My experience in treating mental diseases

I’m always watching publications in Medboo Forum. It is so interesting and gives very important information! 07.02.05 I read article “Acupuncture for Treating Mental Diseases” with request “read it and give your idea about it, what's your experience?” I’m understood that this request addressed to specialists, and I’m not Master, I’m only studying TCM. But during more then 20 years I tried to treat different physical and mental disorders by means of acupressure (I mean massage of acupoints) and Chinese massage Tui Na with good results in most cases. May be my experience (in spite of possible mistakes) will be interesting to somebody. Moreover, I’ll be appreciating for every censorious remark.
In this post I tried to describe some cases from my practice. By way of illustration I choused causes of insomnia and depression. I included also 2 cases of epilepsy in conventional medicine describing in part of neurological disorders.
In each pair of cases I found opposed reasons for the same symptom: for example, insomnia with liver-heat or deficiency of the liver-Yin; depression with deficiency of heart or heart-heat; epilepsy with liver and kidney deficiency or the same disease with excess in liver and kidney.
To shorter description I used symbols  and  to show superfluity or deficiency in Meridians (I’m realize that it is too pared-down interpretation) or for reducing and reinforcing methods.
Each treatment I started from diagnostic, based on my knowledge of the Four Diagnostic Methods of TCM. During conversation and questioning and while a treating, it was actually of paramount importance to get into contact with a patient “to find out the root causes of the diseases” and “to relieve the psychological disturbance of the patients”.
Each treatment consisted in:
• main part of acupoints massage (different at each stage of treatment) and following moxibustion or infrared heating or using red laser;
• auxiliary part of Tui Na massage, foot massage, scalp massage, massage with aromatic oils, Shiatsu massage or other methods – all of them individually to each case and at each treatment. (In this post I’m describing only Tui Na);
• part of recommendations for herbal treatment (in most cases herbs were used in form of tinctures – alcoholic extracts because of nearly each of patients preferred ready tinctures to decocting herbs);
• part of recommendations for mode of life, nutrition (for example, for patient with a hot temper and liver-heat recommendation to lower hot, spicy and sour food), for Taiji, QiGong (many patients after recommendations started practice it in a special groups for years and these methods helped them to retain stability.)
Such points as Hegu (LI4) and Zusanli (ST36) were effective in each case of mental diseases and I often used them in first treatments.
In my practice I saw that most effective course of treatments consists from 7 treatments, first four of them each 2 – 3 days, other three 1 time in a week. Usually one course was enough to achieve stable improvement. (I have observation for at least 4 – 5 years). Duration of treatments was 2 hours for first treatment and 1.5 hour for the next ones. Improvement generally started from initial treatments, but after 3rd treatment as a rule was short impairment, after whereupon patient’s state improved and stabilized during next 4 treatments. Even one case of drug (opioid) dependence was successfully treated during course of 7 treatments. This patient (62 years old) suffered from severe headache for about 15 years. During last 3 years he was treated by morphine (20 mg 2 – 3 times in a day). In spite of this treatment he suffered from everyday headache and insomnia. During a course of treatments his state improved and he gradually stopped to take morphine.
In cases of epilepsy course of treatments was longer (sometimes till 6 month: 2 times in a week first 4 treatments, 1 time in a week during next 1 – 2 month and 1 time in two weeks after that).
I think that two methods helped me to shorter course of treatments: gluing (with plaster) on acupoints small steel bolls (3 mm in diameter) and recommendation for self-massage of acupoints.

