Acupuncture can treat Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and the acupuncture treatment result is permanent.
In 1979, Tai at the ‘Australia Acupuncture Colleges’ provided one-year acupuncture treatment that allowed an incomplete paraplegia patient to stand and move out of wheelchair. Since then Tai has treated many different types of SCI patients including: complete and incomplete quadriplegia and paraplegia.
Spine trauma is defined by traumatic factors damaging the vertebrae (fracture, dislocation or compression). The result of the lesion includes: Spinal cord gray & white column, nerve plexuses, spinal nerves and peripheral nerve effects inferior to the lesion on the vertebral column. Nerve tissues and neural pathways in these areas the functions are lost no skin sensation and no muscles movement. The tissues surrounding the vertebral column are also damaged, in which are involved to the skin, ligament, tendon and muscles.
In clinical practice, SCI diagnosis mostly follows an American classification. [1] [2] In the west SCI is regarded as unable to treat
Background:
Tai had twice suffered from SCI:
First is in 1951 (incomplete paraplegia T12-L1) and second in 1987 (incomplete quadriplegia C7-T1). Tai’s recovery from SCI was as a result of his own self-guided acupuncture treatments.
Since 1987 Tai have provided more time in treating his body, and searching needle techniques to improve the disability.
Intensive ACU treatment for Tai got completed recovery and in which ACU treatment gave Tai more knowledge and confident in treating his patients. Those ACU treatment theories and needle techniques are out line in the treatment for following SCI case studies.
CASE ONE
Brett Anderson
Brett: Quadriplegia a C5/6 fracture dislocation and head injury.
Brett dove from three meters above the water into submerged rocks.
The summary of hospital: ‘the deficit that he has in the upper and lower limbs is permanent. For longer distances he is going to need a powered wheelchair and will also need a manual wheelchair to maneuver into the car’.
Brett attends ACU treatment in 2012 once weekly. After two sections acupuncture treatments he can use a walking frame to walk into the clinic (about 10 meters).
After three months ACU treatment he can walk with crutches.
One year after acupuncture treatment Brett is able walk out of the wheelchair and uses his left hand to sign his signature, he is happy.
After Brett is able to walk out of wheelchair he still continues to come for acupuncture treatment once weekly. The lower extremities are strong, enabling walking a long distances and especially ocean swimming. Brett can use his hands to do such things as drive a car.
Summary from hospital:
After more than one year in rehabilitation hospital Brett cannot use both hands due to constant flexion. The muscles on his right leg from knee down to toes keep spasm. Hospital specialist inject Botulinum Toxin on 17 April 2010 into right gastrocnemius-soleus complex but this does not stop the muscle contractions which are causing Brett to be able to stand but unable to move his leg. Brett in hospital also had ACU treatment (Not under Dr Tai) but his hand and leg muscles contractions remain. Thus, the hospital specialists – Moorong Spinal Unit, Royal Rehabilitation Center Sydney, 18 June 2010, Ph:02 98089269 concluded:
“The deficit that Brett has in the upper and lower limbs is permanent”.
Recommend
In SCI of Brett case the essential difficulty is both hands and legs muscles server contraction.
The causes of muscles contraction involved head trauma neck trauma and cervical upper and lumber lower nerve plexuses lesion.
Tai is needling into the skin receptors in scalps, postoperative scars and sensitive points in palm and plantar. ACU treatment focuses on lumbar sacral plexuses to lower extremities.
CASE TWO
Debbie
Debbie: Complete T12 Paraplegia
Accident: Coconut tree fell down on front of body and crushed her. 3:30pm 19/9/2012 in Bali Indonesia
‘Fusion Decompress Surgery’ is in Bali hospital (Indonesia) and there receives little Physiotherapy.
5/10/2012 in POW she started PYSIO GYM work “was taught she live and manage her life in wheelchair.” She was released in 12/2/13.
Acupuncture treatment begins in 12/2/2013.
After eight months of acupuncture treatment Debbie can lift both her thighs and attempts standing without support. Her left leg is strong enough to support the stand but the knee extension muscles on the other side cannot extend the knee, therefore make it difficult to stand.
After 10 months of acupuncture treatment she can stand straight for a few minutes.
In 6/5/2014 Debbie is stand on walking flame and walk out of first step, she is happy and every body are praised.
Recommend:
Debbie complete lesion of T12 she recovery well because she attend ACU treatment early had intensive treatment and she is spending more effort in self-gentle stretching exercises. MOXI treatment of first and second-degree burn seems provided well constant stimulation to the lower limbs for recovery. In the case of complete lesion of the cord require strong and constant stimulation to the sensory neurons in which able achieve result.
In the case of completed lesion of the cord at T12 level more often naturally can regain certain muscle movement of the thigh but both legs and feet is atrophied. The strong and early ACU treatment and MOXI stick burn the skin provided strong continue stimulation is able rebuild the neural path and activated the peripheral nerve growing from T12 to the leg and feet.
After 18 months ACU treatment she can walk with crutches and continue ACU treatment in one more year she will walk without crutches and independent walking.
CASE THREE
Benjamen
Benjamin: C7 Incomplete Quadriplegia motor vehicle car accident.
A post-operative scar is on the front of neck.
The trauma caused a right arm pectoralis muscle spasm and moved the shoulder joint forward.
Upper part of the spine is curved to the right especially from T4 to T7. The muscles surrounding the spine, at the same level on the right side are tight and contracted. The left side muscles are flat and weak.
Right thumb and index fingers muscles: dorsal interossei muscles are atrophied and adductor pollicis contraction is causing the thumb to be pulled in an adducted position.
At C7 T1-T3 four vertebral columns are adhered together. The obstructive tissues are stabilizing those vertebrae in an incorrect position.
No needle sensation inferior to C7 and T1.
Muscle contractions on the right side, especially the lower part muscle of the trapezius, and causing the scapular to be pulled to the right and without skin sensation inferior to the third rib.
On 12-1-2013 Ben attended ACU treatment.
In October after 9 moths ACU treatment Ben has little movement of his right thigh and attempts to stand with walking frame. Ben is successful and stood in front of the delegates at the WFAS Sydney 3rd Nov. 2013.
After 18 moths ACU treatment Ben starts stand and walk with crutches in continuing ACU treatment Ben will independents walking without crutches. The whole ACU treatment processes require about three to four years to achieve the result.
RECOMMEND:
In Ben case that is difficult to achieve proper walking without correctly and strongly return the thoracic vertebrae back to position.
As Brett the neural path is interrupted the leg contraction may thrown Ben out off crutched. ACU treatment spending long times to turn the vertebrae back to position and did not interrupted the lesion nerve continue growing. For sure in ACU treatment requires a good planning and treating the whole body in one go.