Acupuncture for Aphasia
Navigating the Landscape of Aphasia: A Spotlight on Acupuncture
Aphasia, a condition born from damage to the brain’s language regions and, while often seen as a consequence of adult stroke or trauma, it can also nestle into the lives of children. The silence that aphasia imposes upon the colourful world of a child can be baffling to comprehend. Aphasia can often remain a puzzling piece of a larger enigma, especially when it unfolds in the realm of childhood. This article steps into the intriguing confluence of of traditional acupuncture and cutting-edge neuroscience,shedding light on their united potential to ease the struggles of aphasia.
In an adult, aphasia is typically the unwelcome aftermath of a stroke or traumatic brain injury. Children, on the other hand, can face this hurdle due to a panorama of conditions. The childbirth – if a stroke occurs around this time, the resulting aphasia can echo throughout the child’s life. Infections and tumours can scar the language centers of the brain, and the ensuing treatment can pose a further risk to their function. Brain tumors, infections, traumatic brain injuries can all result in aphasia, not to mention some metabolic, genetic and developmental disorders.
Acupuncture, as research reveals, may be a promising accomplice in the battle against aphasia. The theory suggests that acupuncture stimulates neural activity, fosters the regeneration of nerve cells, and enhances the flow of blood to the brain. It is an orchestrated symphony of processes that may potentially unlock improvements in aphasia.
Language and speech, the delicate forms of human communication, are associated with specific acupuncture points. When we stimulate these points, the door to improving language functions might swing open just a bit more. Yet, we must underscore that acupuncture is not a magic wand to cure aphasia. Instead, it should serve as a supportive player, part of a larger ensemble of treatments guided by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals which may include speech and language therapists, neuropsychologists, physiotherapists and others.
In our quest to alleviate the burden of aphasia, we harness the power of both traditional TCM acupuncture and neuro-acupuncture/scalp acupuncture, a technique aligning Traditional Chinese medicine methods with the modern medical knowledge of neuroscience. Further to this, we utilise of electro-acupuncture. Based on the underlying functional area of the brain, we stimulate the areas of the scalp corresponding to different brain functions. These areas are often termed “zones”. Specific to aphasia we utilise Speech Area in scalp acupuncture. It is located anterior to the Motor Area, on the line connecting DU20 to DU24. Scalp electroacupuncture has similarities with Transcranial Current stimulation. We expand on this by utilising Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, which are critical for speech in the brain.
So, how often should one have acupuncture for aphasia?
Various studies used different protocols. For example, a study might have patients receive acupuncture every day or every other day for a total of 20-30 sessions. Or, a study might have patients receive acupuncture two to three times a week for a total of 10-12 weeks. However, it’s important to note that the optimal frequency and number of sessions can differ greatly between individuals and conditions. We take the age of the patient, the symptoms and their severity and other factors into account designing an individual treatment protocol.