By Jason Jishun Hao, DOM, MTCM, MBA and Linda Lingzhi Hao, DOM, PhD

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease of the central nervous system in which communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted. There are multiple scars on the myelin sheaths comprised of a fatty layer surrounding and protecting the neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Myelin allows for the smooth, high-speed transmission of electrochemical messages between the brain, the spinal cord and the rest of the body. When myelin is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, which causes the various symptoms of MS. Approximately 300,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million people worldwide suffer from MS. It primarily affects adults, with age of onset typically between 20 and 40 years, and is twice as common in women compared to men.

The effects of MS can range from relatively benign in most cases to somewhat disabling. However, the symptoms for some are devastating. Symptoms and signs of MS vary widely depending on the location of the affected myelin sheaths. Common symptoms may include numbness, tingling or weakness in one or more limbs, partial or complete loss of vision, double or blurring of vision, tremor, loss of balance and mobility, unsteady gait, fatigue and dizziness. Some patients also might develop muscle stiffness or spastically, paralysis, slurred speech, dysfunction of urine or bowel, depression and cognitive impairment. MS is unpredictable and varies in severity. In some patients it is a mild illness, but it can lead to permanent disability in others. In the worst cases, patients with MS may be unable to write, speak or walk.

MS can occur either in discrete attacks or slowly over time. Although systems functioning may resolve completely between episodes, permanent neurological problems usually persist, especially as the disease progresses. Many risk factors for MS have been identified, but no definitive cause has been found. Currently, MS does not have a cure in terms of conventional treatments. However, a number of therapies can be used to treat the disease symptomatically.

Scalp acupuncture has been proven to have the most success in the treatment of MS and other central nerve damages, as compared to other acupuncture modalities including ear acupuncture, body acupuncture and hand acupuncture. It not only can improve the symptoms, the patient’s quality of life, and slow the progression of physical disability, but also can reduce the number of relapses. Scalp acupuncture, discovered by Dr. Jiao Shunfa in 1971, is a modern acupuncture technique combining traditional needling methods with Western medical knowledge of representative areas of the cerebral cortex, including anatomy, physiology, pathology and neurology.

Scalp acupuncture treatment for MS has had much success in reducing numbness and pain, decreasing spasms, improving weakness and paralysis of limbs and improving balance. Many patients also have reported that their bladder and bowel control, fatigue and overall sense of well-being significantly improved after treatment. Recent studies have shown that scalp acupuncture could be a very effective modality in controlling MS. Scalp acupuncture often produces remarkable results after just a few needles are inserted. It usually relieves symptoms immediately, and sometimes only takes several minutes to achieve remarkable results.

Scalp acupuncture areas may be chosen according to the patient’s particular symptoms. The primary acupuncture areas for patients with motor problems such as paralysis, weakness of limbs or abnormal sensations in limbs, including tingling, numbness or pain, are the motor area and the sensory and foot-motor areas. Those areas should be inserted with needles and stimulated unilaterally or bilaterally, according to the patient’s manifestations. Select the balance area or dizziness area of the scalp, respectively, depending on which symptom the patient manifests. The tremor area of the head should be chosen if patients have limb spasm. Many patients had a very quick positive response in controlling urine and bowel functions when the foot-motor and sensory area is stimulated.

Rotate the needles at least 200 times per minute with the thumb and index finger for one to three minutes. The needles should be twirled as vigorously as the patient can tolerate and repeated every 10 minutes. During the treatment, some patients may have the sensations of some or all of the following: hot, cold, tingling, numbness, heaviness or distending, or the sensation of water or electricity moving along the spine, legs or arms. Those patients with some or all of these sensations usually respond and improve more quickly. However, those who do not have such sensations still could have immediate positive results. Keep the needles inserted for 30 to 45 minutes; the treatment should be administered two to three times per week and a therapeutic course consists of 10 treatments.

There are many different acupuncture techniques to treat MS. Although scalp acupuncture has the fastest track record for improving symptoms, other techniques are also necessary for further improvement. Regular body acupuncture, electric acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as physical therapy and massage, can combine with scalp acupuncture to speed up the time of recovery. Regular acupuncture treatment has been found to have a positive therapeutic effect on the recovery of movements and abnormal sensations of the hands, fingers, feet and toes. Commonly used points are GB-34, LI-3, K-3, ba feng for lower limbs at LI-11, LI-4, SJ-5, and ba xie for upper-limb work. Electrical stimulation is very helpful if the practitioner has difficulty performing the needle rotation more than 200 times per minute. It is suggested that no more than two of the scalp needles be stimulated at any session so the brain does not become too confused to respond. Moxibustion can enhance the therapeutic results of scalp acupuncture, especially for older or weak patients. Recommended points are St-36, Sp-6, CV-4, K-1 and UB-23.

