Guest guest Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Hello, I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for stoke victims. My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason. There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly. She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is wrong is a small clot in the brain. Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any chance of recovery. Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage financially). The family is all destroyed. As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke. A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional . Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on dr_antares21. We desperately need help and hope. Thank you very much in advance. Paulina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 I have treated a stroke victim similar to your partners mother with acupuncture for about a year. After all of the treatments twice a week, her memory and mind got sharper, more focused and clearer. She was also less depressed. The treatments did little to help the paralysis and lack of sensation however. She came to see me about 2 years after the stroke. Although I always believe in miracles, some conditions are beyond the power of any human medicine. The clock can't be turned back and ultimately we all will eventually face these kinds of issues in our own lives and those of our loved ones. I have sympathy for you and your family. It is very, very difficult. Feelings of guilt and helplessness are natural and normal. In our culture, acceptance of what is is often seen as giving up hope that there is something that can reverse ageing, sickness and death. After many months with my patient, we began to work on the peace around acceptance, and even gratitude at the opportunities to learn about surrender, receiving from others. My stroke patient came to be cured of her stroke. She left knowing that she touched my life deeply, and that I touched hers. The rest was not up to us. Peace, Christopher Vedeler L.Ac., C.Ht. Oasis Acupuncture http://www.oasisacupuncture.com 8233 N. Via Paseo del Norte Suite D-35 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Phone: (480) 991-3650 Fax: (480) 247-4472 Chinese Medicine Chinese Medicine On Behalf Of Paulina Schmidt Friday, June 24, 2005 4:20 PM Paulina Schmidt A Stroke Victim - how do I help? Hello, I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for stoke victims. My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason. There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly. She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is wrong is a small clot in the brain. Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any chance of recovery. Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage financially). The family is all destroyed. As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke. A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional . Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on dr_antares21. We desperately need help and hope. Thank you very much in advance. Paulina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 Paulina Schmidt wrote: >Hello, > > > >I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for >stoke victims. > > > >My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused >memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched >most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly >swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her >bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She >doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and >just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason. > > >There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence >together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly. >She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is >wrong is a small clot in the brain. > > > >Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor >said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he >said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any >chance of recovery. > >Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with >the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in >a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage >financially). The family is all destroyed. > > > >As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every >time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it >another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in >holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had >a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my >job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in >a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable >for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't >fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke. > > > >A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in >Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial >Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese >Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic >concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional . > > > >Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering >from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any >advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on >dr_antares21. We desperately need help and hope. > > > >Thank you very much in advance. > > > >Paulina > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 25, 2005 Report Share Posted June 25, 2005 The mainstay of TCM hospital treatment is scalp acupuncture and needling the big points on the yang channels of the affected side to propagate a strong qi sensation. The scalp is the most essential, and I often see it combined with the points LI 11, TB 5, LI 4, SI 3, GB 34, ST 36, GB 39, GB 41, UB 60, and sometimes Lv 3. Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2005 Report Share Posted June 27, 2005 Dear Paulina, Doc will be back July 7 and may have some simple advise and prognosis for your mother in law's situation. Unfortunately I do not have much knowleadge of stroke rehabilitation. I do know that it becomes much harder to reverse the damage after 6 months post-stroke. I don't know if doc will have time to catch up on all his email when he returns so you may want to try calling him at the office (303) 333-9977 or resend this email after July 7. Sorry I couldn't help you more! Sincerely, Jennika Wildau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2005 Report Share Posted June 28, 2005 Dear Pauline and all, I'm very new to this group, don't have much experience in treating patients like all of you here yet because not until August that I will have my graduation ceremony from my TCM college. However, I do have the experience of a stroke patient recovered from coma and regain my motor functions, sensation thanks to acupuncture... because I used to be one. I understand that each patient is unique with his / her own conditions thus diagnosis, but still would like to share my case with the hope that it might help you in helping your loved ones and patients. I had a major surgery more than 5 years ago, craniotomy to take out a big brain tumor, had complications and was in coma for a while. I woke up with a lot of deficits, especially the motor functions. One year and a half after the surgery, whenever I wanted to go upstairs, I crawled up with my 2 hands and knees, whenever I wanted to go downstairs, I slided down on my bottoms with the help of my two hands, I could not feel well with my right foot and lower leg, actually didn't feel / know anything when my neurologist tapped tapped it to test my reflex, and my balance was terrible, I fell all the time... Then I happened to see an acupuncturist, it was also the first time I had acupuncture. About 5 minutes after she put needles on me I knew right away that my right big toe " woke up " and felt " something " running along my bad leg. When she came back to check on me, I told her what happened, she then tickled my big toe and I felt ticklish! Also since that day, I didn'd fall anymore, somehow the channels got unblocked, my balance restored, motor skills as well as sensation in the bad leg improved nicely. Though theorically treatments for stroke patients 6 months after the stroke wouldn't give not as good results, but from my own experience as a stroke patient, acupuncture treatment more than one year and a half after the stroke still gave me such excellent results that my neurologist was so pleased to say to me to " stick to your acupuncturist, you don't have to see me any more! " The main points I had for my first treatment are: LI 10, ST 36, Du 24 and Yin Tang. My acupuncturist explained to me she used just few points because it was my first acupuncture treatment. I know from school that the points on Yang Ming channels are very good for stroke recovery in general, one of our menber also posted the treatment method for stroke patients used in TCM hospitals which is very helpful. But for the balance problem, I have a strong feeling that it was the combination Du 24 and Yin Tang that helped resolved it. I didn't have stroke patients with balance problems during my intership at school to verify this. If you do, please try this. I stayed in rehab for so long and understand deeply that any slight improvement would bring a meaningful change in the patient's life. So Pauline, please do not give up. Best wishes to your partner's mother! And thank you all for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it. Peace, tixiu " Christopher Vedeler L.Ac. " <ckvedeler wrote: I have treated a stroke victim similar to your partners mother with acupuncture for about a year. After all of the treatments twice a week, her memory and mind got sharper, more focused and clearer. She was also less depressed. The treatments did little to help the paralysis and lack of sensation however. She came to see me about 2 years after the stroke. Although I always believe in miracles, some conditions are beyond the power of any human medicine. The clock can't be turned back and ultimately we all will eventually face these kinds of issues in our own lives and those of our loved ones. I have sympathy for you and your family. It is very, very difficult. Feelings of guilt and helplessness are natural and normal. In our culture, acceptance of what is is often seen as giving up hope that there is something that can reverse ageing, sickness and death. After many months with my patient, we began to work on the peace around acceptance, and even gratitude at the opportunities to learn about surrender, receiving from others. My stroke patient came to be cured of her stroke. She left knowing that she touched my life deeply, and that I touched hers. The rest was not up to us. Peace, Christopher Vedeler L.Ac., C.Ht. Oasis Acupuncture http://www.oasisacupuncture.com 8233 N. Via Paseo del Norte Suite D-35 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Phone: (480) 991-3650 Fax: (480) 247-4472 Chinese Medicine Chinese Medicine On Behalf Of Paulina Schmidt Friday, June 24, 2005 4:20 PM Paulina Schmidt A Stroke Victim - how do I help? Hello, I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for stoke victims. My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason. There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly. She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is wrong is a small clot in the brain. Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any chance of recovery. Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage financially). The family is all destroyed. As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke. A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional . Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on dr_antares21. We desperately need help and hope. Thank you very much in advance. Paulina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 In the Hospital of Guangzhou University I saw several patients with stroke. They use scalp acupuncture, hegu, taichong and points and herbs for secondary problems (headache, constipation, dizzy,etc.) Regards, Fernando Dougnac P.D: They recommend start the treatment no more than 6 months after the accident. But each people are different and we work with people not with diseases. -----Mensaje original----- De: Chinese Medicine Chinese Medicine En nombre de QuynhNhu Huyen Enviado el: martes, 28 de junio de 2005 0:17 Para: Chinese Medicine Asunto: RE: A Stroke Victim - how do I help? Dear Pauline and all, I'm very new to this group, don't have much experience in treating patients like all of you here yet because not until August that I will have my graduation ceremony from my TCM college. However, I do have the experience of a stroke patient recovered from coma and regain my motor functions, sensation thanks to acupuncture... because I used to be one. I understand that each patient is unique with his / her own conditions thus diagnosis, but still would like to share my case with the hope that it might help you in helping your loved ones and patients. I had a major surgery more than 5 years ago, craniotomy to take out a big brain tumor, had complications and was in coma for a while. I woke up with a lot