Health
problems Stroke research
Brain Haemorrhage/Apoplexy
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Acupuncture
There have been several controlled studies
confirming that acupuncture is effective in treating CHD and post stroke
patients. One study carried out at the Lund University Hospital ,Sweden(1)
involved 78 patients with severe hemiparesis (paralysis of one side of the
body) within 10 days of stroke onset. 40 patients received daily
physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and 38 patients received
acupuncture treatment twice a week for 10 weeks. Patients treated with
acupuncture recovered faster than the others, with better balance and
mobility, and fewer days spent at hospitals/nursing
homes.
Other studies have also concluded that
acupuncture provides "significant improvement" in stroke
patients(2). Research at the Shanghai Medical University in China revealed
that early treatment (ie. in the first three weeks) of acupuncture
produces over 90% improvement whereas treatment commenced after three
weeks gives 71% improvement rate. It is therefore important to seek early
treatment whenever possible (3).
Researchers have found that the most
frequently encountered causes of intractable pain and intractable medical
problems, including headache, neuralgia, tinnitus, hearing
difficulty, hypertension and hypotension, arrhythmia, stroke, osteo-arthritis
and even cancer are often found to be due to the co-existence of :-
1) viral or bacterial infection,
2) localized microcirculatory disturbances,
3) localized deposits of heavy metals, such
as lead or mercury, in affected areas of the body, with or without
additional harmful environmental electro-magnetic or electric fields from
household electrical devices in close vicinity, which create microcirculatory
disturbances.
The researchers concluded that medications
often prove ineffective with intractable medical problems because they
cannot reach these affected areas of the brain in sufficient therapeutic
doses. The drugs do, however, reach the normal parts of the body and often
result in side effects. The researchers found that where western medicine
fails in these instances, acupuncture can be seen to work(4).
Of all the alternative therapies,
acupuncture has been shown in controlled scientific studies to be most
effective in pain relief with even a recent BMA report acknowledging that
acupuncture treatment stimulates the release of endorphines and
encephalines (natural pain killers) in the brain. In 1979 the World Health
Organisation listed 40 major diseases that could find relief by
acupuncture treatment. Included in that list were migraine headaches
and nervous disorders (eg. Bells Palsy and Neuralgia).
References
(1) Can sensory stimulation improve
the functional outcome in stroke patients? Johansson K; Lindgren I; Widner
H; Wiklund I; Johansson BB. Department
of Neurology, Lund University Hospital, Sweden. Neurology
(UNITED STATES) Nov 1993, 43 (11) p2189-92
(2) [Acupuncture therapy in stroke.Patients
experience significant improvement]. Akupunkturbehandling
vid slaganfall. Patienterna visar signifikant forbattring.Johansson K;
Lindgren I; Widner H; Johansson B; Wiklund I Samtliga vid neurologiska
kliniken, Universitetssjukhuset, Lund. Lakartidningen (SWEDEN) Jul 28
1993, 90 (30-31) p2597-600
(3) 108 cases of hemiplegia caused by
stroke: the relationship between CT scan results, clinical findings and
the effect of acupuncture treatment. Chen YM; Fang YA. Acupuncture
Dept., Hua Shan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Peoples Republic of
China.Acupunct Electrother Res 1990, 15
(1) p9-17
(4) Common factors contributing to
intractable pain and medical problems with insufficient drug uptake in
areas to be treated, and their pathogenesis and treatment: Part I.
Combined use of medication with acupuncture, (+) Qi gong energy-stored
material, soft laser or electrical stimulation. Omura Y; Losco BM; Omura
AK; Takeshige C; Hisamitsu T; Shimotsuura Y; Yamamoto S; Ishikawa H;
Muteki T; Nakajima H; et al Heart Disease Research Foundation, New York.
Acupunct Electrother Res 1992, 17 (2) p107-48
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Yoga & Meditation
Yoga is a complete science, focussing on breathing, movement,
posture and meditation. Specific exercises are taught consisting mainly of simple
stretching, breathing and relaxation. There is a wealth of scientific research available
confirming that advanced yogis have remarkable control over the functioning of their
nervous system, heart and lungs. Subjects have demonstrated their ability to drastically
reduce their heart beat and respiration for hours at a time under clinical studies. In one
study involving 3,000 yoga students carried out by the Yoga Bio-Medical Trust (Cambridge,
England), 84% of those people who were suffering from high blood pressure (and there were
150 in number), claimed that they had benefitted from the practice of yoga. Controlled
trials have also confirmed that yoga promotes vitality and is effective in management of
heart and vascular conditions.
Meditation and yoga are very gentle and powerful techniques
to aid rest and relaxation whilst energising the body. In fact, Dr Bernie Segal, author of
the best-selling 'Love, Medicine and Miracles' states that even for patients with cancer
" I know of no other single activity that can by itself produce such a great
improvement in the quality of life" (p149).
Dr Segal also cites the research of Dr Herbert Benson
showing that meditation tends to normalise blood pressure, pulse rate, and level of stress
hormones in the blood. It produces changes in brain wave patterns, showing less
excitability and improves the white blood cell (immune) response as well as hormone
response. It therefore must be considered as a vital and easily accessible aid to
stimulate and augment post stroke recovery.
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