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Acupuncture treatment for Brain Injury

The acupuncture treatment given to the sufferer of brain injury depending case by case because brain
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https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/8460145/
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), also known as intracranial or brain injury, occurs when an external force injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism, or other features. Head injury is a broader category that may involve damage to other structures such as the scalp and skull.1 TBI can result in physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, and outcome can range from complete recovery to permanent disability or death.2

 

CONTENTS


SYMPTOMS

CAUSES

TREATMENTS

 

SYMPTOMS


Symptoms are dependent on the type of TBI (diffuse or focal) and the part of the brain that is affected. Unconsciousness tends to last longer for people with injuries on the left side of the brain than for those with injuries on the right. Symptoms are also dependent on the injury’s severity. With mild TBI, the patient may remain conscious or may lose consciousness for a few seconds or minutes.3

Other symptoms of mild TBI include headache, vomiting, nausea, lack of motor coordination, dizziness, difficulty balancing, lightheadedness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, and changes in sleep patterns. Cognitive and emotional symptoms include behavioral or mood changes, confusion, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking. Mild TBI symptoms may also be present in moderate and severe injuries.4

 

CAUSES


Its causes include falls, vehicle collisions, and violence. Brain trauma occurs as a consequence of a sudden acceleration or deceleration within the cranium or by a complex combination of both movement and sudden impact. In addition to the damage caused at the moment of injury, a variety of events in the minutes to days following the injury may result in secondary injury. These processes include alterations in cerebral blood flow and the pressure within the skull.5

 

TREATMENTS


The acupuncture treatment given to the subject with of brain injury is very much unique depending on the cause and severity of the disorder. One sample of a treatment protocol given to the subject with brain injury is that the subject firstly is given the core treatment to reduce the qi and blood stagnation due to spleen dysfunction. Since qi and blood stagnation (inactivity) is a common symptom pattern following acute trauma or brain injury. Most often associated with pain, an inactivity pattern can result from any decrease in energy flow in the body. As time passed, another treatment protocol can be given to the TBI subject to remove or soothe other symptoms such as respiratory infection, constipation, and insomnia.6 Three acupoints are known for treating TBI: C-2, GB-13 and GV-20. The following acupoints are suggested to treat TBI secundary effects or complications: BL-11, BL-25, ST-34, ST-36, ST-37, ST-40, GB-34, GB-39, SP-06 and K-3.7

 

Footnotes

  1. About Brain Injury – biausa.org – 2015, http://www.biausa.org/about-brain-injury.htm
  2. Traumatic Brain Injury – wikipedia.org – 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_brain_injury
  3. Traumatic Brain Injury – wikipedia.org – 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_brain_injury
  4. Severe TBI Symptoms – traumaticbraininjury.com – 2001, http://www.traumaticbraininjury.com/symptoms-of-tbi/severe-tbi-symptoms/
  5. Traumatic Brain Injury – mayoclinic.org – 2017, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/basics/causes/con-20029302
  6. Restoration of Function With Acupuncture Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report – Glob Adv Health Med – 2015, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653595/
  7. Restoration of Function With Acupuncture Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report – Glob Adv Health Med – 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653595/