Insomnia

Insomnia is the condition of sleeplessness caused by spiritual irritation, mental fatigue, general
weakness after chronic disease or improper diet. In mild insomnia, the patient may have difficulty
failing asleep, is easily awakened and has difficulty falling asleep again, or is awakened repeatedly;
in severe insomnia, the patient cannot fail asleep at all.

Differential diagnosis: Patients with heart and spleen deficiency may suffer from dreaminess,
uneasy sleep, heat palpitations, poor memory, mental fatigue, weakness, poor appetite, sallow
complexion, pale tongue with thin coating, and thready and weak pulse. Patients with Yin
deficiency and excessive fire may suffer from annoyance, insomnia, dizziness, tinnitus, dryness in
mouth with scanty saliva, hotness in heart, palms, and soles, emission of semen with sexual
dreams, poor memory, heart palpitations, lumbago, red tongue, and thready and rapid pulse.
Patients afflicted by internai disturbance of heat and phlegm may suffer from insomnia, vertigo,
chest distress, heaviness of head, annoyance, bitter taste in mouth, sallow complexion, greasy
tongue coating, and rolling and rapid pulse. Neurasthenia and menopausai syndrome with severe
insomnia recognized by modern medicine can be treated by the following methods.

Treatment:

Foot massage: The massage can be applied to frontal sinus (2), parathyroid gland (13), head (1),
brain stem and cerebellum (3), thyroid gland (12), spleen (34) and kidney (22) reflecting areas
(Fig. 42).

Foot acupunture:

1) Meridianal acupoints: At Shenmai (BL 62), Zhaohai (KI 6), Xingjian (LR 2) and Taichong (LR
3) acupoints, the reinforcing technique may be applied to patients of the first two types, and the
reducing technique may be applied to patients of last type, and the needles may be retained for 40
minutes. Moxibustion after acupuncture may be applied to patients with heart and spleen
deficiency.

2) Extra acupoints: At Insomnia (EX-F 8), Zuxin (EX-F 18) and Xiaozhijian (tip of little toe)
acupoints, moderate lifting, thrusting and twisting stimulation may be applied with the needles
retained for 40 minutes, and moxibustion after acupuncture may be applied to patients with heart
and spleen deficiency.
3) Foot acupoints: At Anmian (FA-P 2), Heart (FA-P 5), Stomach (FA-P 8) and Spleen (FA-P 10)
acupoints a strong twisting stimulation may be applied and the needles retained for 30 minutes.
External application of drug: The Wuzhuyu (evodia fruit) 9 gm is pounded with an adequate
amount of vinegar to prepare a paste for application over bilateral Yongquan (KI 1) for 24 hours.
Foot bath: Patients are asked to take a foot bath with warm water for 10 minutes before going to
bed each night.
I nsomni a
Copyri ght TCMDi scovery Net Pl ease contact us i f you want to repri nt the arti cl es
More wonderful, perfect and authoritative information, please click here:

Service Help of Health and TCM Study

Extensive Reading
The most effective slimming capsule in 2009- New feeling!
Herbal Tea for Preventing Swine Flu!
TCM inquiry: the most consummate disease database in our country
TCM knows: health life should be talked freely
TCM and life: life-cultivation and nourishment of face
Mild Reminder
3-day Ethnic Minority tour of Guilin (1)
Two weeks Tui Na study tour to Guilin
Chinese Tea Culture Tour




I nsomni a
Copyri ght TCMDi scovery Net Pl ease contact us i f you want to repri nt the arti cl es