Benefits Of Acupuncture For The Treatment Of Epilepsy

Considered a neurological condition, epilepsy is the result of abnormal or excessive activity in the neural regions of the brain. People over the age of 65 and young children are high risk factors to develop this disorder although people of all age group can also suffer from it. There are medications that can control the seizures or can cure the epilepsy itself. In rare instances brain surgery is recommended although it is not a guarantee that the epilepsy will be cured. People with epilepsy usually outgrow the disorder.

The truth is epilepsy is not a single disorder and can manifest several symptoms. In most cases, however, the seizures arise from the abnormal functioning of the electrical parts of the brain. They can be generalized or partial and may be based in on the parts of the brain the abnormality affects. There are seizures that may cause muscle contractions in certain parts of the body. Complications arising from epilepsy include unusual emotions or sensations, unconsciousness, amnesia, and even episodes of deep sleep and out-of-body sensations. Triggers for epileptic seizures include allergic responses to food and this factor needs to be thoroughly observed when children are involved. To help minimize or avoid seizures caused by allergic reactions to food, low allergen diets are always recommended to the patient.

Folic acid and vitamin supplements are effective for the management of epileptic seizures although the guidance or recommendation of a qualified health provider is very much required to carry them out since harmful effects have been known to occur when implementing this procedure sans a medical doctor or medical health provider. Omega 3 fatty acids, taurine, and Vitamin B6 are also known to aid epileptic sufferers. Bupleurum, a Chinese herb in combo with pinellia root, ginger root, jujube fruit, cassia bark, and peony root can be turned into two different herbal formulae called saiko-keishi and sho-saiko that can bring relief to some of the symptoms of epilepsy. A formula of skullcap root, licorice root, and ginseng root can also provide the same benefits.

Physiotherapy (more commonly known as massage therapy) and acupuncture are also quite potent treatments for this disorder.

Aromatherapy and cranial-sacral therapy are the two most effective types of physiotherapy for epilepsy. Aromatherapy uses Jasmine that has a relaxing effect on the epileptic patient. It causes the patient to calm down and relax thus preventing the onset of seizures. Cranial-sacral therapy, on the other hand, improves the flow of fluid around the brain and this helps prevent the development of blockages in the brain that might lead to seizures.

Acupuncture is effective in treating epilepsy because of its ability to regulate erratic brain activity that causes the epileptic attacks and to minimize seizures. In China, studies have shown that massage therapy and acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of epilepsy gave the best results. Another study this time done in Germany involving a little less than a hundred epileptic patients who were treated with acupuncture treatment for one and a half years revealed a significant improvement of symptoms of 65% of the patients. The epilepsy medications were stopped during the testing period so all the results were attributed solely to acupuncture treatment.