1. Insomnia:
LR  - Patient I. P. (state of other Meridians: SJ, HT, SP ). Shi was falling asleep easily, sleeping without dreams, but easy to be wakening up at 1 a.m. (Liver Meridian?) The patient had a hot temper. The accompanying symptoms were distention in the eyes, irritability, bitter taste in the mouth, pain in right hypochondriac region, constipation, palpitation and tendency to hypertension. (Is this a case of disturbed mind by liver-heat?)
• Main part of acupoints massage:
To balance energy between pairs Yin and Yang Meridians:
Chongyang (ST42)  Gongsun (SP4), Sanyinjiao (SP6);
To lower liver-heat: Xingjian (LR2), Taichong (LR3), Yangfu (GB38), Fengchi (GB20);
To lower a common heat: Huizong (SJ7), Zhigou (SJ6), Waiguan (SJ5);
To appease the mind: Shenmen (HT7), Hegu (LI4), Quchi (LI11), Zusanli (ST36), Baihui (DU20);
To lower inner physical (hypertension, palpitations) and mental (irritability) pressure: Neiguan (PC6);
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: area Yintang (Ex-HN3)- from Yintang (Ex-HN3) to front hairline, then horizontally from Yintang (Ex-HN3) to Taiyang (Ex-HN5). (This massage was very effective in cases of mental disorders, dizziness; when followed by massage from Taiyang (Ex-HN5) to Touwei (ST8) and then to Fengchi (GB20) was helpful in the end of headache treatment to relieve residual pain).
• Herbal treatment: Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Melissa officinalis, Crataegus sanguinea, Calendula officinalis.
• Aromatic oils: Lavender (really universal oil!), Ylang-Ylang.

LR  - Patient M. B. (state of other Meridians: LU, PC, SJ). The patient suffered from insomnia for about 20 years. He usually had a dream-disturbed sleep, easy to be wakening up (at 4 a.m.), which went worse in recent two years. He could only sleep for 4 hours each night. The accompanying symptoms were depression, fatigue, in medical history hernia and enuresis. (Is this a case of deficiency of the liver-Yin, with stirring-up of endogenous wind of the deficiency type?)
• Main part of acupoints massage:
• To lower energy in Lung Meridian (wakening up at 4 a.m.): Taiyuan (LU9), Chize (LU5);
To balance energy between pairs Yin and Yang Meridians: Daling (PC7)  Waiguan (SJ5), Qiuxu (GB40)  Ligou (LR 5), Taichong (LR3);
To lower inner physical and mental pressure: Neiguan (PC6), Laogong (PC8) (the last point was very helpful in cases of fatigue, irritable weakness);
To tranquilize the mind: Shenmen (HT7), Hegu (LI4), Baihui (DU20), Yintang (Ex-HN3);
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: area Yintang (Ex-HN3) - from Yintang (Ex-HN3) to front hairline, then horizontally from Yintang (Ex-HN3) to Taiyang (Ex-HN5).
• Herbal treatment: Eleutherococcus senticosus (it shown more gentle reinforcing effect then Panax ginseng), Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Leonurus quinquelobatis, Silibum marianum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hypericum perforatum.
• Aromatic oils: Lavender, Neroli (this oil was very effective for depression treatment).

