Acupuncture works for treating epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide affecting about 50 million people with 3 million of them in the United States alone. Between the recurring seizures and wide variations of symptoms, epilepsy sufferers know that it is challenging getting these under control. However, it is more than possible for those with epilepsy to have long and healthy lives, and there is a larger number of people finding that Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture treatment for their epilepsy is more efficient at controlling their seizures than with medication alone. According to a research study from 2021, acupuncture allowed for a decrease in the amount of seizures adult epileptic patients had per month as well as improving quality of life. It is no surprise that patients are looking to other methods of treatments because even though conventional medicine does help many epileptic patients, there are still some out there who are struggling to control their seizures.
Understanding Epilepsy
To put it simply, epilepsy is a common neurological disease that consists of atypical electrical activity in the brain which causes the trademark seizures. Although epilepsy is common, it can also vary in severity which is why medications alone don’t always work for everyone in managing their symptoms. The type of seizure experienced depends on which area of the brain is affected, and conventional medicine has not yet determined the exact cause of these seizures, but it is thought to be genetic if not from an injury or coexisting with a serious condition.
Symptoms of an epileptic seizure can vary greatly from person to person, and there are many types of seizures that a person can experience.
Epileptic Symptoms:
- Changes in awareness (unresponsive to losing consciousness completely)
- Sudden headache
- Limbs twitching or part of the body shaking
- Feelings of confusion
- Loss of bowel/bladder control
- Anxiety/fear
- Nausea
- Trouble breathing
- Sudden collapse
- Changes in vision
- Odd taste in the mouth or smelling odd smells
- Drooling or foaming at the mouth
- Exhaustion or amnesia post-seizure
Not all of these symptoms always occur for every person for every seizure, but many of these can occur at once, and should be looked out for in epileptic patients. For the most part, seizures are split into 2 major categories; focal or generalized onset. These categories refer to how the seizures start.
Seizure Categories:
- Focal Onset – this type of onset originates in a local part of one of the hemispheres in the brain.
- Generalized Onset – this type of onset signifies that the seizure-causing activity in the brain is happening in both hemispheres.
Types of Seizures:
- Focal Onset Aware – short duration, but the person remains conscious while it occurs.
- Complex Partial Seizures – also short duration, but the person has no awareness of their surroundings. The person may seem to be zoning out or wandering aimlessly, and may feel confused or exhausted post-seizure.
- Absence Seizure – considered a generalized onset seizure, and the person will black out for only a few seconds. These are more common in children, and can potentially be related to hyperventilation.
- Refractory Seizures – these are also known as uncontrolled, drug-resistant, or intractable seizures, and the person has severe seizures often that don’t respond to medical interventions like anti-epileptic medicines.
- Tonic Clonic Seizure – previously known as a grand mal seizure, and causes convulsions, shaking all over, making odd sounds, and more. These people may notice indicators before a severe seizure is about to occur like vertigo, dizziness, nausea, or strange smells. These may last several minutes, and the person will potentially be emotional and fatigued after.
There are many other types of seizures like myoclonic, Lennox Gastaut syndrome, west syndrome, and status epilepticus all having their own set of markers that indicate the type of seizure.
Typically, treatment for epilepsy in conventional medicine involves anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medicines), lifestyle changes, and in more severe cases, surgery. The medications prescribed are used to manage seizures by stabilizing the atypical electrical activity in the brain that epilepsy triggers. Epileptic patients are also usually advised to avoid activities or substances that will trigger a seizure. More so in recent years, acupuncture and TCM is being recognized as a helpful intervention for epilepsy either alone or integrated with conventional medicine with great results.
Acupuncture Works for Epilepsy
Acupuncture treatments aim to relieve symptoms of epilepsy while also addressing the root cause, and by doing so within the TCM framework, licensed acupuncturists can create an individualized treatment based on the needs of the patient. Acupuncture works for epilepsy by helping to restore the flow of Qi (the energy within the body) which plays a role in the inner workings of the body. In someone without epilepsy, the flow of Qi is balanced, but in someone with epilepsy the flow of Qi is disrupted. To do this for an epileptic patient, the licensed acupuncturist will use the hair-thin acupuncture needles on various points on the body to increase flow of Qi to the head. Once Qi is balanced, herbal medicine and dietary changes may be recommended to help keep the patient in a balanced state.
TCM diagnosis may sound unfamiliar to those who have not experienced alternative or eastern medicine before, but the beneficial aspect is that each TCM diagnosis has very specific criteria that really tailor to the individual. This means that TCM doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all treatment, and with specific treatment, success for relief of seizures is more likely than with a broad medicine treatment. The body is separated into meridians, and each involves disharmonies within each organ, actual diseases of the organ, and the physical organ itself. By utilizing their education on how each point affects each part of the body and meridian, acupuncture providers are able to use acupuncture points to direct Qi and blood flow to the appropriate area that the body needs. In the case of epilepsy, in TCM it is thought to be an issue with the Liver system with excess of environmental factors causing the seizures.
Acupuncture Points for Treating Epilepsy:
- GB12 – utilized for tremors in the head
- LI18 – used for circulation
- SI16 – brain problems related to circulation
- C1 Huatuo – helps with motor, sensory, and parietal lobe areas in the brain
- C2 Huatuo – stimulates the frontal lobe
- Taiyang – beneficial for temporal headaches and eye problems
Many times, there will be various TCM diagnoses that will be interwoven together to match your unique symptoms and what led to the development of your particular form of epilepsy.
Examples of TCM Patterns for Epilepsy:
- Liver/Kidney Yin Deficiency – symptoms include chronic seizures, nose/body are warm to the touch, trouble breathing, and dry nose/mouth.
- Liver Blood Deficiency – symptoms include chronic seizures, weight loss, cracked nails, weakness, anemia, and dry/brittle hair.
- Blood Stagnation – symptoms usually are associated with trauma to the head, sudden onset of seizure, loss of consciousness, loss of bladder/bowel control, and foaming at the mouth.
- Obstruction by Wind Phlegm – symptoms include a sudden onset of seizures, depression and/or change in behavior immediately before seizures, loss of consciousness, and foaming at the mouth.
There are a great deal of various potential patterns within the TCM realm that pertain to epileptic patients, and an appropriate thorough consultation done with your acupuncturist will enable you to get the individualized treatment needed for epilepsy.
Of course, there are times where conventional medicine is necessary depending on the case, and in these cases, acupuncture is an amazing conjunctive treatment option which studies have shown to be extremely effective in managing epileptic seizure frequency and severity. With so many adults and children experiencing epileptic seizures, it is vital that there be additional, more tailored, and more affordable treatment options like acupuncture in order to intervene. Many adults with epilepsy often don’t seek healthcare for their epilepsy in order to lower costs, and with TCM and acupuncture, epileptic care is accessible and affordable as well as beneficial. Ask your licensed acupuncturist for details regarding treatment of epilepsy to see if it is a right fit for you.