Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
I have treated only one patient who actually came with the diagnosis of FND but I have treated many patients with neurological symptoms but without any positive findings of organic damage. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex condition affecting how the brain and body communicate. Key aspects include:
The "Software" Concept: FND is a brain network disorder often described as a "software" glitch. While the brain's physical structure (the "hardware") is normal, the way it sends and receives signals is disrupted.
Diverse Physical Symptoms: These real, involuntary symptoms range from motor issues like limb weakness, tremors, and paralysis to sensory problems such as numbness or double vision.
Cognitive and Internal Impacts: Patients may experience "brain fog," memory loss, speech impediments, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), and even loss of bowel function.
Non-Epileptic Seizures: Some individuals experience episodes that look like epileptic seizures but do not involve abnormal electrical brain activity.
Diagnosis and Recovery: Doctors diagnose FND by identifying "positive signs," such as symptoms improving with distraction. Recovery is achievable through multidisciplinary therapies designed to "retrain the brain" and restore normal signaling patterns.
I am currently treating a patient who says he has cardiac arithymia but upon questioning seemed like he only has palpitation - the unpleasant and alarming feeling that his heart is beating hard. Since he was monitoring his cardiac activity with a device that captures both the heartrate and the waveform and which showed no abnormality, one could conclude that it’s not an organic issue. FND was previously named a conversion disorder, and previous to that a psychosomatic disorder.
In neuro-acupuncture, if the speculated origin of the disease does not point to a treatment, the focus is on the symptom itself. Very often, in the process of resolving the symptoms, insights into their origin are revealed