Acupuncture Treatment for Insomnia

Insomnia

Mild case: difficult to get to sleep and/or shallow sleep. When wake, have trouble returning to sleep.

Severe case: not sleep at all.

Western medicine – seen in neurosis, bulimia, stress, and many other disorders.

TCM

1. Liver stagnation leads to Fire that attacks the Heart/Spirit

2. Phlegm-Heat attacks the Heart/Spirit

3. Spleen deficiency due to attack from the Liver

4. Heart and/or Kidney Yin deficiency causing hyperactive Heart Fire

5. Heart and Spleen deficiency (Qi and blood)

6. Heart and Gallbladder Qi deficiency caused by sudden shock that attacks the spirit



Liver stagnation leads to Fire

emotional upset, irritable, trouble getting to sleep, headache, red face and eyes, constipation,

T- red with yellow coat, P- wiry rapid

P/T – purge Liver Fire, soothe Liver, calm mind

Acupuncture – sedate, foot jueyin, hand shaoyin, LR 2 & GB 43 (ying-spring), GB 20, HT 7

- headache, red eyes – taiyang, LI 5

- tinnitus – SJ 3, 17

Phlegm-Heat attack Heart

long term irregular diet, irritable chest/heart/abdomen with fullness or bloating, cough yellow sticky Phlegm, dizziness, blurred vision, bitter taste, T- red with yellow greasy coat,

P- slippery rapid

P/T – strengthen Spleen to transform Phlegm, clear Heat, calm mind

Acupuncture – foot yangming, hand shaoyin, ST 44, SP 4 & ST 40 (Luo points), HT 7, PC 6

- constipation – ST 25, 37

Yin deficiency causing hyper Fire

light sleep (shallow, irritable in heart region, 5 centre heat sensation, night sweats, palpitations, dry signs, T- re with scanty coat, P- thin rapid

P/T – nourish Yin, descend Fire

Acupuncture – foot and hand shaoyin, *KI 3 & PC 7, BL 15 & HT 7

- dizziness – GB 20

- tinnitus – SJ 17, SI 19

- Kidney deficient signs – BL 23, 52

Heart and Spleen deficiency (Qi and Blood)

very light sleep, lots of dreams, palpitations, poor memory, fatigue, poor appetite, soft stools,

T- pale, thin coat, P- thin weak

P/T – nourish Qi and Blood, calm Heart/Spirit

Acupuncture – tonify, foot taiyin, hand shaoyin, BL 15 & 20, SP 6 & HT 7

- lots of dreams – BL 42 (LU spirit points)

- poor memory – BL 52 (KI spirit points), Du 20 (moxa and needle)





Heart and Gallbladder Qi deficiency

may get to sleep, but have lots of dreams, wake with anxiety/shock/fear, palpitations, could be paranoia, timid/reserved person, hyperthyroid

P/T – nourish Heart and Gallbladder

Acupuncture – tonify, foot shaoyang, hand shaoyin, BL 15 & 19, PC 7 & HT 7, GB 40

- fatigue – BL 20, ST 36

- tonify more – BL 43 (sweats)





Alternative treatment methods

auricular – shenmen, subcortex, sympathetic, HT, SP, KI

injection – An Mian (between GB 20 & SJ 17) with Dang Gui

7 star – along Du and Bladder Jing, gentle stimulation (do not bleed, only until skin turns pink)

meditation, exercise, fresh air, have fun, Qigong, yoga, taiqi