Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Blog

Boost Your Lifestyle to Combat Chronic Pain: 3 Tips for Immediate Relief by Jackie Waters

Boost Your Lifestyle to Combat Chronic Pain: 3 Tips for Immediate Relief by Jackie Waters

People who live with chronic pain know that every aspect of daily living is made more difficult. Simply getting up and out of bed in the morning is a feat for those who are in pain all the time. Yet, there are steps chronic pain sufferers can take at home to minimize their pain; we share tips for boosting your lifestyle to combat your chronic pain here, in the hopes that each day becomes more manageable for you.

1. Change Your Surroundings

Chronic pain may be caused by stress and emotional issues in addition to physical injury. People with chronic stress often have chronic pain because their muscles are tense and constricted, which leads to fatigued and inefficient muscles over time. Since many people with chronic pain spend a great deal of time at home, making changes to your surroundings at home is an effective way to reduce your stress and minimize your pain.

One of the first things you should do to lower stress levels and minimize pain is declutter your home. Studies show that clutter reduces your ability to focus and process information well. By concentrating on getting rid of the clutter, you will feel better by donating items you no longer need and knowing that you have more open spaces to enjoy at home. You won’t feel boxed in or trapped by your belongings, and you will enjoy having more natural light entering your home.

Fast Pain Relief with Tung's Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs with Henry McCann

Fast Pain Relief with Tung's Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs with Henry McCann

If you're new the Tung acupuncture and unsure where to start, I'd highly recommend that you start with Henry's Fast Pain Relief videos - Part 1 and 2. Why? Because he starts the class off slow by clearly explaining the theories and the "why" so that you're not just memorizing points but the groundwork of what makes Tung acupuncture so great. And let me tell you, the point prescription AND herbal prescriptions that Henry shares in these classes are GOLD! The handouts are so clearly written that he pretty much tells you exactly what to do when a patient comes to you with Pain XYZ. Do your patients a favor and watch these videos. They're incredible and will really change your practice.

And because I can't keep a good thing to myself, here are some clinical treasures from the class:

• ​Acupuncture points are hard to locate on healthy individuals. When qi stagnates or pathological qi invades from the outside, the point becomes depressed or protrudes.
• Bleeding the apex has a "calm the shen" affect
• Ren-4 & Sp-9 govern disorders of the Kidney
• These points treat pain for all over the head or can be used as the "shotgun" version of treating headaches: Shui Qu 66.09, Men Jin 66.05, Huo Zhu 66.04, and Ling Gu 22.05 (aka Gb-41, St-43, Lr-3, & Li-4)
• Si-3 needling tip: Needle RIGHT UNDER the bone because it has a strong correlation to kidney. If the condition is kidney-related, needle close to the bone.
• Ht-8: needle or massage for needle shock
• 5 general points for pain if you don't know where to start: Ling Gu, Shen Guan, 88.25, 26, 27 (must use for pain!), and lower 3 emperors
• Ma Jin Shui 1010.13 & Ma Kuai Shui 1010.14 - great for relieving pain from Kidney stones. Needle opposite side but can do bilateral.
• Master Tung believed knee problems all have to do with Heart Zang

Acupuncture and Stem Cells: A New Way of Treating Pain with Regan Archibald

Acupuncture and Stem Cells: A New Way of Treating Pain with Regan Archibald

Last weekend we had a course with Regan Archibald on acupuncture, stems cells, and bonghan ducts. Turns out, several studies have shown that acupuncture does impact stem cell proliferation AND what we believe to be channels/meridians are actual treadlike microscopic anatomical structures called bonghan ducts (discovered by and named after Kim Bonghan from North Korea).This class was revoluntionary and is at the forefront of integrating Eastern and Western medicine. THE ENERGY IN THIS CLASS WAS INCREDIBLE!! GET EXCITED EVERYONE! We are finally getting to a point where the acupuncture channel system can actually be proven.

Here's some golden clinical pearls on the acupuncture impact on stem cells from the class. A freebie for you!
• Adrenal malfunction: Ki-3,Ki-6, Ki-7, Ki-27, Sp-6
• Thyroid malfunction: Li-16, Li-17, Sj-5, Lu-7, Liv-3, Liv-5, UB-12, Du
• Pituitary/hypothalamus malfunction: Du-20, GB-1, GB-20, Ear Shenmen, Yintang,
• Pineal Gland: ST 4, Yintang, GB 10, Liv 5
• Ovaries: Ren 2,3,4, Ki-,12,16, Liv 5, Li-16, Bl-32
• Liver: Liv-3, Liv-5, Liv-13, Gb-34
• Heart: Ht-3, HT-7, Ht-8.