2. Depression:
HT  - Patient Ch. Ch. (state of other Meridians: SP, KI, BL, SI ). The patient (72 years old) suffered from fatigue, insomnia, amnesia, severe depression (with low weeping in a morning) during 9 years after death of his wife. The accompanying symptoms were diabetes, prostatitis, impotence, pain in lower back after sleeping. (Is this a case of deficiency of heart and spleen caused by excessive thinking and worrying?)
• Main part of acupoints massage:
To balance energy between pairs Yin and Yang Meridians: Wangu (SI4)  Tongli (HT5), Shenmen (HT7), Chongyang (ST42)  Gongsun (SP4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Yinlingquan (SP9), Jinggu (BL64)  Dazhong (KI4), Taixi (KI3), Zhaohai (KI6), Shenmai (BL62);
To treat weeping in a morning: LU5 (this point was very helpful in cases of depressive weeping);
To treat fatigue: Zusanli (ST36), Hegu (LI4);
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: massage of neck and upper back.
• Herbal treatment: Valeriana officinalis, Crataegus sanguinea, Laurus nobilis
• Aromatic oils: Lavender, Neroli, Rosemary.
HT  - Patient D. W. (state of other Meridians: SP, PC). The patient suffered from fatigue, depression, irritability. The accompanying symptoms were diarrhea, pain in right hypochondriac region, palpitation and tendency to hypertension, metrorrhagia; in medical history cholecystitis, attempt suicide. The patient had a hot temper, red tongue. (Is this a case of flaring of fire resulting from Yin deficiency?)
• Main part of acupoints massage:
To lower inner physical and mental pressure: Hegu (LI4), Quchi (LI11), Laogong (PC8), Neiguan (PC6);
To appease the mind: Shenmen (HT7), Shaohai (HT3), Jiuwei (RN15) + Houding (DU19) (combination of two last points were effective to balance the mind);
To treat irritability and menstrual disorders: Taichong (LR3), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Diji (SP8), Yinlingquan (SP9), Yongquan (KI1), Zhaohai (KI6);
To treat fatigue: Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (RN4)
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: at the same time from Baihui (DU20) forward to Shenting (DU24) and backwards to Yamen (DU15) (this massage was very helpful in cases of hypertension).
• Herbal treatment: Valeriana officinalis, Leonurus quinquelobatis, Silibum marianum, Crataegus sanguinea, Vaccinium myrtillus.
• Aromatic oils: Lavender, Neroli, Lemon.

3. Epilepsy:
In both cases of epilepsy results of EEG were identical (!)
LI , KI  - Patient D.V. (state of other Meridians: GB, BL, HT, LU, ST). The patient (10 years old) suffered from epilepsy for about 7 years. Seizures (for about 1 min.) were as a rule at 4 – 5 a.m. (Lungs Meridian?) The accompanying symptoms were mental retardation, in medical history sleep disturbance before seizures starting.
• Main part of acupoints massage:
To balance energy between pairs Yin and Yang Meridians: Qiuxu (GB40)  Ligou (LR 5), Taichong (LR3), Yangfu (GB38), Zulinqi (GB41), Yuanye (GB22), Jinggu (BL64)  Dazhong (KI4), Taixi (KI3), Shenmai (BL62), Shugu (BL65), Kunlun (BL60),
To tranquilize the mind: Shenmen (HT7), Zhongji (RN3), Shimen (RN5), Juque (RN14), Baihui (DU20) + Sishencong (EX-HN1) (combination of DU20 and EX-HN1 gives very fast result);
To lower energy in Lung Meridian (seizures at 4 – 5 a.m.): Taiyuan (LU9), Chize (LU5).
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: massage along three lines: from Yintang (Ex-HN3) to Baihui (DU20) and from Yangbai (GB14) to Luoque (BL8) symmetrically on two sides of head.
• Herbal treatment: Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Melissa officinalis.
• Aromatic oils: Lavender, Melissa, Chamomile.
LI , KI  - Patient G.E. (state of other Meridians: SP, PC). The patient (16 years old) suffered from epilepsy (localized twitching of muscles – jacksonian seizure) 2 – 10 times in a day (in a morning or afternoon only) for about 1 year. The accompanying symptoms were nape and back rigidity, retardation of sexual development (menstruation from age 15.5, irregular).
• Main part of acupoints massage:
To lower muscle tension and stimulate sexual development:
Taichong (LR3), Xingjian (LR2), Ligou (LR 5), Hegu (LI4), Quchi (LI11), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Sangqui (SP5), Yinlingquan (SP9), Yongquan (KI1), Taixi (KI3), Zhaohai (KI6);
To lower inner physical and mental pressure: Laogong (PC8), Neiguan (PC6);
To appease the mind: Shenmen (HT7), Shao-hai (HT3), Dazhui (DU14).
• Auxiliary part of Tui Na: massage of neck and upper back.
• Herbal treatment: Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Crataegus sanguinea.
• Aromatic oils: Lavender, Melissa, Geranium.
• Relaxation exercises.

I’m sorry for my mistakes and incorrect terminology, but “I’m not magician yet, I still studying”.