Although there certainly are other acupuncture techniques that can be effective, scalp acupuncture seems to be a more effective model in bringing about quicker and often immediate improvements. In a recent investigation, scalp acupuncture was applied to 16 patients with limb pain at Southwest Rehabilitation Hospital and National Healthcare Center in Albuquerque, N.M. After only one treatment per patient, eight of the 16 patients instantly showed significant improvement (49 percent), six patients showed some improvement (38 percent), and only two patients showed no improvement (13 percent), thus yielding a total effective rate of 87 percent.

Case Study 1: Burning and Stabbing Pain

A 52-year-old female received scalp acupuncture treatment at Southwest Rehabilitation Hospital. After the first symptoms occurred in January 2007, the patient was finally diagnosed with MS in August of that same year. Although various types of medications were provided, she experienced little improvement. The patient described severe burning and stabbing pain throughout her whole body that interrupted her sleep and caused loss of emotional control. She also had occipital headaches and loss of balance that made her unable to walk or turn around. The examination revealed that she could not stand still if her eyes were closed; and she could not turn around, stand on one leg or walk from toe to heel. The movements of touching her nose and touching both index fingers together were only accomplished slowly and with great effort. Her tongue was red and somewhat purple, with a thin white coating. The pulse was wiry and thready.

As soon as she underwent scalp acupuncture treatment, she started to feel the sensations of energy moving down her lower back, followed by heat sensations in her feet. Three minutes later, the burning and stabbing pain diminished considerably. She only felt some of those sensations in her right hip and abdominal area. After 12 minutes had passed, the sensation of burning and stabbing in her entire body had disappeared almost completely, except for some mild sensations in her abdomen. The patient was so excited to feel such dramatic results that she could not wait to test her movements. She was very surprised to find that she had no problem standing with her eyes closed, standing on either leg with the other one raised, walking in a straight line, and turning around without loss of balance. Also, she could now touch her nose and touch her index fingers together like a normal person. By the end of the treatment, her occipital headache had disappeared as well. This patient was happy to tell other MS patients that she felt like a “normal” person (physically and emotionally) after only one scalp acupuncture treatment.

Case Study 2: Paralysis

A 55-year-old female in a wheelchair received scalp acupuncture treatment. After the first symptoms occurred in 1990, the patient finally was diagnosed with MS in 2002. Both of her legs had started to become weak and heavy in the 1990s. Within three years, she was almost paralyzed and finally could not walk at all. The examination revealed she could not stand up straight due to the weakness in her legs, and she was unable to lift her right foot, so she had to drag it behind her while walking. Her tongue was red with a thin white coating; and her pulses were thready and wiry, with weak pulses in the kidney positions.

After four needles were inserted in her scalp, the patient experienced some tingling and electrical sensations in both of her legs. Five minutes later, she felt the urge to move both legs. After exercising her legs by bending and extending them, she was able to stand up straight and walk, free to lift both her feet almost normally. Although it took a lot of effort, she was amazed to be able to walk. At first she needed two people to assist her, then only one person, and finally she was able to walk by herself.

Case Study 3: Dizziness and Vertigo

A 60-year-old female received scalp acupuncture treatment. After the first symptoms occurred at age 20, the patient finally was diagnosed with MS in 1994. Her major symptoms were dizziness and vertigo accompanied by temple headaches that gradually became worse over the next seven years. Sometimes her vertigo was so severe that she felt as if the whole room was spinning violently, which caused her to fall down easily even when she was just standing. Her quality of life was completely diminished, as she had to spend whole days flat on her back with her eyes closed in order to avoid any movement of her head, which aggravated the vertigo. The onset of dizziness and vertigo were exacerbated whenever she changed her position in bed or even moved her head a little bit.

A few years before, the patient had received more than 15 acupuncture treatments from various doctors but experienced little improvement. Upon examination, it was found that her tongue was red with a thick white coating and she had wiry and thready pulses. After two needles were inserted in each temple, the patient reported that she felt some weird sensations in her head that she did not know how to describe. As the doctor stimulated the needles in her head, she was able to explain that it felt like a curtain in front of her eyes had opened. These sensations made her mind clear and her temple headache disappeared. Soon after, her vertigo and dizziness diminished significantly. She moved her head upward, downward, to the left and to the right, testing whether her dizziness and vertigo really were gone. Finally, she announced, “I believe I do not have any dizziness and vertigo anymore. And this was only my first scalp acupuncture treatment!”

