By Zhao xiuling

General Data

Of 291 cases in the series, 139 were males and 152 females, aged between 16-60 years old. Among them 121 cases were between 16-20 years old, 161 cases between 21- 40 years and 9 cases between 41-60 years. 291 cases were all diagnosed to have neurosis and other organic pathologic change was excluded after examination of Western medicine. During the treatment, any medicine was not administrated. The treatment took 30 days at longest and 5 days at shortest, averaging 15 days.

Criteria of Therapeutic Effects

Cured: Sleep over & hours each night, with full of vigor at daytime and without recurrence in one year`, Markedly effective: Sleep improves obviously after treatment, sleeping over 6hours each night or recurrence within one year after ceasing acupuncture treatment; Ineffective: Symptoms do not improve after treatment.

Therapeutic Methods

1. Selected acupoints: Taiyang, Neiguan, Baihui, Touwei, Yintang. Fengchi and Dazhuipoints were added for the patient with indisposition or pain in nape; Hegu point for severe headache; Shenmen point for amnesia and dreaminess.

2. Methods: G6805–Z Electro-acupuncture instrument was adopted. After needling sensation was attained the needles were connected to the instrument. The anode and cathode were respectively connected with the two needles in two points on the same side, with continuous wave type and tolerable electric intensity for 30min, once a day. One therapeutic course consisted of 10 sessions.

Results of Treatment

216 cases were cured, accounting for74.2%; 62 cases were markedly effective, accounting for21.3%; 13 cases were ineffective, accounting for 4.5%. The total effective rate was 95.5%.

A Typical Case

Lu Feng, female, 35 years old, suffered from insomnia and headache due to being frightened 60 days ago, sleeping less than 3 hours all night, even could not fall sleeping all night long and was easily awakened by a nightmare. She was frightened and restless, weary, and had loss of appetite, palpitation, amnesia and dizziness. She took diazepam and Jian Nao Bu Shen Wan, oryzanol and othermedicines without effect. Examination: Body temperature 36.2 oC, respiration 20 times/min, pulse 72 times/min, blood pressure (BP) 18/9kpa, consciousness ness, listless, heart and lung ( - ), liver and spleen ( - ), routine blood examination electrocardiogram ( ECG ) and hepatic function and so on were at ranges of nor-mal values. She was diagnosed as insomnia. Treatment: Taiyang, Neiguan, Touwei, Bai-hui, Yintang and Shenmen points were selected; After the needling sensation was attained, Taiyang point was connected with the anode and Shenrnen point on the same side with the cathode. EA was given for 30 min. After treatment, she slept each time for 6 hours with disappearance of nightmare. After treatment for a total of 10 days, she slept over 9 hours at one night, with various symptoms disappeared. Recurrence was not found by follow up survey of 2 years.

Experience

Insomnia is often referred to that the patient falls asleep with difficulty or sometimes sleeps and sometimes awakens, after wakening it is difficult to sleep again. Severe patients cannot even fall asleep all night long, often with dizziness, weary, palpitation, amnesia and soon. Insomnia is more caused by overacting of five emotions, uneven allocation of work, no strong physique, and excess of yang and deficiency of yin, imbalance of yin and yang, and irritability induced by general deficiency after disease it often occurs in neurosis and menopausal syndrome of modern medicine. The author selected Taiyang and Touwei points for refreshing oneself; Neiguan point for relieving mental stress and pain; Baihui point for inducing resuscitation and restoring consciousness; Yintang for relieving convulsion and tranquilizing the mind; Fengchi for restoring conscious-ness to improve acuity of vision, Hegu for relieving pain and removing obstruction in the channels; Shenmen for relieving mental stress and tranquilizing. The points were combined for reinforcing deficiency and purging excess, regulating yin and yang, and tranquilization, so as to sleep well.