How Acupuncture Can Help With Down Syndrome

Affecting around 6,000 babies in the U.S. are effected by a genetic disease call Down Syndrome. While the cause of this disease is still unknown, scientists are learning more and more every year about this disease. Down Syndrome was officially discovered in 1866, by the English Physician, John Langdon Down. There are three types of Down Syndrome: nondisjunction, translocation and mosaicism.

1. Nondisjunction or Trisomy 21: Nondisjunction results in an embryo with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. Prior to or at conception, a pair of 21st chromosomes in either the sperm or the egg fails to separate. As the embryo develops, the extra chromosome is replicated in every cell of the body. This type of Down syndrome, which accounts for 95% of cases.

2. Translocation: Translocation is caused by rearranged chromosome material. In this case, there are three # 21 chromosomes, just like there are in Trisomy 21, but one of the 21 chromosomes is attached to another chromosome, instead of being separate. The extra copy of the # 21 chromosome is what causes the health problems that are associated with Down syndrome.

3. Mosaicism: Is used to describe the presence of more than one type of cell in a person, is usually described as a percentage. For example, when a baby is born with Down syndrome, the doctor will take a blood sample to perform a chromosome study. Typically, 20 different cells are analyzed. If five of the 20 are normal (46 chromosomes), while the other 15 have an extra #21 chromosome (47 chromosomes), the baby would be said to have mosaic Down syndrome. Since the percentage of cells with an extra chromosome is 15 out of 20, the baby would be said to have a level of mosaicism at 75 percent. The percentages may differ in different parts of the body. The percentage of trisomic cells in the muscle may differ from the percentage in the brain, or the percentage in the blood or skin.

In traditional Chinese Medicine, there are acupressure points located along energetic pathways or meridians. Each of these meridians are associated with an internal organ. And every meridian has its own set of properties because of the organ it is associated with. TCM treats any kind of genetic disease as a disease of the kidney energetic meridian. When the energy of the kidney meridian or Qi (pronounced “chee”) is weak, it means there is a deficiency of yang in the body. This can lead to an overabundance of dampness. In down syndrome sufferers, this can manifest as poor muscle tone, a puffy face and protruding tongues. An overabundance of dampness can also affect people mentally, causing learning disabilities and emotional outbursts. Over time, the dampness creates blockages that build up and generate heat. This pattern is characterized by restlessness, over-activity and red cheeks.

Acupuncture is a good way to help manage the symptoms of Down’s Syndrome suffers. There are multiple acupressure points that can be used to decrease the aforementioned symptoms and make life much more bearable for Down syndrome patients. These acupressure points can be used alone or in conjunction and many of them can even be stimulated without actual acupuncture needles. For instance, there is a point on the top of the head that can help with restlessness, as well as improving memory and cognitive performance.

There are herbal formulas that can also be very beneficial to the patient. The formulas can be of a great benefit to helping with the symptoms and the root causes of the disease from the TCM viewpoint. As we have mentioned, TCM views genetic disorders as a deficiency of kidney yang. To help with this an Acupuncturist might suggest using herbs such as angelica root, cinnamon and Chinese yam in a combination that will increase the kidney yang over time.

Last but not least, a nutritional counselor may be required to help in treating Down’s patients. Foods that are cold by nature, such as watermelon, cucumber, and dairy products are not good for Down’s patients, they can further deplete the kidney yang and increase the dampness within the body. But as with every type of food, moderation is the key.

While there is no cure for Down Syndrome, it is a disease that has become much more manageable. And because of the medical management through methods such as acupuncture, the life expectancy and the quality of life for Down’s patients can be improved greatly. If someone you know has Down Syndrome or has a child that has Down syndrome call today or come in to Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake City.