Although MS still is an incurable disease of the central nervous system, scalp acupuncture provides an important complementary/alternative treatment approach for improving many MS symptoms and the patient’s quality of life by slowing or reversing the progression of physical disability and reducing the number of relapses. By directly stimulating affected areas of the central nervous system, scalp acupuncture has showed more effective results compared to other acupuncture techniques. Our studies showed that 87 percent of the patients had instant improvements after only one scalp acupuncture treatment. The study also demonstrated that scalp acupuncture treatment for MS is accessible, less expensive, safer, more effective, and caused fewer side effects. Scalp acupuncture not only benefits patients with MS, but also significantly helps us to better understand the mechanisms that cause the condition. It may guide us to the discovery of new effective treatments and hopefully to a cure for this disease in the future.

Resources

1. Wikipedia. Multiple sclerosis. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/
   wiki/Multiple_scleroisis.
2. Rose JW, Houtchens M, Lynch SG. Multiple sclerosis. Available at: http://library.med.utah.edu/
   kw/ms/epidemiology.html.
3. Sheng A. Acupuncture for multiple sclerosis. Available at: www.americanchronicle.com/articles/25614.
4. Hao JJ, Hao LL. The treatment of phantom limb pain by scalp acupuncture. Acupuncture Today, September 2006;6(9).
5. Jiao S. Scalp Acupuncture and Clinical Cases. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1997
6. AVENOX. Understanding multiple sclerosis and treatment. Available at: www.avonex.com/
   msavProject/avonex.portal.

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By Skya Abbate, DOM

As practitioners and fellow humans, we know there is no secret to the sufferings of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a devastating chronic illness, which robs the patient of control over simple physiological processes, oftentimes to the point of physical incapacitation.
While its myriad signs and symptoms can be recognized once the illness is fairly progressed, its origins are as mysterious as they are insidious.

From a Western perspective, MS patients have demyelinated nerve sheaths of the central nervous system, which consequently result in the lack of fluid nervous transmission such that indications of nervous system failure result. These symptoms include lack of motor control, problems with walking and control of limbs, intestinal and bladder incontinence, and visual disturbances. Other disturbing developments include memory and concentration problems, extreme fatigue, and lack of sexual energy.

With regard to Western prognosis and treatment, multiple sclerosis is characterized by recurrent periods of exacerbation of symptoms. The disease may progress pathologically to the point of immobilization and confinement, although at times the patient may experience spontaneous, unexplained remissions. There is no treatment or cure, and the prognosis is poor. Experimentation with various diets, largely those that eliminate sugar and food allergens; raw foods diets; and those that reduce meat, carbohydrates and saturated fat, yield varied and/or temporary results, as does stress reduction, mild exercise and a positive mental attitude.

Up until fairly recently (approximately 30 years ago), MS was unheard of in China. It first gained attention in large, populated cites, where it was assumed the illness was due to the stress of modern culture and the concomitant pollution that accompanied contemporary times. Some Chinese medical theorists, inferring from signs and symptoms, advanced at that time that overall MS was a problem of yin deficiency, which originally began with “Fire in the Metal element” at an early age. Different fevers such as scarlet fever, fever accompanying German measles, or other fevers of unexplained origin were often considered the causative factor that then devolved into other organs’ deficiencies of yin. Interestingly, heat seems to aggravate the condition, a further substantiation that the yin of the body is truly involved. Pathology progresses according to the reverse sheng (normal nourishing) cycle, thus revealing the element and organ disharmonies that ensue. As Kidney and Bladder disharmonies develop, the patient is near the end of the elemental cycle, where it finally terminates in a return to Metal.

While nothing can obviously be done for this “scorching of the yin aspect of Metal,” Oriental medicine still posits a 40 percent chance of success with treatment that is positive and better than a zero percent prognosis by Western doctors. In some cases, this edge can take the patient to the point of remission, and in others to that of management of the illness’ symptoms, much akin to a pain management protocol, to the point the patient can cope with many of the symptoms of MS. Treatment needs to be frequent, with common lifestyle factors adopted like sensible Chinese dietary therapies; gentle exercise such as stretching; and the implementation of stress reduction mechanisms.

Oriental medical practitioners may select various places to begin treatment. Treating the manifestation or the branch has no-to-short-term success. Treating the root and the branch is an option that works better in the short run, but beware of using too many needles (greater than 10), which can drain the patient’s energy. In my experience with MS patients, treating the root not only works faster, but also produces results that are more sustainable.

