Concussion, Can Acupuncture Help?

A chiropractic patient asked “I suffered a concussion. Should I try acupuncture”?

Concussion and the common aftermath of concussion, Post-Concussion Syndrome, often cause painful and chronic symptoms following head injury.  As doctors of chiropractic this is seen frequently in our clinic. Concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury. This usually happens in a fall, motor vehicle accident or sports injury.  According to a statistic from the Mayo Clinic, “There are about 1.5 million cases of traumatic brain injury reported each year in US.”  Most common signs and symptoms of post-concussion syndrome include: headache, blurred vision, memory loss, insomnia and depression, etc.  Symptoms and signs mostly occur within 7 to 10 days after the accident or longer within months.

Acupuncture is a healing approach that has been used for thousands of years in China.  It has been shown to help relieve pain, stress and many other conditions.  A recent article from The Wall Street Journal reports acupuncture was used to treat US soldiers in Afghanistan suffering from mild brain injury.  Improvements were seen in reducing headache and anxiety and to  increase the quality of sleep.

The idea behind the acupuncture needle for headache and other syndromes from mild concussion and Post-Concussion Syndrome is the balance of the body energy/Qi (chee) within the energy pathway: Meridian.  There are 14 meridians spread around human body.  Six of the 14 meridian channels pass around the neck, face and head, and then continue to pass through the arm, hand, leg and foot.  If energy Qi is blocked along the pathway, that causes pain, diseases and syndromes. Certain points along these meridian channels are related to conditions of the brain, face and neck.  By inserting thin, gentle acupuncture needles to these Meridian points, we clear the Qi (energy) of blockage, improving the energy flow through the brain, face and neck.

As a Mesa, AZ Doctor of Chiropractic and acupuncture practitioner, I see chiropractic patients with headache, insomnia, and conditions related to concussion and Post – Concussion Syndrome.  If you or someone you know has had a mild brain injury in the past and continue to suffer any of the symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome, consider acupuncture as part of your treatment as it most often improves the healing process of your mind and body.  Call me – Chiropractic and Acupuncture doctor – Dr. Jack Qiu, for a complementary acupuncture and chiropractic consultation.