Autism and the Chinese Medicine Perspective
Chinese Medicine Can Benefit Children With Autism
Autism is considered as a “spectrum disorder”, and is defined as a group of conditions that have similar features such as problems with social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, and a pattern of repetitive behavior with narrow, restricted interests. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes "classic" autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett disorder and pervasive developmental disorder -not otherwise specified (atypical autism). Each of these conditions is usually accompanied by secondary autistic characteristics such as aggression, irritability, hyperactivity, negativism, volatile emotions, temper tantrums, short attention span, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autism is considered to be the result of disharmony in the flow of the vital energy (qi), where this flow is either not strong enough or simply out of balance. Qi has dual properties called “yin” and “yang”, that are at the same time in conflict and interdependent. Balancing qi is essentially a question of balancing the “yin qi” and “yang qi”. Autistic patients generally have a strong defect in yin and/or yang qi, and the purpose of acupuncture is to ensure a balanced, smooth, and harmonious flow of qi. Practitioners do this by strengthening and balancing yin and yang qi by stimulating acupuncture points.
Modern research has indicated that acupuncture can help to improve social interaction, language comprehension, motor skills, coordination, attention span, and self-care ability for children with ASD. It is thought that by balancing the circulation of qi through acupuncture, circulation in the brain is improved, which in turn enhances brain function.
The Expert You Can Trust:
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Luke Lin Luke Lin has been practicing TCM for more than 15 years. He holds a Ph.D Degree of TCM from China and is skilled in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and tuina therapy (Chinese massage). He also worked as a rehabilitation doctor in Taiwan. He has expertise in the treatment of neurologic diseases and psychosomatic disorders, and has experienced success working with “difficult to treat” disorders such as autism, stroke, post-traumatic pain syndrome, insomnia, neurosis, and macular degeneration. |
We don’t treat symptoms, we treat people.Call now to learn more about our autism program604-279-9355 |