Fifty-four patients (36 males and 18 females) with sinus bradycardia were treated with both acupuncture and medicine at the Institute of Acupuncture, Zhejiang College of TCM, Hangzhou, China. Around 16 patients were over 50 and 38 were below 49. The patients showed symptoms of palpitation, stuffiness in the chest and shortness of breath. Acupuncture treatment did wonders and they showed signs of recovery.
The cases were divided into three types as per syndromes. First, deficiency of heart Qi: palpitation, stuffiness in the chest, shortness of breath, lassitude, dizziness, pale complexion or spontaneous sweating, pale tongue with white coating, and weak or slow pulse with missing beats. With heart yang deficiency, additional symptoms of aversion to cold, chest pain, low temperature in the extremities, or edema of the ankles, pale and flabby tongue with teeth marks on the border, weak thread or slow pulse with missing beats were witnessed.
Second, deficiency of both Qi and Yin: palpitation stuffiness in the chest, shortness of breath, insomnia, dizziness, amnesia, anxiety, dry mouth, red tongue with dry coating, thread and soft pulse with missing beats.
Third, stagnation of blood in the heart: palpitation, stuffiness in the chest, chest pain, purplish tongue, deep, uneven and slow pulse with missing beats, fullness in the chest and epigastric region, cough with excessive sputum, white and slippery tongue coating, slow and slippery pulse.Diagnosis was made on the basis of obvious subjective symptoms: palpitation, stuffiness in the chest, chest pain, etc, with heart beats below 60/min, plus ECG check-up
Acupuncture treatment was given at specific points with moxibustion. The patients were treated once daily with eight to 10 sessions as one course.
In first effects, subjective symptoms disappeared, heartbeat accelerated to 60+/min or increased by 20 per cent. Subjective symptoms improved and heartbeat increased 10+ per cent by ECG check-up. Subjective symptoms, heartbeat and ECG showed no change.
In the 54 cases of sinus bradycardia, 35 showed marked effect, 12 improvement and seven no effect. Total effective rate was 87 per cent. The causal factors of failed cases were long duration of disease, weak body constitution in senile patients and bradycardia due to heart block.
With increase in sessions, more patients recovered. All 54 cases resorted to acupuncture after previous medication proved ineffective. With acupuncture, patients started improving gradually and steadily. Five patients had relied on atropine to increase the heartbeat. After acupuncture, their heartbeat became normal without atropine and they had no relapse. The contrast indicated that acupuncture worked better than medicine.
During treatment and after recovery, patients should avoid cold, abstain from smoking, alcohol and greasy foods, avoid emotional disturbances and have sufficient sleep.The author is Head of the Department of Acupuncture, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi