Mindful Healing: Acupuncture for Neurological Conditions
I just returned from advanced training at the Neuro-Acupuncture Institute. This phenomenal training in acupuncture for neurological conditions, specifically Chinese scalp acupuncture, has helped me recall why I’m an acupuncturist. I want to help people with chronic conditions in areas where conventional medicine has had limited results.
Acupuncture for Neurological Conditions
About one in six people in the world suffer from a neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, strokes, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, paralysis, aphasia, phantom pain, complex regional pain, neuropathy, tremors and tics. Neuro-acupuncture can greatly improve and sometimes even reverse the effects of many neurological disorders, in addition to mental disorders like PTSD, ADD/ADHD and Autism.
“Reverse” and “greatly improve” are bold statements, I know. Skepticism is understandable. I was skeptical at first. Then I saw, met and treated people who have made significant improvements in their conditions, and I saw what that meant to them and their families. Not everyone responds the same way. It depends on the neurological damage, the person’s age and mostly the length of illness. But the possibilities are exciting for helping people with stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Bells’ Palsy, traumatic brain injury and other neurological diseases.
It’s so exciting and promising that Drs. Jason and Linda Hao of the Neuro-Acupuncture Institute are training acupuncturists and physicians to reach as many people as possible. They’re also documenting case studies from hundreds of their patients to demonstrate the results achieved.
The Neuro-Acupuncture Technique
Neuro-acupuncture is a Chinese scalp acupuncture practice that dates back about 40 years. Unlike the Chinese medicine theory of channels and points, neuro-acupuncture uses Western medicine’s somatotopic mapping to identify areas on the scalp that correspond to the inner workings of the brain.
Chinese scalp needling methods are integrated with biomedical neurology to reclaim old and recruit new brain and central nervous system connections where disease or injury have caused damage. By utilizing the neuroplasticity of the brain to rewire connections, motor and sensory functions can, in many cases, be restored. Particularly when treated in the early stages of the disorder. Neuro-acupuncture also regulates brain activities and brain chemistry to modulate emotions, pain sensation, vasodilation and constriction, as well as endocrine and limbic functions.
Acupuncture Offers Hope
According to a 2016 report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, “Tens of millions of Americans suffer from a variety of mental and neurological health conditions each year,” said Adams Nager, ITIF economic policy analyst and the report’s lead author. “Besides the very significant human costs, these conditions also have a large impact on the U.S. economy. When you factor in both direct expenditures like treatment and reduced workforce participation, plus indirect costs like social services, the bottom line is staggering.”
There is such a need for new therapies to help people who are often told there is not much hope. We all should be open to alternative therapies that demonstrate results, even if we do not fully understand the mechanisms. Scalp acupuncture is very safe: it’s non-invasive and ideally administered in conjunction with other therapies for the best possible outcomes. No medicine to take, interactions to consider or side effects to be weary of.
If you, a family member or friend suffer from any sort of neurological disorder, please contact me for a consultation. It’s worth the time and exploration to potentially restore connections, function and hope!
