Neck Region Acupuncture

Neck Region Acupuncture is a unique style of acupuncture developed by professor Gao Wei-Bin, the head of the neurological department of the affiliated hospital of the Harbin U of TCM. His technique aims to treat various brain, mental and neurological conditions, such as damage to the brain due to trauma, cerebral insufficiency, poor memory, tremors, tinnitus and hearing loss.

Neck region acupuncture has two major components: it can improve circulation to the brain and it adjusts and regulates work on the part of the brainstem system called reticular formation.

Neck Region Acupuncture Regulates Function of Reticular Formation.

Reticular formation is a group of interconnected neurones in the brainstem that play a significant role in our daily activities. It could be divided in two parts: ascending reticular formation activation system (ARAS) and descending reticulospinal tracts.

1. Regulating sleep-wake cycle. The physiological switch of sleep or awake state is regulated by the ascending reticular formation activation system (ARAS). Think that there is a power button in your brainstem that shuts down the electrical signal going to the brain cortex and you fall asleep. In the morning ARAS turns the “switch” on and the cortex receives full electric power, being ready for the day activity. When this “switch” is malfunctioning, then the patient suffers from insomnia and poor sleep. He is unable to fall asleep or wakes up every few hours. Neck region acupuncture aims to regulate this cycle by normalizing function of the ascending reticular formation activation system. When the treatment is done in the morning, the electrical signal travels from the acupuncture needle trough the spinal nerves to the midbrain and activates ARAS. After the treatment the patient feels awake and refreshed; however toward evening the stimulation weakens and the activity in ARAS slows down, the patient feels tired and falls asleep. Repeated treatment gradually normalizes the pattern of the sleep-awake cycle, restoring normal sleep.
2. The ARAS regulates attention. The same way the ascending reticular formation system regulates the sleep-awake cycle, it also regulates our attention by blocking unnecessary signals to the cortex. In that case ARAS plays the role of a gatekeeper which allows only the information we need to pass though. Therefore, neck region acupuncture aims to treat patients suffering from Attention Deficit disorders by and by increasing blood flow to the midbrain and normalizing the function of ARAS.
3. The ascending reticular formation activation system also contains specific a nucleus that produces neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and norepinephrine, damage to this brain cells associated with mood disorders and Parkinson’s disease. By modulating the work of reticular formation activation system neck region, acupuncture is able to improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, according to the experience of professor Gao Wei-Bin.
4. The descending pathway of the reticular formation, that is going down from the midbrain to the spinal cord and regulate motor neuron of your body muscles. This pathway is called the reticulospinal tract. The main function of the reticulospinal tract is to regulate pain, muscle tone and posture. Therefore, by regulating and adjusting the work of the reticular formation, neck region acupuncture can treat poor coordination, ataxia, involuntary movements like essential tremor and balance issues.
5. Since the reticular system also regulates the activities of internal organs, it may be helpful in treating of visceral ailments, such as palpitations, low blood pressure, diarrhea, frequent urination, sexual dysfunction and profuse sweating or no sweating (hyperhidrosis, anhidrosis).

Neck region acupuncture promotes blood supply to the brain

About vertebrobasilar system:

The brain receives its blood supply from two main arteries. The frontal or anterior part of the brain gets the blood supply from the carotid artery, which is located on the front of your neck. The posterior, or the rear part of the brain, receives it’s supply from the vertebral arteries, which are located on the back of your neck, passing through the foramen magnum into the scull and joining the basilar artery. Vertebral and basilar arteries are often called the vertebrobasilar system. The vertebrobasilar system then divides in a few branches which nourish occipital lobes of the brain, cerebellum, inner ear, pons and the midbrain.

When neck region acupuncture with electric current is applied to the specific points around the vertebral artery, the muscles around that region start rhythmical contraction. Thus, the blood flow into the vertebrobasilar artery increases and the whole cerebral circulation is enhanced. Therefore, the clinical indication for the neck region acupuncture is to improve the blood circulation to the brain in the following cases:

• Vertebral-basilar insufficiency
• Vascular dementia
• Progressive bulbar palsy, pseudobulbar palsy
• Ataxia—poor muscle coordination, abnormal eyes movement and unstable gait
• Dizziness and vertigo
• Tinnitus and hearing problems due to poor circulation in the labyrinthine artery
• Ischemic stroke and post-traumatic brain syndrome/concussion

The muscle contraction to the neck during neck region acupuncture also creates light shaking movement of the head up and down. This specific head “jiggling’’ creates a pumping action in jugular veins, increasing venous return from the brain. Accelerated venous return speeds up evacuation of the cerebral spinal fluids from the 4^th ventricle into the subarachnoid space. Therefore, neck region acupuncture can also treat increased hydrocephalus and benign/idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

In conclusion, neck region acupuncture is a new and very unique acupuncture technique that can help people suffering from different forms of neurological conditions when medications or other forms of treatments have limited recourses for help. Here is a full list of indications for the neck region acupuncture:

• Intractable insomnia
• Sleepiness/ somnolence
• Attention deficit disorders/ ADHD
• Essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease
• Ataxia, balance problems
• Progressive bulbar palsy, Pseudobulbar palsy
• Vertebral-Basilar insufficiency
• Post-traumatic brain injury, concussions and ischemic stroke
• Vascular dementia,
• Dizziness and vertigo
• Tinnitus and declining of hearing due to vascular problems
• Hydrocephalus/benign idiopathic intracranial hypertension
• Hyperhidrosis, anhidrosis
• Palpitations
• Irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea
• Intractable hiccup

Sunrise Neuro-Acupuncture Integrative Clinic is an acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic in Westboro, Ottawa. We provide neck region acupuncture. If you would like to receive more information about this treatment, you can call us at: 613-853-9099

References

1. Liu SL, Gao WB. Brief introduction to Professor Gao Wei-bin’s needling technique of ‘Ten Acupuncture Skills’. J Acupunct Tuina Sci, 2017, 15(3): 204-208 DOI: 10.1007/s11726-017-1001-3
2. Acupuncture Found Effective for Progressive Bulbar Palsy Treatment Published by HealthCMi on 19 May 2018
3. Liu X. Effects of nape acupuncture combined with swallowing rehabilitation on dysphagia in pseudobulbarpalsy J Tradit Chin Med 2018 February 15; 38(1):117-124 ISSN0255-292
4. Reticular formation. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reticular_formation