Check out Regan's class for more information on stem cells and how they can be positively impacted by both acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Part 1: Acupuncture and Stem Cells: A New Way of Treating Pain, Part I
Part 2: Acupuncture and Stem Cells: A New Way of Treating Pain, Part II

If you are an Annual Gold Pass Member, find all of Regan's videos here to begin your complimentary viewing.

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

Dr. Chuan-Min Wang - Direct Master Tung Disciple!

I must say the best part about my job is getting to learn clinical pearls from practitioners who have seen decades of clinical experience. What they've learned from years of trial and error is what I learn in just a few minutes - what a blessing!! How incredible is that!?!

Fellow Acupuncturist, Tina Chen, and I had the honor of having dinner with Dr. Chuan-Min Wang the night before his 9/24/16 class on Master Tung’s Five Zang System: Clinical Case Studies. This was one of the most enlightening dinners to date as Dr. Wang shared a jewel of information that had been on Tina's mind for quite some time.

What was Tina's question?
What's the difference between needling from the yin side versus the yang side of the same point? For example, needling PC6 vs SJ5. When you insert the needle, wouldn't both points hit the same area in the body and yield the same results?

Most practitioners say the effect is different but do not offer much of an explanation. Anatomically and from a western perspective, it is the same point in the middle so theoretically it should be the same but clinically we know the effect and indications are clearly different.

Here's what Dr. Wang says and it's the best explanation thus far:
When needling the yang side, you are drawing the yin energy from inside outward and if you are needing from the yin side, you are drawing the yang energy inward.

The conversation continues... (translated from Chinese)
Tina: From what you said, can I draw the conclusion that needing a yin channel to bring yang inward is used more to strengthen the yang, or bodily functions, especially if the patient is yang deficient?

Dr. Wang: Correct!

Cupping – A Non-Pharmaceutical Therapy, a component of traditional Chinese medicine by Daisy Dong

Cupping – A Non-Pharmaceutical Therapy, a component of traditional Chinese medicine by Daisy Dong, LAc, CMD (Denver, CO)

On August 8, 2016, NYtimes.com posted an article titled “What are the purple dots on Michael Phelps’s? Cupping has an Olympic Moment.” In recent years, professional doping scandals have worried many athletes who did not use drugs but won their competitions fairly. Many athletes have soft tissue injuries or muscle fatigue from training hard daily. An increasing number of sportsmen look for non-drug therapies for quick healing and have discovered cupping as one of the quickest modalities in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve muscle and tendons ache, soreness, or tiredness. The result of effectiveness ranges from a few minutes to relief until the next morning. Some people, including medical students, have asked me where I lecture the elective course of “Introduction of Chinese medicine”. I lecture at the Health Science Center, in the University of Colorado Denver. They were also interested to know why some people showed the marks and some do not.

Before answering this question, let us first take a look at the history of cupping therapy. The first official record of the cupping therapy was written by a Taoist and herbalist, Mr. Ge Hong (281-341 AD) in China in his book: A Handbook of Prescription for Emergencies. During that period of time, cups were actually animal horns to eliminate pus in the skin or soft tissues. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the book complied by Mr. Zhao Xuemin titled Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica dedicated an entire chapter on cupping. This book emphasizes the value of this therapy and mentioned to place fire inside of pottery or bamboo cups, etc. Today, the most popular cupping methods are fire cupping in special glass jars or pumped cupping without fire.

PTSD and Grief with Dr. Melissa Monroe

Melissa M Monroe, PhD, L.Ac is the mother of two wonderful girls, Grace Marian Ferguson, now seven years old, and Alice Marie Ferguson, who died August 6, 2013 just 11 days after turning two years old. Alice died unexpectedly in her sleep, and no cause of death could be determined. The family has been devastated by this unthinkable and shocking loss.

When not mothering, Melissa practices Traditional Chinese Medicine in her clinic, and teaches Pilates, Yoga, and Qi Gong as well. She also teaches continuing education to acupuncturists and other health professionals on the topics of Grief and PTSD, and writes extensively on these issues.

The above introduction was borrowed from Melissa's website www.motheringinmemoriam.com. Please feel free to visit her blog to get to know her. A couple months ago in April, we had the honor of having Melissa teach these two courses: Treating PTSD with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Supporting Grief with Traditional Chinese Medicine. These are two powerful and essential courses that I'd recommend for all practitioners, especially those working with patients or clients with emotional/Shen issues.

