A palpitation is an abnormal, rapid beating of the heart, brought on by overexertion, disease or drugs. It can also refer to a shaking motion.

Nearly everyone experiences a very occasional awareness of their own heart beating, but when it occurs frequently, it can indicate a problem. Palpitations may be felt with heart problems, but also in anaemias and thyroid malfunction.

Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments

This is linked, in TCM, to deficiency of Qi and Blood failing to nourish the Heart due to constitutional weakness, inadequate diet, pro longed illnesses, or the emotions of worry; over- thinking, fear and fright; or to a deficiency of Yin and hyperactivity of Fire disturbing the Heart and, in some instances, condensing body fluids into Phlegm, thus causing disturbance of the Heart and Mind b Phlegm-Fire. Stagnation of Heart Blood, can also lead to palpitation.

This condition can be seen in functional diseases of the heart such as arrhythmia and neurosis of the heart, organic heart diseases such as chronic diseases of heart valves, coronary heart disease, and various types of arrhythmia, and some diseases of other systems such as hyperthy roidism and anemia.

TCM treatments

From TCM perspective Palpitations can be divided into Deficiency and Excess but in practice they are often mixed together, with Deficiency predominating. Defi ciency of Qi and Blood or deficiency of Heart Yin is the Ben (underlying cause), while Phlegm-Fire and stagnaf of Blood are the Biao (outward manifestations).

The principle of treatment (acupunture and/or Chinese herbs) is to provide ton primarily, and to eliminate pathogens. s Herbs that calm the mind and soothe t3 Heart are used at the same time.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palpitation
Clinical Manual of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture, by Zhou Zhong Ying & Jin Hui De , ISBN 0-443-05128-3