Polio Treatment with Chinese Medicine

Polio in Chinese Medicine Theory

- toxic Damp/Heat. Mostly happens to children between the ages of 6 moths to 2 years. It is worst in summer and fall.

Polio symptoms generally start with fever (with a sore neck) coming before the paralysis or flaccidity, strange mental symptoms, sweat, nausea, headache. Fever goes up, then comes down again. When it rises after this remission it will be accompanied by the paralysis or flaccidity (one sided).

Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment of Polio 

Wind-Heat/Damp invades the Lungs initial fever is quite high, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, cold symptoms

Principle of Treatment – promote Lung function, expel pathogens

Acupuncture points – hand Taiyin and Yangming, Large Intestine 4, 11, Lung 7, Du 14, Ren 12, Stomach 25, 36, Gall bladder 20  

Damp/Heat in Jing Luo (Yangming) Mid stage, fever rises again, whole body is painful and heavy, may vomit, diarrhea, irritability

Principle of Treatment – clear Heat, transform Damp

Acupuncture points – hand and Foot Taiyin and Yangming, Large Intestine 4, 11, Stomach 36, Spleen 9, Gall bladder 34 - limb paralysis- Large Intestine 10, 11, 14, Gall bladder 30

Liver Kidney deficiency chronic paralysis/flaccidity, muscular atrophy, weakness, cold

Principle of Treatment – nourish Liver and Kidney, strengthen bones and tendons

Acupuncture points – Shu, foot Shaoyang, hand Yangming, Bladder 18, 23, Du 2, 3, Kidney 3, Gall bladder 34, 39, Stomach 36 - local points for paralysis, i.e. Hua Tou Jia Ji

western correspondence to the nerves that control the particular area that is paralysed.

Alternative Treatment Methods for Polio

 injection therapy- vit B1, B12, Dang Gui, into Hua Tou Jia Ji and local points. 0.5ml

7 star Needling- along local area and meridians

Ear Acupuncture- Shenmen, subcortex

spinal cord exercise, physiotherapy, Tuina massage will also be useful