A case of Jin's three-needle therapy for Tardive dyskinesia

The objective of this case study was to investigate the effectiveness of Jin’s three-needle therapy in treating tardive dyskinesia (TD). TD is a movement disorder resulting from long-term use of antipsychotics. It is characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal, and repetitive movements of the face, torso, and/or other body parts.The participant in this study was a 69-year-old male who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 45 years and TD at the age of 64 years. His chief complaints included “mouth pumping,” sucking, and a rubbing motion of his fingers. After using Jin’s three-needle therapy five times a week for 20 treatments, the patient reported an 80 % reduction in all symptoms. The patient’s Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score decreased from 19 to 10, and the Tardive Dyskinesia Rating Scale (TDRS) score decreased from 67 to 55. In this case, the results indicated that Jin’s three-needle therapy was able to decrease the symptoms of TD. Further investigation is needed to support this argument. The treatment for TD is mainly based on western medicine. However, currently Western medicine cannot completely control symptoms, and there is a high possibility of drug side effects. It was challenging to find literature on acupuncture for treating TD, particularly in English. Jin’s three-needle therapy, a characteristic acupuncture therapy in China, is widely used in clinical practice.This article analyzes the treatment process of a case of treating TD with “Jin’s three-needle therapy.” It is hoped that it can provide reference for the treatment of such diseases and feasibility for the next large-scale related research.