• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Lupus
• Crohn’s disease

The treatment of autoimmune disorders, complex in nature, has increasingly embraced integrative medicine approaches like acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupuncture stands out for its effectiveness in pain management, immune system regulation, symptom control, and enhancing quality of life.

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Most notably, TCM practitioners prioritize individualized care. Your treatment plan is customized to address your unique needs and symptoms, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

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Symptoms and Diagnosis: Autoimmune diseases manifest with vague symptoms, such as joint and muscle pain, muscle weakness, rashes, low-grade fever, trouble concentrating, or weight loss. Other indications of a problem may include numbness, tingling, dry eyes, hair loss, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or recurring miscarriages, all arising from autoimmune responses.

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Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment:
Diagnosing and treating autoimmune conditions can be challenging, as symptoms and progression vary from person to person. These conditions may affect multiple organs or target specific body parts, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe and fluctuating over time.

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Potential Triggers:
The exact causes of these changes remain incompletely understood, but factors like bacteria, viruses, toxins, and certain drugs may contribute to autoimmune reactions in individuals with a genetic predisposition. These agents may initiate inflammation, provoking sensitization within the affected tissues.

Approach of autoimmune diseases treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective

• No Chinese theory for “autoimmune”. Chinese medicine explains, diagnoses and treats these diseases with different elements, as follows.
• All diseases are very different and must be treated according to their specific pathology and patterns (e.g. MS and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have nothing in common from Chinese perspective).
• While taking herbs… Please read through the instructions if you are currently taking herbal medicine.
• Being autoimmune affects ease (or difficulty) of treatment and prognosis. They are more difficult to treat.
• Compare hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease: latter has more severe symptoms and will be more difficult to treat.
• In late stages of auto-immune diseases, there seems to be a common pulse, i.e. the Leather pulse which is superficial but empty at the deep level. The surface is kind of “broad” and feels kind of stretched like a drum. This indicates a severe Kidney deficiency.
• Must grasp aetiology, pathology and patterns of the disease ignoring its auto-immune nature. For example, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Hashimoto thyroiditis, Crohn’s Disease, MS and RA have very little or nothing in common in terms of pathology.

The diagnostic for some of the autoimmune diseases are as follows

• Sjogren’s Syndrome: Yin deficiency of Stomach and Liver
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Phlegm, Spleen-Qi deficiency, Kidney-Yang deficiency
• Crohn’s Disease: Damp-Heat in Intestines
• MS: Dampness, Stomach-Spleen deficiency, Liver-Kidneys deficiency

• RA: Damp-Heat in joints
• Thyroid: Hypothyroidism: False Heat, Excessive fire, Stagnation, Hyperthyroidism: Phlegm, Spleen-Qi deficiency, Kidney-Yang deficiency
• ME/CFS: Qi and Blood deficiency, Yuan Qi def, False Heat

• Must treat the Kidneys (they “contain” hormonal system in Chinese Medicine) which are the root of the auto-immune process. This can be Kidney-Yang, Kidney-Yin, Jing, Yuan Qi, Minister Fire.
• Must treat inflammation with at least one or two anti-inflammatory herbs.

Acupuncture treats autoimmune diseases by restoring balance within the body, addressing the root cause of the disorder, and unique symptoms in each individual. Research indicates that acupuncture stimulates nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and the brain, triggering the release of proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that influence various body functions, including blood pressure, body temperature, and the immune system. Treatment for autoimmune disorders often includes acupuncture, stress-reduction exercises, physical activity, herbal medicine, nutritional support, and bodywork.