Acupuncture for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Q & A with a Graduate

Q:

I am excited to read about the work you have discussed in your speech. Thank you for making this available.

I am writing to ask for your advice on a condition known as POTS that I may be treating on a teenage male in Colorado: “Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome”. Do you know of any TCM research on this disease? 

For many months, the young man has been confined to his bed, in a prone position. Whenever he stands, he immediately suffers intense nausea and a rapid and high increase in blood pressure, making him extremely dizzy and on the verge of fainting. He cannot leave his bed. His family has taken him to many specialists, and they have found no treatment for him. At this time, I am awaiting a response from the family that will describe the young man’s tongue picture, western medications, medical history, family medical history, etc.

I would appreciate any insight you have on this condition from the TCM perspective.

A:

I am glad to hear from you. Although there are no TCM or acupuncture research specifically conducted for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, the following studies might provide some  insights for that condition:

Takamoto K, Urakawa S, Sakai K, Ono T, Nishijo H. Effects of acupuncture needling with specific sensation on cerebral hemodynamics and autonomic nervous activity in humans. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2013;111:25-48.

 Minagawa M, Kurono Y, Ishigami T, Yamada A, Kakamu T, Akai R, Hayano J. Site-specific organ-selective effect of epifascial acupuncture on cardiac and gastric autonomic functions. Auton Neurosci. 2013 Dec;179(1-2):151-4.

 Jones AY, Kwan YL, Leung NT, Yu RP, Wu CM, Warburton DE. Electrical stimulation of acupuncture points and blood pressure responses to postural changes: a pilot study. Am J Crit Care. 2011 May;20(3):e67-74.