Stroke is a common disease, mainly including cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral thrombosis, cerebral embolism, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The severity and depth of the stroke vary; superficial strokes cause blockage of the meridians, while deep strokes impair brain function. If pathogenic factors remain and the body's vital energy is not restored, sequelae can occur. Common types of stroke sequelae include qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, yin deficiency and internal heat syndrome, liver and kidney deficiency syndrome, heart and spleen yang deficiency syndrome, wind-phlegm obstruction syndrome, and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome.
There was once a woman in her seventies with high cholesterol and blood pressure. She was introverted, didn't like talking to strangers, and kept everything to herself. One day, she unfortunately collapsed at home, and her family immediately called an ambulance to take her to a public hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with a stroke and she needed immediate surgery. After the surgery, the woman remained unconscious, and the hospital only placed her in a regular ward, without providing any further resources or treatment plans. Her family was extremely anxious and sought medical help everywhere, eventually deciding to transfer her to one of the best private hospitals in Hong Kong. Upon admission, doctors immediately performed surgery on her. Although the surgery was successful, the woman still did not regain consciousness.
Later, my mother-in-law's family invited me to treat her together with a neurosurgeon. I immediately seized the opportunity, going to the hospital every day to provide acupuncture treatment for her. Three months later, my mother-in-law gradually recovered and finally woke up from her coma, which made me feel much more relieved.
With acupuncture treatment, my mother-in-law was able to slowly sit up. Later, she gradually got out of bed and, with the help of physical therapy, was able to walk slowly, step by step. More than three months later, she was finally able to walk out of the hospital on her own. Since her discharge, we have been following up with her. Now she is recuperating very well at home and can go for walks in the park on her own.
Most stroke patients experience varying degrees of limb motor dysfunction, and restoring motor function is their most pressing desire. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the earlier acupuncture treatment begins after a stroke, the better. The optimal time for limb function rehabilitation after the stroke is within three months of onset, and six months remains an effective rehabilitation period. If the stroke has lasted for more than one year, both the effectiveness of rehabilitation and the speed of limb function recovery will decrease. (This column is published every Friday)
Written by: Zhang Yong, founder of Shangyitang and a registered Chinese medicine practitioner, who enjoys the trust and support of celebrities and the wealthy, specializing in the treatment of pain and urban ailments.
Column Title: Celebrity Physicians
Source: Sun Yat-sen Daily