of deficits, especially the motor functions. One year and a half after the surgery, whenever I wanted to go upstairs, I crawled up with my 2 hands and knees, whenever I wanted to go downstairs, I slided down on my bottoms with the help of my two hands, I could not feel well with my right foot and lower leg, actually didn't feel / know anything when my neurologist tapped tapped it to test my reflex, and my balance was terrible, I fell all the time... Then I happened to see an acupuncturist, it was also the first time I had acupuncture. About 5 minutes after she put needles on me I knew right away that my right big toe " woke up " and felt " something " running along my bad leg. When she came back to check on me, I told her what happened, she then tickled my big toe and I felt ticklish! Also since that day, I didn'd fall anymore, somehow the channels got unblocked, my balance restored, motor skills as well as sensation in the bad leg improved nicely. Though theorically treatments for stroke patients 6 months after the stroke wouldn't give not as good results, but from my own experience as a stroke patient, acupuncture treatment more than one year and a half after the stroke still gave me such excellent results that my neurologist was so pleased to say to me to " stick to your acupuncturist, you don't have to see me any more! " The main points I had for my first treatment are: LI 10, ST 36, Du 24 and Yin Tang. My acupuncturist explained to me she used just few points because it was my first acupuncture treatment. I know from school that the points on Yang Ming channels are very good for stroke recovery in general, one of our menber also posted the treatment method for stroke patients used in TCM hospitals which is very helpful. But for the balance problem, I have a strong feeling that it was the combination Du 24 and Yin Tang that helped resolved it. I didn't have stroke patients with balance problems during my intership at school to verify this. If you do, please try this. I stayed in rehab for so long and understand deeply that any slight improvement would bring a meaningful change in the patient's life. So Pauline, please do not give up. Best wishes to your partner's mother! And thank you all for sharing your experience, I really appreciate it. Peace, tixiu " Christopher Vedeler L.Ac. " <ckvedeler wrote: I have treated a stroke victim similar to your partners mother with acupuncture for about a year. After all of the treatments twice a week, her memory and mind got sharper, more focused and clearer. She was also less depressed. The treatments did little to help the paralysis and lack of sensation however. She came to see me about 2 years after the stroke. Although I always believe in miracles, some conditions are beyond the power of any human medicine. The clock can't be turned back and ultimately we all will eventually face these kinds of issues in our own lives and those of our loved ones. I have sympathy for you and your family. It is very, very difficult. Feelings of guilt and helplessness are natural and normal. In our culture, acceptance of what is is often seen as giving up hope that there is something that can reverse ageing, sickness and death. After many months with my patient, we began to work on the peace around acceptance, and even gratitude at the opportunities to learn about surrender, receiving from others. My stroke patient came to be cured of her stroke. She left knowing that she touched my life deeply, and that I touched hers. The rest was not up to us. Peace, Christopher Vedeler L.Ac., C.Ht. Oasis Acupuncture http://www.oasisacupuncture.com 8233 N. Via Paseo del Norte Suite D-35 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Phone: (480) 991-3650 Fax: (480) 247-4472 Chinese Medicine Chinese Medicine On Behalf Of Paulina Schmidt Friday, June 24, 2005 4:20 PM Paulina Schmidt A Stroke Victim - how do I help? Hello, I am desperately looking for any advice regarding holistic treatments for stoke victims. My partner's mother (aged 69) had a stroke in winter 2003, which has caused memory loss and left her unable to express herself. She needs to be watched most of the time, in case she does something dangerous (once she nearly swallowed a few dates with stones in them), inappropriate (like emptying her bowels on the carpet) or in case she leaves the house and gets lost. She doesn't seem to remember people's names, can't answer simple questions and just giggles all the time, or once in a while cries for hours for no reason. There have been moments, though, when she was able to put a logical sentence together, address her family by their names and answer questions correctly. She has had all medical tests done and apparently the only thing that is wrong is a small clot in the brain. Her husband, 5 years younger than her, has a knee trouble and his doctor said he shouldn't be looking after anyone else, but - quite rightly - he said he wouldn't put his wife in a nursing home, as she would then lose any chance of recovery. Sadly, the time has come when my partner's father feels unable to cope with the burden of caring for someone else and is considering placing his wife in a home in a couple of weeks (although I don't know how he would manage financially). The family is all destroyed. As a young therapist I feel guilty I haven't done anything for her - every time I asked if I could give her a treatment, her husband suggested I did it another time. I guess my partner's father does not have much belief in holistic therapies, although his wife used to see a herbalist before she had a stroke. Moving in with them is not an option due to my partner's and my job situation, but I feel I need to do something to prevent her being put in a home (reflexology and essential oils would be probably the most tolerable for her). I know I should have done something ages ago, however I wasn't fully qualified in therapies at the time when she suffered the stroke. A note on my background in holistic therapies: I am qualified in Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candling, Sports Injuries and Remedial Massage, Swedish, Massage, Kerala Massage, as well as Traditional Chinese Cupping and Moxibustion. I have read about and am familiar with basic concepts of Ayurveda and Traditional . Has any of you had any experience or heard about a stroke victim recovering from a similar state, especially with the help of holistic therapies? Any advice would be most welcome. Please feel free to email me on dr_antares21. We desperately need help and hope. Thank you very much in advance. Paulina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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