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How Sanjiu Chinese Medicine treat Stroke

TCM Effectiveness and Evaluation
During acute stage of stroke, Chinese medicine plays only a secondary role to Western medicine.

During the later stage of the disease, Chinese medicine plays a primary role. Acupuncture, in particular gives excellent results in the treatment of hemiplegia (weakness in one half of the body) and facial paralysis. The time factor, however, is very important: best results are obtained if treatment is given within one month of the attack. After more than six months, treatment becomes increasingly difficult.

2. Overview and Causes
A stroke occurs when part of the brain is damaged because its blood supply is compromised. As a result, the physical or mental functions controlled by the injured area are permanently damaged. Sometimes function may be partially restored via alternate pathways. The disturbance may be from one of three types of vascular disorders: cerebral thrombosis (clotting within a blood vessel), cerebral embolism (blockage of a vessel by an embolus which could be a blood clot, fat or air), or cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain).

3. Symptoms
(a) Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, difficulty in talking and forming comprehensible sentences. Sudden trouble with vision in one or both eyes, difficulty in walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and sudden severe headache with no known cause.
(b) The disease is more common in middle-aged people seniors.
(c) Computed tomography (CT) scanning is the preferred diagnostic technique for acute stroke, it is helpful in the determination of location and extent of cerebral necrosis (tissue death). Another imaging device used for stroke patients is the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. MRI uses magnetic fields to detect subtle changes in brain tissue content.

There are three types of stroke:
(a) A cerebral thrombosis can happen when an artery that supplies blood to the brain is narrowed, usually from atherosclerosis (degenerative disease of the arteries). A plaque, or large deposit of cholesterol, at the narrowed and roughened portion of the artery. The plaque may break open and blood can coagulate forming a thrombus, or clot. This thrombus may grow until it partially or completely blocks the artery.

(b) A cerebral embolism is also a blockage, but it is caused by an embolus, which is a clump of material found in the bloodstream. The embolus may be a debris from a section of an artery where atherosclerosis has occurred, or a small clot from diseased heart. It is carried in the bloodstream until it becomes wedged in a place obstructing the crucial flow of blood that supplies an area in the brain. In some cases where injury occurred, fat or air may enter damaged arteries and pass through the bloodstream to cerebral vessels, causing a stroke.

(c) A cerebral hemorrhage is the case where the artery is not blocked, but it bursts or leaks. Blood spreads from the rupture into the surrounding brain tissue until the bleeding stops because blood pressure falls or because blood clots seal the leakage. The initial effects of a hemorrhage may be more severe than those of a thrombosis or embolism, but the long-term effects of all three types of stroke depend on which part and how much of the brain is affected.

4. Common Syndrome and Treatments in TCM
This ailment, according to TCM, has different syndromes. The treatment for these syndromes using herbal medicine and acupuncture is shown below.

Syndrome (a) Channel and collateral being attacked
(i) Wind -evil attacking the channels
Numbness, heaviness and inflexible movement of the limbs (arms, legs), or sudden distortion of the face, difficulty with speech and hemiplegia, accompanied with chill and fever, thin and white coating of the tongue, floating and wiry pulse.

(ii) Deficiency of liver-yin and kidney-liver, wind stirring inside due to excess of yang
Dizziness, headache, tinnitus (ringing in ears), soreness and weakness of the loin and knees. Sudden numbness and heaviness of the limbs, distortion of the face, hemiplegia, and rigid tongue, slurred speech, a red tongue, thready and thin pulse.

(iii) Obstruction of collateral by wind-phlegm
Sudden numbness of the limbs, distortion of the face, hemiplegia, constipation, rigid tongue, thick and sticky coating of the tongue, wiry and rolling pulse.

Therapeutic principle: Resolve phlegm and relax the bowels

Syndrome (b)Zang-Fu organs being attacked
(i) Tense syndrome ( Phlegm-Fire clouding the mind)
Clenched fists, contracture or spasm of the limbs and body, lockjaw, heavy breathing, profuse sputum, flushed face, feverish sensation in the body, absence of sweating, constipation, a yellow sticky tongue coating, and a wiry forceful pulse.

(ii) Flaccid syndrome
Closed eyes, an open mouth, snoring, relaxed hands, and enuresis (increased urination at night), shortness of breath, profuse sweating, warm limbs, a red and glossy tongue, increased sweating, a cold sensation in the body, cold limbs, and a weak pulse.

Therapeutic principle: Promote the antipathogenic (against disease) qi of the body.

Syndrome (c) Stroke sequelae
(i) Hemiplegia (Blood Stasis due to Deficiency of qi ) Inclination of the eye and mouth towards one side, inability to speak properly, hemiplegia, dark purple tongue with thin and white fur, thready and weak pulse.
Therapeutic principle: Supplementing qi and nourishing blood, promoting blood circulation to remove obstruction in the channels.

(ii) Aphasia (or Slurred speech)
Rigid tongue, slurred speech or aphasia, or accompanied with hemiplegia, sticky coating of the tongue, rolling pulse.
Therapeutic principle: Subdue wind, resolve phlegm and open the orifices.

(iii) Facial paralysis
Deviation of eye and mouth, the eye on the paralysed side will not close completely, the mouth will deviate (move) towards the unaffected side, and the lips on the paralyzed side will not move from an attempting to grin, thin and white coating of the tongue, floating and wiry pulse.
Therapeutic principle: Expel wind from the channels, resolve phlegm and resolve paralysis.

5. Healing by Other forms of therapy

(a) Qigong and other therapies

For effect of Qigong can improve the Blood Circulation System. Generally speaking, Qigong is good for healing effect of this specific ailment, however individual results may vary. It improves the flow of the qi and the circulation of the blood, so you'll experience more energy, but, you won't see/ feel any immediate effects, as with many exercises and therapies, it takes a few weeks or even months of practice before you'll see any significant improvements.

The following types of Qigong may help
Static Qigong:
Relaxation Qigong
Inner-Nourishing Qigong
Breathing Exercise Qigong

Dynamic Qigong:
Fifteen Sets of Taiji-Qigong
Baduanjing of Internal Exercise
Taiji

This information is for education purpose only. We strongly advise you seek a licensed Qigong master to learn the correct ways to practice these exercises before attempting them.

(b) Medicated diet
1) Tall Gastrodia Tuber (Tianma) 9g, (wrapped with a piece of gauze), Barbary Wolfberry Fruit (Gouqizi) 15g, Chinese Date (Dazao) 7 pieces, Ginseng 3g.
Add water to them to cook until boiling, then simmer with gentle heat for 50 minutes. Applied to those who suffer from hemiplegia with hypertension.
(c) Life style
1) Avoid smoking and consumption alcohol.
2) Have a low-salt and low-fat diet.
3) Avoid anxiety

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