Tourete's Syndrome

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Tourrette's Syndrome symptoms can vary greatly from patient to patient but acupuncture and/or herbal medicine have much to offer. While proper pattern differentiation is important we generally focus on the following points (which are similar to the points/areas we focus on for other psychiatric disorders).

Huatuo of C1 - effect top of head, motor cortex

Huatuo of C2 - effect forehead, frontal lobe

SI 16 - sky window area, improve circulation and nourishment of brain

TH 17 - sky window area, improve circulation and nourishment of brain

GB 13 - effect the frontal lobe (choose sorest side of bilateral if both are reactive)

GV 20 - motor cortex

GB 19 - visual cortex

GV 17 - medulla area of brain (heart rhythm, respiration, etc.)

We generally use deep tuina in the huatuo and sky window areas, couple these points with tcm pattern based points and use tong ren therapy (a form of medical qi gong).