Acupuncture is effective in treating severe insomnia, but not necessarily curing it. Acupuncture treatment for insomnia needs to recognize the evidence and choose the right acupuncture points.
Acupuncture treatment for insomnia is based on Hundred Hubs, Shenmen, Sanyinjiao, and Anmian points, and according to the different types of symptoms, the symptoms of severe insomnia can be categorized as liver fire disturbing the heart, deficiency of heart and spleen, and incompatibility of the heart and kidney.
1. Liver fire disturbing the heart syndrome: patients with this syndrome mainly manifest serious insomnia, sleeplessness all night, irritability, it is advisable to add Taichong point, Xingma point and Manxi point to clear the liver and diarrhea fire, and calm the spirit to help sleep.
2. Deficiency of the heart and spleen: patients with this syndrome mainly manifest severe insomnia, palpitation, difficulty in sleeping, yellowish color, poor appetite, it is advisable to add Xin Yu, Spleen Yu, and Foot Sanli points to benefit qi, strengthen the spleen, nourish the heart and tranquilize the mind.
3. Heart-kidney disharmony syndrome: patients with this syndrome mainly manifest severe insomnia, irritability, dry mouth and throat, and heart-heat (heat in the hearts of the hands and feet, and self-consciousness of the heart and chest), it is advisable to add Heart Yu, Kidney Yu and Taixi points to nourish yin and reduce fire, and to communicate with the heart and kidneys (the fire of the heart descends, and the water of the kidneys rises, which is in mutual constraint).
If there are symptoms of severe insomnia, one should go to the hospital in time and be treated by a professional Chinese medicine practitioner to avoid delay.