Myocardial Infarction - Basics

A myocardial infarction, or heart attack, occurs when the flow of blood traveling to a section of the heart muscle becomes cut off. Without the flow of oxygen-rich blood, the heart muscle begins to die. A major cause of heart attack is coronary artery disease (CAD). In people with CAD, a fatty substance called plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, which carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. Over time, the build ups can rupture, causing a blood clot to form. These blood clots can nearly or fully block the coronary artery, cutting off the flow of blood to the heart. Other factors that can lead to heart attack include microvascular disease and a spasm of the coronary artery. Signs that an individual might be having a heart attack are chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea, and pain in the neck, jaw, back, arm(s) or stomach.
Below you will find alternative and natural treatment options including those from a Chinese Medicine perspective for Myocardial Infarction.

Myocardial Infarction - Diagnostic Patterns

The Chinese Medicine treatment of myocardial infarction generally involves arriving at the appropriate TCM diagnosis or pattern. This pattern within the individual is what treatment is based on not the general condition (see treating the cause and not the symptoms).

The following patterns may represent the underlying contributing factors for the development of myocardial infarction: