be considered more Dian, or Yin type conditions. As always, it is important to make a full differentiation of the signs and symptoms adjusting your treatment to whichever symptoms are strongest at the time of treatment.
Chinese Medicine Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:53.Our Conditions Treated with Chinese Medicine section has treatment information for a broad range of conditions. Chinese Medicine is used clinically for the treatment of psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. Within the literature of Chinese Medicine stronger psychiatric conditions are also mentioned under loosely translated terms such as madness and insanity. In our modern day these may conditions such as manic depression and schizophrenia. Our discussion of these psychiatric conditions first looks at them from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective. We discuss the signs, symptoms and TCM diagnoses commonly found in people with psychiatric issues. Acupuncture treatment protocols are offered for each condition along with Tong Ren Therapy, Herbal Medicine and Lifestyle/Self-Help considerations. Each section also includes western medicine information related to the condition along with information for further research.
Note: Much of the information within this section requires an understanding of diagnosis and treatment methods within Chinese Medicine and it should not be used for self treatment. We recommend you consult a licensed acupuncturist in your area for help. It is also worth noting that the TCM diagnoses and related treatment methods listed here are one of many ways to diagnosis and treat this condition. Acupuncture, for example, has many styles such as Japanese Acupuncture which have unique theories, diagnoses and treatment protocols that may differ from the information presented below.
If you are new to acupuncture, you may want to read our introduction to acupuncture page as well as our page which describes your first acupuncture treatment.
Our psychiatric treatment information is divided into the following sections:
Western Medicine Insomnia Information
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:36.Below you will find western medicine information related to insomnia.
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following:
- difficulty falling asleep
- waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep
- waking up too early in the morning
- unrefreshing sleep
Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or how long it takes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normally in their need for, and their satisfaction with, sleep. Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
CAM Insomnia Treatment Research
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:29.Below you will find a variety of links and texts related to the eastern medicine treatment of insomnia.
Tam Healing and Tong Ren Therapy for Insomnia
Submitted by Chad Dupuis on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:26.Tong Ren Therapy is a form of energy healing developed by the prominent Boston area acupuncturist and healer, Master Tom Tam. Tong Ren was originally developed to aid in the treatment of cancer, but has been extended to treat a broad range of conditions. Tong Ren classes are now offered around the world.
The clinical success of Tong Ren Therapy is due in part to the precise and scientific focus on particular areas of the body for a particular condition. The Tam Healing System utilizes information from both western and eastern medicine as well as a vast amount of clinical experience to develop these treatment protocols.
Lifestyle Considerations and Self-Help for Insomnia
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:08.Lifestyle factors play an important role in a persons health and modifications are commonly recommended by acupuncturists. There are a number of techniques available for a person to integrate into their lives to gradually resolve sleeping issues. Lifestyle-wise, they involve reducing or eliminating your intake of alcohol and/or caffeine (especially later in the evening), exercising daily, avoid working/thinking about heavier matters late into the evening, and incorporating relaxation techniques such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Meditation into your life.
Acupuncture for Insomnia - Treatment Protocols
Submitted by yyh_staff on Wed, 2006-08-02 12:03.Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for insomnia and related sleeping disorders. There are many ways to treat this condition with Eastern Medicine and our presentation is only one of many possible options.
- Differentiation:
- Excess Conditions:
- LV Fire
- Phlegm Heat
- Deficient Conditions:
- SP Qi & Heart Blood Deficiency
- KD Yin Deficiency
- HT & GB Deficiency
- LV Fire - Excess
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Insomnia, usually somewhat chronic, with overall signs of LV Heat - irritability, excessive anger, possibly sub costal pain and/or bitter taste in mouth.
- Tongue: Red w/yellow coat
- Pulse: Wiry
- Treatment Points:
- Phlegm Heat - Excess
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Insomnia with phlegm signs - sensation of fullness in the chest, poor digestion/appetite, dizziness, nausea along with heat signs such as a bitter taste in the mouth.
- Tongue: Greasy coating that is yellow (heat) or white (deficiency)
- Pulse:Slippery
- Treatment Points:
- SP Qi & Heart Blood Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Insomnia, usually with dreams, along with deficiency signs such as poor appetite, poor memory, fatigue a/or palpitations.
- Tongue: Pale w/thin white coat
- Pulse:Thin, weak
- Treatment Points:
- Valaskatagis Point Selection:
- SP 6 - tonify spleen
- ST 36 - tonify Qi
- HT 7 - regulate shen
- UB 15 - heart shu
- UB 20 - spleen shu
- Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
- Xinnong (CAM) Point Selection (with modifications):
- SP 1 - moxa with small cones, dream-disturbed sleep
- SP 6 - tonify spleen
- HT 7 - regulate shen
- UB 15 - heart shu
- UB 20 - spleen shu
- Anmian - extra point for insomnia/sleep issues
- KD Yin Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Insomnia with difficulty falling asleep a/or waking often along with Yin deficiency signs - heat in the five hearts (hands, feet, chest), palpitations, night sweats, dizziness a/or poor memory. Possibly with KD deficiency signs such as sore lower back a/or knees.
- Tongue: Red w/little or no coat
- Pulse:Rapid, thin
- Treatment Points:
- Heart & Gall Bladder Deficiency
The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:
