Sundara said:
SouthernWhiteGentile said:
....
Modern medicine often attributes many things to be incurable, but I have found it is mostly that they cannot cure it, rather than it being an actual characteristic of the disease state. For example, many autoimmune issues are usually yang or heat imbalances, often caused by chronic toxins or irritants entering the area.
In the case of ALS, I will reference
this study on acupuncture for ALS:
"The following facts are significant [from TCM]:
• Spleen controls the muscles and limbs.
• Spleen Deficiency is often associated with Stomach Deficiency.
• Liver controls the tendons.
• Kidney controls the nerve tissue in general.
In disorders associated with muscle wasting (known as Atrophy Syndrome in Chinese Medicine) there are usually Deficiencies of these functions. These are the Deficiency Patterns. Many times, retention of Dampness and Stasis of Blood can cause paralysis; these are Excess Patterns.
The cause of contraction of muscles is usually Liver Deficiency.
Twitching of muscles is due to Spleen and Kidney deficiency (usually Yang deficiency), leading to deficiency of Qi and Blood in the channels."
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Within this study, they treated a 55 year old woman with ALS using acupuncture:
"This patient's Chinese diagnosis was as follows:
• Cramping pains in the legs were due to Dampness.
• Fatigue, weakness of muscles, and reduced appetite were due to Stomach and Spleen Deficiency, a diagnosis that was supported by the pale tongue and weak pulse.
• Wasting of muscles and low-back pain were due to Liver and Kidney Deficiency, a diagnosis supported by the patient's dry eyes and deep pulse."
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Treatment Protocols:
"Nutritional Support
Nutritional support for the patient's nervous system was given in the form of mineral salts, including: calcium phosphate; potassium phosphate; potassium chloride; magnesium phosphate; and sodium phosphate. The dose was 0.5 μg each in combination three times per day. An alcoholic extract of garden daisy (Bellis perennis) was also included (5 drops daily) for its regenerating effects.
Acupuncture Treatment
Acupuncture treatment was given twice per week for 8 weeks and then at monthly intervals. After a period of 6 months, a further course of twice-weekly treatments was given for 8 weeks and then one treatment per month, which is being continued as of this writing."
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Results:
"There was considerable symptomatic improvement. The patient started climbing stairs after the first course of treatment (8 weeks). The power of dorsiflexion of the feet became Grade 3, and, subsequently, Grade 4.
Her Karnofsky status became 100.
When examined in April 2017, she was totally symptom-free, leading a normal life. As of this writing, she climbs stairs and walks 2 hours per day. There is no fasciculation. The power of dorsiflexion of both feet became 4–5, and her wasting has marginally improved, more so in the left foot (Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B). EMG performed in March 2017 showed no significant deterioration from what showed 3 years ago (Tables 1 and and2).2). The aim of treatment was to provide symptomatic improvement and arrest the progression of this patient's disease.
Her symptomatic improvement is near-normalcy as she stated; arrest of progression of the disease so far was evident in the EMG; and the slight reduction of the wasting of her muscles (shown in Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) is a bonus."
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Discussion of results and other studies:
"Although the motor dysfunctions are the main symptoms of ALS, spasticity and associated pain are common, and acupuncture has been shown in studies to be most useful for alleviating these symptoms.14
Significant neurologic improvements in 2 patients with ALS after acupuncture injection therapy were reported by Liang et al.15 There are other studies showing beneficial effects of acupuncture in ALS, involving motor functions, in Chinese literature that is not referenced in PubMed. One of these is by Cheng Yongde who treated 46 patients who had ALS with acupuncture and Chinese herbs and is detailed in an article by Dharmananda.12 Six patients had clinical remission; for 11, the treatment was markedly effective; for 24, it was fairly effective; and for 5, it was ineffective.
The current case is remarkable in that, after relentless aggravation for 4 months resulting in Grade 2 weakness in both feet—which made climbing stairs impossible and caused considerable difficulty in walking even on level ground—
2 months of acupuncture reversed most of this patient's symptoms—spasm, pain, weakness and fasciculation—and she was able to climb stairs and engage in brisk walking for 2 hours every day."