Insomnia

What cause Insomnia?

Insomnia refers to an inability to fall asleep or easiness in waking up and inability to sleep again. The temporary insomnia is caused by some temporary factors such as an upcoming examination or presentation, jet lag and a painful breakup. Chronic insomnia is usually associated to an underlying mental or physical issue.

Psychological reasons: depression, anxiety, overstrains, palpitation, amnesia, chronic stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medications: antidepressants; cold and flu medications that contain alcohol; pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin); diuretics, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications.

Medical problems: asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, cancer, or chronic pain.

Sleep disorders: sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.

The methods of Insomnia treatment cover lifestyle adjustments, psychological advices, and medication treatments. Alternative medical choices includes massage and acupuncture therapy.  Massage and acupuncture treatments stimulate the body to produce serotonin.

How is the acupuncture working?

According to CTM theory, insomnia is caused by dysfunction of the heart, liver, spleen and kidney as well as insufficiency of blood. Four style syndromes are descripting as following:

1)      Disturbing heart and liver

Dreaminess and easiness to wake up, depression and susceptibility to rage, dizziness, distension, headache, distending pain in the chest, bitter taste in mouth, red tongue with yellow and greasy fur, rapid pulse.

2)      Asthenia of both heart and spleen

Hard to sleep, dreaminess and easiness to wake up, fatigue, loss of appetite, pale complexion, light colored tongue with thin fur, thin and weak pulse.

3)      Disharmony between heart and kidney

Difficult to sleep, dizziness and tinnitus, feverish sensation in the palms, soles and chest, dry mouth with scanty fluid, aching and weakness of lower back and knees,  palpitation, seminal emission, red tongue, thin and rapid pulse.

4)      Qi stagnation and blood stasis

Chronic insomnia, mental depression, pain in the chest, dark complexion, purplish tongue, unsmooth pulse.

We will select different acupoints according to your different symptoms. The basic acupoints are Shenmen(HT7), Sanyinjiao(SP6), sishencong(Ex-HN1). Fenchi(GB20), Jianshi(PC5),Xingjian(LR2) for heart and liver fire reason to cause insomnia; Baihui(GV20), Xinshu(Bl15), Pishu(BL20) and Zudanli(ST36) for asthenia of heart and sleep; Xinshu(BL15), Shenshu(BL23) and Taixi(KI3) for disharmony between the heart and kidney.