Overview
Epilepsy is a chronic disease characterized by sudden and transient dysfunction of the brain due to pathological abnormal electro-discharge of the nerve cells in the brain. According to the position of the nerve cells and the affected area by the electro-discharge, there are single or mixed symptoms in clinic such as motorial or sensory disturbance, disturbance of consciousness and behaviors, dysfunction of autonomic nerve. Patients may present with symptoms of sudden faint, unconsciousness, convulsion, foaming of drool at the mouth angle, screaming like a pig or sheep, upward staring of the eyes. The term of "epilepsy" can also be found in TCM. It mainly results from prenatal factors such as family hereditary history. If the pregnant woman suffers from sudden fright, or has a fever, or takes improper drugs, and the head of the fetus is injured during the course of delivering, the disease can also occur. If the vital energy of heart, liver, spleen and kidney loses balance because of the disharmony of seven emotions as well as the improper diet, the qi combining with the phlegm will rush upward along the meridians to the head, misting up the clear orifice. The brain trauma can also cause epilepsy, because the stagnation of qi and blood would lead to the disharmony of collaterals. It has a close relationship with the brain, together with the heart, liver, spleen, and kidney. The principle of the treatment is to open the clear orifice, calm the wind and resolve the phlegm.

Treatment
1. Shuigou (DU26)
Apply the filiform needle acupuncture, when operating, the practitioner will hold the upper lip between the thumb and index finger of the left hand to make the point stick out. In doing so patients will not feel pain and it's convenient to insert the needle. Hold the needle with the right hand, insert 0.3-0.5 cun slightly at an angle of 45°. Soon the patient will respond with an aching, swollen and electric- shocking sensation, spreading to the head and face. The one with a strong feeling may have the eyelid shaking and tears spilling out. The intensity of stimulation and the retention time must be decided by the constitution of the patient, the disease and symptoms. If the patient is seriously ill, stimulate strongly with a thick needle and have a retention time of 1-2 hours. If the patient is slightly ill, stimulate medium with a retention time of 20 minutes.

2. Dazhui Point (DU 14)
Apply the filiform needle acupuncture, keep the patient in a prone position or prone-sitting position and ask him/her to lean the head slightly forward. After routine sterilization, pierce DU14 1.5 cun with a filiform needle (sized 28) at an angle of 30 upward. If the patient has an electronic shocking sensation, withdraw the needle quickly. Never thrusting and lifting again.

3. Yaoqi (EX-B9)
Locate on the low back, 2 cun directly above the tip of the coccyx, in the depression between sacral horns. Apply the filiform needle acupuncture. Keep the patient in a prone position and hoist the waist. After sterilization, insert quickly with a 28 gauge 2 cun needles and twirl inside slowly, make the needle point upward along the vertebra. The effect is the best if the needling sensation transfers from sacrum to the neck or the head.2-3 treatments every week. Ten treatments make up of one course. The treatment should be given continuously for 3 or 4 courses.

Note
In the attacking period, acupuncture can regulate the flow of qi, inhibit the rebellion and prompt waking up, and use fewer but better single points, to make the operation easier. Moreover, insert needles with quick frequency and large scope. In the intermitten period, acupuncture treatment should be continuously adopted for some time especially for the idiopathic epilepsy. Acupuncture combined with Chinese and Western meditation can control and mitigate most symptoms.