Epilepsy

Epilepsy occurs in seizures, manifested by falling down in a fit, loss of consciousness, foam on the lips, or screams with eyes staring upward, and convulsions. After some minutes, consciousness returns, and the patient's condition becomes normal.

Besides the typical seizures, there may be variations. It can be a momentary loss of attention or consciousness with eyes staring directly forward, or prolonged loss of consciousness associated with convulsions and foam on the lips. Epileptic fits may occur at any time, in various frequency and with different severity. It is often preceded by an aura of dizziness, depression sensation of the chest, and listlessness. Generally speaking, epilepsy is an excess condition, but frequent recurrence can lower the body resistance.

Etiology and Pathogenesis

Fear and fright: Fear makes qi disordered and fright makes qi descend, affecting the liver and kidney and leading to stirring of the deficiency wind.
Dysfunction of the liver in smoothing flow of qi, or irregular food intake damaging the spleen and stomach, makes the dampness of food and drinks accumulate as phlegm, which combined with the stagnated liver qi, disturbs the mind and causes epilepsy.
Epilepsy may result from hereditary factors, but in most of the hereditary cases it comes on inearly childhood.

Differentiation

During seizure

Main manifestations: A typical seizure is preceded by dizziness, headache and suffocating sensation in the chest, and immediately followed by falling down with loss of consciousness, pallor, clenched jaws, upward staring of the eyes, convulsion, foam on the lips, screaming as pigs of sheep, and even incontinence of urine and feces. Gradually, the patient regains consciousness, and the symptoms disappear. Apart from fatigue and weakness, the patient can live a normal life. White sticky tongue coating, and string - taut, rolling pulse.

Analysis: Dizziness, headache and suffocated sensation in the chest are the prodromal symptoms which show the upward perversion of the wind phlegm. The liver wind stirs up with the phlegm to disturb the mind. Therefore, there are loss of consciousness, convulsions and upward staring of the eyes. The foam on the lips is owing to the ascending wind phlegm. White, sticky tongue coating and rolling pulse are the signs of retaining of the phlegm. Since the wind phlegm is irregularly accumulated and dispersed, the seizures are paroxysmal, and the patient behaves as normal after the seizure.

After seizure:

Main manifestations: Listlessness, lusterless complexion, dizziness, palpitation, anorexia, profuse sputum, weakness and soreness of the loins and limbs, pale tongue with white coating and thready, rolling pulse.

Analysis: Listlessness is due to damage of the vital qi by frequent epileptic fits. With insufficiency of blood, the complexion is lusterless. There is dizziness if the brain lacks blood supply, and palpitation if the heart is poorly supplied with blood. Due to the depression of the spleen yang, the food cannot be transformed into essence, and dampness and phlegm are produced, so there are anorexia and profuse sputum. Deficiency of the kidney essence causes soreness and weakness of the loins and limbs. Pale tongue with white coating and thready, rolling pulse suggest consumption of qi and blood and accumulation of phlegm dampness.

Treatment

During seizure:

Method: Points of the Du, Ren and Liver Meridians are selected as the main points with reducing method to dissolve the phlegm, induce resuscitation, soothe the liver and dispel the wind.

Prescription

[DU26 - RN15 - MH5 - LR3 - ST40]

Explanation: DU26 and RN15 are used for resuscitation. MH5, ST40 and LR3 are used to calm the heart, ease the mind, dissolve the phlegm and dispel the wind.

After seizure:

Method: Points of the Heart, Spleen and Kidney Meridians are selected as the main points with even movement to nourish the heart, ease the mind, strengthen the spleen and reinforce the kidney.

Prescription

Explanation: BL15, Yintang and HT7 are used for nourishing the heart and easing the mind, and SP6 and KI3, for strengthening the spleen and reinforcing the kidney. Yaoqi is an empirical point for epilepsy. BL62, a point of Yangqiao Meridian, is needled for the daytime seizure, while KI6, a point of Yinqiao Meridian, is needled for night seizure. RN12 and ST40 are applied to regulate the stomach and dissolve the phlegm. RN4 and ST36 are used to regulate and replenish qi and blood.

Overview

Usually involves Liver, Spleen And Kidney due to Phlegm blocking the collaterals and heart cavity.

Phlegm Fire attacking Spirit

Rough breathing, dry stool, constipation, bad breath, T – red, yellow greasy coat, P – rapid slippery

PT – eliminate phlegm, purghe liver fire, open cavity

Acupuncture:

[DU1 - RN15 - GB34 - DU8 - ST40 - LR2]
during attack: DU26 - HT7 - ST6
night: KI6      
day: BL62

Wind Phlegm

Blocks clear cavities (liver wind up-surging bringing Phlegm upwards),

T – normal, white coat, P- slippery

PT – calm liver and eliminate phlegm

Acupuncture

[DU1 - RN15 - GB34 - DU8 - GB13 - GB20 - LR3 - ST40]
Dizziness: DU20, LI4

Blood Stasis

Blocks brain and collaterals, usually due to head injuries, purple complexion

T – purple, dark spots, P – Uneven

PT – promote blood circu8lation and clear cavity

Acupuncture

[DU26 - DU23 - DU8 - Taiyang - TH20 - GB34 - BL17 - SP10]

Blood deficiency with deficiency Wind

Small tremors and trembling aggravated by stress and over work, incontinence

T – pale, P – weak

PT – nourish Qi and Blood to extinguish wind

Acupuncture

[RN17 - RN15 - BL20 - RN6 - BL17 - SP10 - GB34 - HT5 - DU8]

Heart & Spleen deficiency

Short attacks, incontinence

PT – nourish Heart and spleen

Liver & Kidney Yin deficiency

lower back and knee weakness/pain, insomnia

PT – nourish liver and kidney to subdue yang and calm mind

Acupuncture:

[BL18 - BL23 - KI3 - SP6 - HT5 - RN15 - GB34 - DU8]

Alternative Treatment Methods

auricular – brain, shen men, occipital, heart, stomach
Electrical – may induce epileptic seizures

Remarks

The above description refers to many types of epileptic seizures including grand mal, petit mal, psychomotor and focal seizures. For secondary epilepsy, the primary disease should be treated actively.