SU JOK THERAPY FOR NEUROTIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS

A.A.Mikhailova, MD, assistant professor, N.I.Popova, V.V.Malakhovski, Ye.A.Bespalova, The Chair of nonpharmacological treatment methods and clinical physiology FPPO of Moscow I.M.Sechenov Medical Academy

The correspondence systems of the hands and feet are regarded by the authors as new supplementary informative systems that allow to evaluate not only functional impairments of the internal organs but all kinds of neurotic disorders. The clinical effect of Su Jok therapy, as well as of classical acupuncture, is connected with activation of the body's adaptive mechanisms that ensure maintenance of the most important homeostatic parameters (BP values, acid-alkaline balance, bioenergy, water-saline balance, pH, etc.).

We employed various methods offered by Su Jok therapy for treating neurotic patients, in whose clinical picture depressive symptoms were predominant. All patients were divided into three groups according to the leading clinical syndrome. Group I included 12 patients with manic-depressive syndrome. Group II consisted of 14 patients diagnosed with depressive-hypochondriac syndrome. Group III embraced 10 asthenic-depressive patients (Fig. 1). To evaluate effectiveness of Su Jok acupuncture a clinical-psychological testing was conducted using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and also the Bourdon test.

Fig. 1. Percentage of treated neurotic patients

In all groups, treatment of patients began with acupuncture in the areas corresponding to the central nervous system on the hands and feet, with further employment of auricular points, the prescription depending on the dominating clinical syndrome in the structure of neurosis. At the final stage, asthenic-depressive patients received energy flow therapy with magnets on byol-meridians, Six Ki treatment, emotional and mental therapy. Acupuncture prescriptions were composed based on the energy constitution of a patient, severity of condition and predominant symptoms. Emotional-level treatment was performed both using unified energies - sedation of unified Sadness, of unified Fear, tonification of unified Joy (Fig. 2), and acting on individual UM-energies - tonification of UM-Joy (Fig. 3), sedation of UM-Sadness by the antisubjugation function (Fig. 4). A number of patients with persistent depression received a prolonged (up to two weeks) energy flow therapy with magnets on byol-meridians, in particular, sedation of UM-Sadness (Fig. 5).

Fig. 2. Sedation of unified Fear by the antisubjugation function on chakras	Fig. 3. Tonification of UM-Joy by the antisubjugation function on chakras

Fig. 4. Sedation of UM-Sadness by the antisubjugation function on meridians	Fig. 5. Sedation of UM-Sadness with a magnet stick

The results of administered treatment were assessed as maximum effectiveness of Su Jok therapy in combination with auricular therapy in the patients with asthenic-depressive syndrome in the structure of neurosis. In these patients, non-medication methods (reflexotherapy, electropuncture, laseropuncture, homeopathy) yielded the less pronounced results. Assessing the effect of treatment by clinical-psychological tests, a significant (p<0.001) decrease of scale 1 (hypochondria), scale 2 (depression), scale 3 (conversion hysteria) and scale 7 (psychasthenia) of MMPI was observed, and also significant (p<0.05) increase of scale 9 (hypomania), which correlated with clinical findings (Fig. 6). The patients reported of a considerable decrease of such symptoms as weakness, flaccidity, apathy; their sleep and moods improved. The Bourdon test of attention and performance revealed significant (p<0.001) positive shifts in patients of all three groups.

Scales of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): 1. (Hs) - hypochondria 2. (D) - depression 3. (Hy) - conversion hysteria 4. (Pd) - asocial psychopathy 5. (Mf) - masculinity and femininity 6. (Pa) - paranoiac manifestations 7. (Pt) - psychasthenia 8. (Sc) - schizoidism 9. (Ma) - hypomania 10. (Si) - social introversion The diagram presents average values. Fig. 6. Dynamic of MMPI parameters on the Su Jok therapy background in asthenic-depressive syndrome

Therefore, application of Su Jok therapy in combination with auriculo-therapy allows to enhance the effectiveness of traditional therapies and obtain longer remission periods in neurotic depressive disorders. This is especially marked in cases of asthenic-depressive syndrome in the structure of neurosis.