Effect of Acupuncture and Yogic Breathing in a Patient with Seizures: A Case Report

Abstract

A 33-year-old female suffering from frequent seizure attacks (thrice a week), accompanied with postictal body pain and sleep deprivation since past seven months presented to the Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital on 15th December 2022. The patient received therapeutic intervention for 45 days, which included acupuncture and yogic breathing exercises [deep breathing exercises, Bhramari pranayama]. Seizure frequency was monitored through the patient’s diary, and sleep quality was evaluated based on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), before and after the intervention. Following intervention, the frequency of seizures reduced from thrice in a week to null incidence. Her PSQI global score reduced from 20 to 4. This indicates the effectiveness of acupuncture and yogic breathing techniques in the reduction of seizure frequency and in enhancing the overall sleep quality in a patient suffering from seizures. However, further studies are required to assess the reliability and variability of this case study.

Keywords

• acupuncture
• complementary and alternative therapies
• seizures
• yoga