Various modalities may be employed, but my preferred methods are ear therapy with gold magrain pellets on the major organs involved such as Lung; Kidney; Spleen; Stomach; Liver; and Brain as a core formula, and shenmen. Body acupuncture, with a protocol practitioners may be well aware of but not utilize, is that of the jing treatment.

The Chinese jing treatment is a therapeutic strategy that makes use of the master and coupled points of the eight extraordinary vessels plus CV 6 (qihai) to activate the functions of the extraordinary vessels. Remember that the extraordinary vessels are not subject to the same laws of yin/yang that characterize the 12 main meridians. While they have numerous physiological functions, in essence they are homeostatic vessels, which can:

1. supplement deficiency when needed, especially of jing (as in the case of many MS symptoms), and
2. reduce excesses and pathological products such as phlegm, damp, stagnant qi and blood that develop due to underlying deficiencies.

Many clinicians are wary of using the extraordinary vessels for fear of draining an already weakened patient, but a clear understanding of the physiology of the extraordinary vessels and centuries of clinical experience (as well as your own) proves this fear is not supported. Consult Table 1 for a summary of the generalized functions of each of the extraordinary vessels.
Table 1: The General Function of the Curious Vessels
Functions Usages
1. Homeostatic Absorbs excess peerverse energy from the 12 main meridians To treat fever caused by invasion of an exogenous pathogen
2. Circulatory Warms and defends the surface by circulating wei qi To increase yang in the body
3. Enriching Enriches the body with qi, blood and ancestral qi To treat deficiencies in those areas
4. Controlling Serves as reservoirs and conductors of jing To treate essence deficiency illness and the decelopmental life cycle problems
5. Nourishing Harmonizes and nourishes the extraordinary organs: gallbladder; uterus; brain; blood vessels; bone marrow; and bone To treat diseaes of the liver/gallbladder, uterus, brain, blood vessels, bone marrow, and bone
6. Supervisory Exerts a commanding role over areas of the body, essential substances and zang-fu organs To treat zones of the body, essential substances, and zang-fu organs
7. Balancing Regulates energy * When the pulses are balanced but the patient still complains of symptoms
* When the 12 main meridians have failed
* To treat the root causes of a disease
8. Supplementing Supplements multiple deficiencies To treat chronic disease, metabolic and hormonal disorders and psychic strain
9. Adjusting Reduces inherited or acquired structural stress To treat muscle tension, postural or structural stress

The jing treatment contacts the patient’s qi on a very deep level: that of the jing qi, a combination of one’s pre- and postnatal qi – in short, who we are. By virtue of the needles, the jing treatment accesses this very deep core energetic substrate, augments it, frees it up and circulates it for proper physiological functioning. Patients with multiple sclerosis describe the effect of this treatment as comparable to a rested vacation – certainly a testimony to the power of the needles and the energetic zones regulated by the extraordinary vessels.
Table 2: Eight Confluent Point Protocol�
Point Order Eight Curious Vessel Master Point Eight Curious Vessel Coupled Point Side of the Body to Needle Needle Technique (Japanese Needles Best, #1G)
TE 5 (waiguan) Yangwei Mai GB 41 (zulinqi) Right side Perpendicular superficial insertion .3 inch. No or small manipulation depending upon patient’s condition
GB 41 (zulinqi) Dai Mai TE 5 (waiguan) Left side Obliquely .3 inch in the direction of the meridian (towards the toe)
PC 6 (neiguan) Yinwei Mai SP 4 (gongsun) Left side Superficial insertion .3 inch. No or light manipulation depending upon patientÕs condition
SP 4 (gongsun) Chong Mai PC 6 (neiguan) Right side Perpendicular or oblique insertion .3 inch. If oblique, needle in direction of meridian
LU 7 (lieque) Ren Mai KI 6 (zhaohai) Right side Obliquely .3 inch towards thumb
KI 6 (zhaohai) Yinqiao Mai LU 7 (lieque) Left side Posteriorly horizontally .1-.2 inch in direction of meridian (towards the heel)
SI 3 (houxi) Du Mai BL 62 (shenmai) Left side Perpendicular or obliquely upward (distally) .2-.3 inch
BL 62 (shenmai) Yangqiao Mai SI 3 (houxi) Right side Obliquely .2-.3 inch in the direction of the meridian (towards the toes)
CV 6 (qihai) X X Center Perpendicularly 1-1.5 inches. Summon the Qi to the area and tonify

Treatment may be administered daily or from two to five days per week, depending on the patients’ condition, availability for treatment, and other factors. Needles are inserted from top to bottom to ground and anchor the qi; from right to left to bring yin into yang; and unilaterally. See Table 2 for which side of the body to treat, as well as my adjusted angles and depths of insertion. Standard Chinese point locations are employed.

