Rated Acupoints
Acupuncture treatment for Aspergers Syndrome
Rated Acupoints
2
Asperger syndrome (AS) also known as Asperger’s is a developmental disorder mainly characterized by significant difficulties in nonverbal language communication and social interaction at many levels. It also includes restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests which the person suffering from this syndrome frequently engages on and performs without noticing it.1 Asperger syndrome belongs to the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) family, but it certainly differs from other ASDs by the use of relatively normal language and average intelligence. Although not required for diagnosis, known physical clumsiness and unusual use of language are very common. The first signs of AS normally begin before two years old and most of the time last for a person’s entire life.2
CONTENTS
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
TREATMENTS
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of Aspergers Syndrome can vary from person to person. Common symptoms of this disorder are: difficulty understanding the nuances of language, egocentric or self-absorbed behavior, intense obsession with one or two specific narrow subjects, prefer repetitive routines or rituals, hypersensitive to sensory stimulation such as light, sound, and texture, lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, violent outbursts, self-injurious behaviors among others.3
CAUSES
Asperger’s is believed to be inherited but its underlying genetics have not been yet determined conclusively, since the environment also plays a role. Even brain imaging studies have not found the real problem with this syndrome.4 In fact, the diagnosis of Asperger’s has been removed from the diagnostic and statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) since 2013, whereas people with these symptoms are included within the autism spectrum disorder along with autism and pervasive developmental disorder.5
TREATMENTS
Many clinical studies which include original research and case studies mainly use scalp acupoints with supplementary body acupoints. Other studies use only acupoints on the body surface, whereas, very few employ only tongue acupoints.6
Some studies used Jin’s three-needle system as the primary acupoints for treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Jin’s three-needle system includes tongue acupoints. These studies also used two to three additional supplementary acupoints based on individual subject’s symptom reading {Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome}. The Jin’s three-needle system acupoints used were sishenzhen (four conscious needles), niesanzhen (three temporal needles), naosanzhen (three brain needles), touzhizhen (head wisdom needle), shesanzhen (three tongue needles), shousanzhen (three hand needles), shouzhizhen (hand wisdom needle), zusanzhen (three foot needles), and zuzhizhen (foot wisdom needle). Studies that did not use Jin’s three-needle system showed no consensus on the selection of acupoints (especially on body acupoints).7
The depth and angle of needle puncture, the duration of needling, and the frequency and duration of treatment course changed among studies. The depths and angles of the needles changed as well with the specific acupoints used. The depth of needling ranged from 0.2 to 1 cun (Chinese inch). The depth of the needling depended on the angle of penetration, that is, the depth was deeper when the needle angle was flatter, and shallower when the needle was perpendicular to the skin. The angles were usually 0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, or a specific angle from the acupoint towards a landmark anatomic site.8
Aspergers Syndrome related acupoints include:
Sishenzhen, Niesanzhen, Naosanzhen, Touzhizhen, Shesanzhen, Shousanzhen, Shouzhizhen, Zusanzhen, Zuzhizhen, Fengchi (GB-20), Yamen (GV-15).
Footnotes
- Asperger syndrome – wikipedia.org – 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
- An Autism Spectrum Disorder – kidshealth.org – 2017, http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/asperger.html
- Signs and Symptoms of Asperger Syndrome – brainbalancecenters.com – 2017, http://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/2012/02/signs-and-symptoms-of-asperger-syndrome/
- Asperger’s syndrome – Adolesc Med Clin – 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17030291
- Autism spectrum disorder: causes – nhs.uk – 2017, http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Autistic-spectrum-disorder/Pages/Causes.aspx
- Acupuncture for Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders – eCAM – 2012, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/679845/
- Effect of acupuncture in improving intelligence and language disorder of autistic children – Chinese Journal of Clinical Rehabilitation – 2005, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-XDKF200528047.htm
- Acupuncture for Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders – eCAM – 2012, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/679845/
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