What to Do in Acute Cases of Stroke
By Prof. Ming Qing Zhu, L.Ac. (The original developer of Zhu's Scalp Acupuncture) and Moyee Siu, L.Ac.:
When someone has a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Put 10 Dan Shen Drop Pills (丹參滴丸）under their tongue right away. Needle Du24 and the area around Du23 gently to help calm the patient and to improve their heart function. If the heart is not beating or the patient is not breathing, lay the patient on floor, and perform CPR immediately. Needle Du 26 and Du 25 if the patient’s eyes roll up and they lose consciousness. Perform CPR continuously!
When someone has an aneurysm that ruptures, it results in a hemorrhagic stroke. The patient usually drops to the floor immediately, paralyzed. The patient may complain of severe headache, may experience projectile vomiting, and usually loses consciousness quickly. This is an emergency. Call 911. While waiting for the paramedics, bleed the 10 jing well points (fingers).
Ischemic stroke is caused by a clot, for example, if someone has an atrial fibrillation or heart valve problem, an embolus can travel from the heart to the brain and cause a stroke. Typically, an ischemic stroke does not result in a coma unless it affects a massive area or is near the brainstem. In ischemic stroke, the patient becomes weak and is paralyzed. In this case, needle Du24 and Du20. The patient should try to move their mouth, eyes, and limbs, even when they are placed on a bed. Prompt and proper acupuncture treatment can speed up functional recovery significantly.
Both a heart attack and stroke are horrible situations. Heart attack is often fatal. Hemorrhagic stroke can also be fatal. If a patient passes the first week during which the brain edema peaks, then the patient is likely to survive but will suffer from the sequelae of a stroke. Stroke is an event that will change the life of the person forever and the people around him/her.
So the best thing to do for your patient is to prevent it from happening. Lifestyle recommendations include a healthy diet (less salt, less sugar, less fats), stay happy and calm, avoid strong emotions (keeps BP low to reduce risk of rupture), and regular exercise.