I use #1 gauge 30 mm Seirin needles (my needles of choice for virtually everything) for patient comfort and in consideration of their deficient condition. Simply insert each needle, obtain no-to-little qi, and twist once in a small clockwise direction for tonification. Retain the needles for 10 to15 minutes. Before you leave the room, instruct the patient to try not to think of anything, but if they must, tell them to think about the needles tapping into the deepest reserves of the body for replenishment and healing. After the treatment, the patient should report a feeling of deep seated energy, calmness, and lack of pain. Instruct the patient to go home and rest instead of expending any energy acquired by the treatment. The patient should not feel light-headed, “spacey,” weak, shaky or very tired. If any of these scenarios develop, check your needle size; insertion technique; angle and depth of needle insertion; needle manipulation; and retention time, which may be faulty. Allow the patient to rest five to 10 minutes in the treatment room after treatment, to get up slowly, and offer them a small glass of water before they leave, as their energy has been contacted at a very deep level.

This is an easy-to-use treatment protocol that treats the root of the disorder by supplementing and regulating the qi. It works on a profound level physically, energetically and emotionally. Stick with it as an effective treatment strategy for the management of multiple sclerosis. As improvement is made, other points may be substituted based upon in the energetic layer affected and the type of acute and transient symptoms, but always try to see where the symptoms are coming from for more long-lasting results.

Acupuncture will not cure multiple sclerosis as it does not cure many other devastating illnesses. The weakness, pain and debilitation of multiple sclerosis can coexist amidst the joy and splendor of life, and can be managed through the physical, mental and emotional relief acupuncture can bring by the correct discernment and treatment of energetic layers involved. That relief can be a lifeline of hope to many patients and to you as a practitioner.
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He said that he did not know any acupuncturists in the area but he gave me the address and telephone number of the New England School of Acupuncture located in Watertown, MA. He said call them, tell them your problem with MS and ask for a name of a local acupuncturist to consult. I did and the next day they called back with the name of Cynthia LaBruzzo in Chelmsford, MA (the next town) and her telephone number. They also told me that she had treated MS patients before with good results. I called her and we talked and made an appointment for that Saturday. That was 2 months ago and this is what happened.

I told her all about my MS. She took my pulse and checked my tongue and asked a great many questions about my MS and what exactly I wanted treated. My MS is on the left side of my body from head to toe. The optic nerve in my left eye does not function. I cannot hear in my left ear. I have trigeminal neuralgia on the left side of my face. My left arm is weakened. I drag my left leg along when I walk (shuffle). I cannot lift my left foot or wiggle my left toes. I have spasticity in both legs but very much so in the left leg. Then to add insult to injury, I am 100% left handed. She has been treating me for 2 months and this is the result so far.

About 2 weeks ago my wife and I went grocery shopping and as we left the store I said to her, “Stay behind me and watch how I walk”. She did and she said, “You are taking much larger steps, you are lifting up your left leg not dragging it, and you are standing up straight!” I did the same thing at both of our daughters’ houses. Then that Wednesday I had an appointment with my eye doctor (Dr. John Capino) for a 6 month checkup and he said to me, “I don’t know the reason but in all the tests run today, the parameters on the results have at least doubled. That should not occur but it did!” I also have cut down on the medication I was taking for trigeminal neuralgia from 4 tablets a day to 1 tablet a day. The only reason I am taking that is because my acupuncturist, Cynthia, didn’t want me to stop completely yet even though I feel that I don’t need any because of the needles she puts in my left jaw. But the best is yet to come.

Over Labor Day weekend, my wife and I went away to the ocean for a bit of time off together. We stayed right on the beach. We walked around town, went out to eat some, did some cooking in the motel unit, read a lot, and each day we walked through the beach sand to the water and waded in the water and waves a number of times each day. Now I haven’t been able to walk in the sand at a beach or let waves hit my legs for at least 12 years! But I did that week and I did it bare footed without my brace, just my cane for balance. On the last day, I walked down to the water alone and then down the beach at the water’s edge for about 3 city blocks and then back. All this was again bare footed, etc. I thank God for ALL he has done for me and for leading me to Cynthia my acupuncturist. She has really been so helpful and caring. I also know that this will continue to improve. I had a friend tell me, “Finding a good acupuncturist is like finding a good doctor….and it seems you have finally found your angel.”
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