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Treatment
of Tourette's Syndrome with
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Author: Lin, Pao - hua
網址：http://www.lph.com.tw
Abstract
Tourette's Syndrome is similar to "Jing-Feng
(驚風)" diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These
diseases have been treated by TCM for thousands of years and offers
many alternatives and options for these patients.
Tourette's Syndrome is a disorder of the cranial nerves and manifests
in different patterns of irregular behavior.
The etiology of this disorder vary significantly
according to recent studies. Tourette's Syndrome patients may manifest
a few or many symptoms. These symptoms may include blinking, shaking
or nodding of the head, trembling hands, and abnormal vocalizations.
At the onset of this disorder, the patient will display symptoms
of a cold, perhaps manifesting as a persistent cough that resists
any form of conventional treatment. The progression of the disease
varies and symptoms may be very different at different periods of
a person's life.
The symptoms may even disappear or be controlled for certain periods
and then return again, sometimes exhibiting new symptoms.
Tourette's Syndrome patients may also exhibit "Vocal Tic Disorders".
Patients may vocalize sounds that are similar to dog or bird sounds.
But the sounds that they make are not necessarily limited to a sound
that they have heard before (may include grunts, sniffs etc.).
Some patients will repeatedly make the same sound over and over
and even though they are vocalizing these sounds, they are, at the
same time, fully conscious of everything around them. You may ask
a question to a patient who is vocalizing these sounds; the patient
will interrupt their vocalizations, answer your question and then
immediately return to the same vocal pattern.
There is a long history of treating symptoms of cranial nerve disorders
using Traditional Chinese Medicine. Classic Chinese Medical literature
such as the "Inner Cannon" (內經), written over 4000 years
ago, elaborates in detail on the research that was done for these
types of neurological disorders, describing both etiology and treatment.
The "Inner Cannon" explains the causes of these disorders
as damage from such environmental and internal factors such as "Wind
(風)", "Cold (寒)", "Summer Heat (暑)", "Damp
(濕)", "Dry (燥)", and "Fire (火)".
One of the most respected Chinese Medical Practitioners from the
classical eras (over 2000 years ago) is Dr. Zhang Zhong Jing.(張仲景)
He is the foremost pioneer in the research and development of Chinese
Medical theory and is one of the first doctors to develop treatment
for neurological disorders.
Another famous practitioner, Dr. Chen Yi (錢乙) also researched treatment
for children with neurological disorders over 1000 years ago.
About 300 years ago, a book called the "Yi Zhong Jin Jian"(醫宗金鑑)
was written and described in detail the neurological symptoms that
were uncannily similar to what we refer to as "Tourette's Syndrome"
today.
The book mentions that physicans recognized eight Tourette-like
symptoms; convulsion (搐), nuoh（搦） , pulling（掣）, shaking（顫）, backward（反）,
yin , （引） scurry（竄）, and sight（視）.
TCM can treat cranial nerve disorders with four different approaches;
1) clear heat and drain precipitation (清熱瀉下法), 2) warm the center
(溫中法), 3) settle the liver and extinguish wind (重鎮熄風法), and 4) harmonize
(和解法).
The Treatment is, of course, dependant on the symptoms that manifest.
According to TCM theory, these patients, in order to regain or restore
normal behavior, should pay attention to their diet, eating more
natural foods and avoiding overly stimulating foods (e.g. coffee,
spicy foods) or high fat foods.
Before administering Chinese Medicine, the practitioner should pay
attention to the dosage and duration of Western Medicine that the
patient has been taking. This will be helpful in diagnosing the
disorder, selecting a Chinese Medical Formula (decoction) and determining
the proper dosage.
For more severe cases, the patients can decrease the dosage of Western
Medication when they begin treatment with Chinese Medicine.
The primary Chinese Medical Formula for treating Tourette's Syndrome
is "Anemarrhena Phellodendron and Rehmannia Decoction (知柏地黃湯)"
otherwise known as "Gallbladder Warming Decoction (溫膽湯)".
You may also choose to supplement this decoction with Oyster Shell
(Concha Ostreae), Silkworm (Bombyx Batryticatus), Scorpion (Buthus
Martensi), Centipede (Scolopendra Subspinipes), Longan-flesh (Euphoriae
Longanae), Red-Peony (Paeoniae Rubrae), and Atractylodes (Atractylodis).
If the patient suffers from neurosis, use the formula "Sweeping
Down Decoction (健瓴湯)". You can also add herbs such as Silkworm
(Bombyx Batryticatus), Scorpion (Buthus Martensi), Centipede (Scolopendra
Subspinipes), Longan-flesh (Euphoriae Longanae), Red-peony (Paeoniae
Rubrae), Atractylodes (Atracylodis), Chinese Yam (Dioscorea Oppositae),
Gardenia (Gardenia Jasminoides), and Anemarrhena (Anemarrhenae Asphodeloidis).
If the patient suffers from restlessness, he can be treated with
both "Sweeping Down Decoction" and "Coptis Toxin
Resolving Decoction (黃連解毒湯)". Patients should also maintain
3 or more bowel movements per day.
Traditional Chinese Medicine includes many options and alternatives
for the treatment of Tourette's Syndrome. These treatments have
been in use for many years and are based on thousands of years of
empirical research, experimentation and observation.
TCM offers a safe and natural alternative for patients of Tourette's
syndrome and with further scientific research and study, TCM can
become a viable primary treatment.
Key Words
Jing-Feng ;
convulsion (搐,胕臂伸縮), nuoh（搦,十指開合） , pulling（掣,肩頭相撲）, shaking（顫,手足動搖）,
backward（反,身仰向後）, yin , （引,手若開弓） scurry（竄,目直似怒）, and sight（視,睛露不活）;
"Cold", "Summer Heat", "Damp", "Dry",
and "Fire"
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