This OCD case report describes how acupuncture helped our patient reduce her OCD, anxiety, and insomnia safely and naturally. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, and insomnia are interrelated conditions that can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. OCD is characterized by intrusive, obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Anxiety involves excessive worry and fear, while insomnia pertains to persistent difficulties in falling or staying asleep. This case report details the successful management of these conditions through acupuncture.
OCD Patient Background
Our patient, a 35-year-old artist with three children under the age of ten, had a long history of anxiety, which was recently compounded by a diagnosis of OCD. The combination of obsessive thoughts and anxiety severely affected her ability to fall asleep, leading to insomnia. Besides these primary concerns, she also experienced night sweats, stomach pain, and fatigue. Her pulse was thin and rapid, and her tongue was red with a scanty coating. These symptoms indicated that her Chinese medicine pattern diagnosis was Heart Yin Deficiency coupled with Spleen Qi Deficiency.
Chinese Medicine OCD Diagnosis
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Heart Yin Deficiency and Spleen Qi Deficiency are common patterns associated with mental and emotional disorders.
Heart Yin Deficiency is characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, a rapid pulse, and a red tongue with scanty coating. Yin represents the cooling, calming, and nourishing aspects of the body. When Heart Yin is deficient, the mind can become unsettled, leading to repetitive thoughts, anxiety and insomnia.
Spleen Qi Deficiency often manifests as fatigue, poor digestion, and a weak pulse. The Spleen is crucial for transforming food into Qi (vital energy) and Blood. When the Spleen Qi is deficient, it can result in digestive issues and a general sense of tiredness, contributing to the patient’s overall fatigue and stomach pain.
Acupuncture Treatment Plan
The treatment aimed to Nourish Heart Yin and Strengthen Spleen Qi.
Acupuncture points to Nourish the Heart Yin included:
PC6 (Pericardium 6): Calms the mind and alleviates anxiety.
HT7 (Heart 7): Nourishes Heart Yin, calms the spirit, and promotes sleep.
SP6 (Spleen 6): Strengthens the Spleen and nourishes Yin.
KD6 (Kidney 6): Nourishes Yin and clears deficiency heat.
Acupoint points to strengthen the Spleen Qi include:
ST36 (Stomach 36): Strengthens the Spleen and Stomach, boosts Qi, and alleviates fatigue.
CV12 (Ren 12): Harmonizes the Middle Jiao and strengthens the Spleen.
ST21 (Stomach 21): Regulates the Stomach and alleviates pain.
Acupuncture points to calm and focus the mind and help with sleep:
Sishencong: Calms the mind and promotes mental clarity.
GV20 (Du 20): Calms the spirit and lifts mood.
Ear Acupuncture Points:
Point Zero: Balances the body’s energy and calms the mind.
Acupuncture Treatment Outcome
Initial Phase: Four Treatments
Our patient in this OCD acupuncture case report initially received acupuncture once a week for four weeks. After these treatments, her mind was noticeably calmer, and her anxiety reduced by 40%. The combination of points effectively began to Nourish Heart Yin and Strengthen Spleen Qi, alleviating some of the acute symptoms.
Intermediate Phase: Every Other Week for Four Additional Sessions
Following the eighth session, her OCD symptoms and anxiety had improved by 80%, and her sleep quality was 90% better. In addition, she no longer had night sweats and stomach pain, and her energy levels were normal. This phase consolidated the initial gains and provided further stabilization.
Ongoing Care: Monthly Tune-up Sessions
After achieving substantial improvement, our patient transitioned to monthly maintenance sessions. These treatments aimed to sustain the benefits achieved and prevent relapse. She found them quite helpful.
OCD Acupuncture Case Report
This OCD acupuncture case report highlights the potential of acupuncture as a safe and natural treatment for managing complex conditions like OCD, anxiety, and insomnia. The targeted use of acupuncture points based on TCM diagnosis not only addressed the physical symptoms but also helped balance the emotional and psychological aspects of the patient’s health.
The improvement in the patient’s condition was achieved without any adverse side effects, underscoring acupuncture’s role as a valuable complementary therapy. Regular follow-ups and adjustments to the treatment plan ensured sustained benefits and further symptom relief.
OCD Acupuncture Conclusion
Acupuncture proved to be an effective treatment modality for our patient who was struggling with OCD, anxiety, and insomnia. By focusing on Nourishing Heart Yin and Strengthening Spleen Qi, she experienced significant and lasting improvements in her symptoms. This OCD acupuncture case report supports the integration of acupuncture into the broader management strategy for health conditions, offering a holistic approach that addresses both the mind and body.
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Turning to acupuncture was my last resort to battling insomnia. I had been prescribed two heavy sleep aids with no success. After the third appointment, I went from averaging less than 2.5 hours of sleep to over seven, without any sleep aids. I still go and pretty sure I wouldn’t be here today without success from Raleigh Acupuncture.
Acupuncture really helped my anxiety. I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture. Very professional, reasonably priced and focused on getting me better quickly. Thank you!
I came in for acupuncture highly skeptical that it would be able to help me. I’m an A-type personality and very wired. I feel like I’ve been anxious my entire life. My wife must have been secretly researching treatments for anxiety because last month she announced that I WOULD be trying acupuncture! She did well picking the practice, as the doctors at Acupuncture Associates were top notch. They explained how acupuncture worked to deal with anxiety and then set about doing it. Well, I wouldn’t be writing this letter if it didn’t work. So you know the outcome. Highly satisfactory! I’m still an A-type guy, but with a fraction of the anxiety. The feelings of dread that were constantly lingering around me are gone. In it’s place I feel a sense of peacefulness, albeit a wired peacefulness.
Ever since we moved to Raleigh I was feeling a great deal more anxiety. It was probably a combination of factors including the stress of the move, looking for work and possibly the weather. My chest would get uncomfortably tight and my heart would race throughout the day. I had taken medications in the past but didn’t want that again. Research on the web led me to Raleigh Acupuncture. They treated me for anxiety and after just one treatment I could feel the difference. I got 9 treatments and am completely better. I will continue coming because it makes me feel so good. I highly suggest acupuncture with them for the treatment of anxiety. It’s much more effective than medications.
Raleigh Acupuncture was recommended by a friend after I mentioned my insomnia and dependency on a sleeping pill. My apprehension was short lived because of the results of my visits to Dr. Mark. With acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbs I was able to begin sleeping well and continue to do so. Dr. Mark is a good listener and encourages his patients in all health issues as well as the original purpose for treatment. Consequently, my knees are stronger and I’m walking better and with more confidence. I haven’t had the need for a cortisone shot in a year and a half. Occasionally, I would use a cane and it’s now somewhere gathering dust. Also, I had a persistent headache that my primary physician had no solution for, and after two acupuncture treatments it’s a thing of the past. Hot flashes were another issue that was treated successfully. I am so grateful to have found a knowledgeable and caring person to treat my ailments, many of which I thought would only grow worse as I aged. Generally, I feel healthier.
I would like to thank Raleigh Acupuncture for the wonderful and very helpful treatments. I had been seeing them for my insomnia, which was making excellent progress at the time and has since been cured. On a previous Monday I was involved in a minor traffic accident. Due to the stress of the accident on Tuesday I awoke in a severe flare-up of my fibromyalgia. The pain was so bad I took pain killers and stayed in bed for the day. The following day I had an appointment with Dr. Mark which I wanted to cancel. My husband suggested I keep the appointment and tell Dr. Mark about the pain. After our discussion, he modified the treatment he had planned for me and treated the pain. I came home, took another pain pill and went back to bed. The following morning I woke pain free and have been since, which is about 2 to 3 months. Thanks again Raleigh Acupuncture!
I became a patient of Raleigh Acupuncture in 2007. I did a lot of research prior to selecting them and I never regretted it. Over the years, I have been treated for various conditions – insomnia, an auto-immune disease, a herniated disk, etc. I have recommended Raleigh Acupuncture to various friends and family members.
I highly recommend the practitioners of Raleigh Acupuncture. I’ve seen them for several years and have always recommended them highly and without hesitation to many of my friends, all of whom have been equally thrilled with the care provided. They are genuinely interested in your health and general well-being, with a focus on getting you healed quickly and gently. My hot flashes are GONE! and the Chinese herbs for sleeplessness are awesome too!
I haven’t slept well for 20 years. That all changed when I was treated at Raleigh Acupuncture for my insomnia. They said it would take 12 treatments, so I took a leap of faith and tried it. I saw changes start to happen after just a few treatments. Over the course of three months I was able to sleep better and better. I weaned myself off of Ambien, and am now sleeping like a baby again. I never thought I’d see the day! It really worked. And guess what? I’ve got more energy now. Imagine that – a good night sleep gives you more energy! Rocket science! Thanks guys!
I was feeling depressed and stressed because I didn’t like my job and didn’t know what to do with my life. I started taking Lexipro but it really affected my libido so I stopped taking it. I tried acupuncture because my husband said it helped him when he was depressed years earlier (before he met me!) I went to Raleigh Acupuncture and started treatments. They were really knowledgeable about Chinese medicine and explained how the body gets stuck in depression, and how the acupuncture gets the body unstuck. They really listened to me and helped me figure stuff out. I started feeling less depressed. Then I actually started getting more clear about what I wanted to do with my life career-wise. I decided to go back to school and now I’m almost done with my degree. I haven’t felt depressed at all since I was treated and I’m really excited about my life. I’m very grateful to them for being such great healers and such a great support to me when I really needed it.
I’ve had generalized anxiety for years and had been managing it fairly well. But then I lost my job and the anxiety really escalated. I started getting panic attacks every day and dreaded even getting in my car to drive. My sister suggested that I try acupuncture, so I did. I went to Raleigh Acupuncture and explained my situation. They said they treated this condition all the time with excellent results. I was stressed about money too, but they had reasonable fees. They treated me with acupuncture and herbs for the next two months. I know it helped, because my unemployment situation didn’t change but I stopped having panic attacks. Even my regular anxiety decreased – significantly. It’s like my whole body relaxed and things didn’t make me anxious as easily.