Body-Feedback Acupuncture with Michelle Buchanan

Body-Feedback Acupuncture with Michelle Buchanan

Body-Feedback Acupuncture is a system in which a practitioner uses palpation techniques to identify root meridian imbalances which compromises health. This unique system not only helps the practitioner easily find the root problem but also helps to formulate an individualized treatment plan using classical acupuncture point prescriptions and herbal formulas.

In other words, this is an easy way to figure out a person's root issue just by seeing how he/she responds to certain acupuncture points on their body.

See if any of your meridians need attention by checking if any of these points are tender on you: LU-5 or LU-10, LI-5 or LI-11, ST-36 or ST-41, SP-2 or SP-9, HT-3 or HT-8, SI-5 or SI-8, UB-40 or UB-60, KD-2 or KD-10, PC-3 or PC-8, SJ-6 or SJ-10, GB-34 or GB-38, LV-2 or LV-8.

To get started and learn this acupuncture system from Michelle Buchanan, take the following courses in order. Once you've completed the two introductory courses, click here for a link to her bio and all her courses.

1. Identifying and Treating The Root Meridians
2. Scalp & Facial Needling and Supporting Root Meridian Imbalances

If you are an Annual Gold Pass Member, find all of Michelle's videos here to begin your complimentary viewing.

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

Moving Blockages with Heather Bruce

Heather Bruce is an incredible woman with a wealth of knowledge. It was such a privilege and honor to learn from an acupuncturist with nearly 40 years of clinical experience!! And best of all, someone who is willing to share EVERYTHING she knows without hesitation. Heather traveled all the way from Australia to teach our eLotus family her trade secrets. She's done the time of researching and trial and error for us. Now, all we have to do is listen and copy her methods.

So what's the number one thing that must be done for all patients? REMOVE THE COLD. According to Heather, the late Dr. John Shen said that cold is stored indefinitely in the stomach, intestines and the uterus (prostate for men). Removing cold from within the body (this restores yang) brings the person back to homeostasis. How did cold get in our bodies? From all the iced, cold, and chilled food and drinks we've consumed, the wet hair we did not dry after bathing, walking around barefoot on a cold day, past injuries, and the list goes on.

To remove cold from the body, you will have to first cup the navel with a warmed large cup, and then warm up the body with a moxa/ginger technique. There are other steps too such as applying magnesium, iodine, selenium, getting lots of Vitamin D, and treating scars but I'll only share my notes on how to cup the navel and the moxa/ginger technique. For the rest of the clinical pearls, I'd recommend that learning directly from the Master herself. Click here for a link to her bio and all her courses.

Hint: Start with 'Rescue the Root: Cupping the Navel', then do the 'Moving Blockages' series!

REMOVAL OF COLD, PART I – CUPPING THE NAVEL

Tools:
1 Large glass cup (used for cupping, not a drinking cup)
1 Large coin (ex. US half dollar coin)*
1 Facial tissue
Matches (NO lighter)
Massage oil

Master Tung's Acupuncture: Top 20 Points for Immediate Result with Dr. Henry McCann

Master Tung's Acupuncture: Top 20 Points for Immediate Result with Dr. Henry McCann

"Most definitely the most pleasurable presentation on Tung-style acupuncture presented here."

"This was my first class with Dr. McCann and I will say I enjoyed this class as much as some of the other greats I've experienced here. Getting the theoretical background and understanding the why of acupuncture goes much
farther than just data points. Thank you."

"Easily the best speaker so far hosted by Lotus. This year's roster is excellent. Truly some of the best
presenters I've heard yet."

"I really enjoyed him. He kept my attention and I like that he gave history of the points at the beginning."

"Dr. McCann is amazing! He is a staggering source of TCM knowledge."

These are some of the comments from Dr. McCann's class in February 2016. Many people who are new to Master Tung's acupuncture always ask, "Where do I start?". Master Tung's acupuncture is a completely different (for the most part) system from the traditional points that were taught in school. Why do people use Tung acupuncture? Because it works! Because patients can feel their pain melt away instantly!

Who is Master Tung and why did he decide to share his family secret with all of us? In this course, Dr. McCann begins the class sharing Tung's family history, the characteristics of Tung's acupuncture, and rules of diagnosis and treatment. The second half of the class is filled with details of secret clinical tips of the top 20 Tung points! If you are new to Tung acupuncture, this is a GREAT course to start with as Dr. McCann holds your hand and walks you through this beautiful journey of the Tung acupuncture system!

Master Tung's Acupuncture: Case Studies with Brad with Dr. Brad Whisnant

Master Tung's Acupuncture: Case Studies with Brad with Dr. Brad Whisnant

Dr. Brad Whisnant is one of the most popular Master Tung's instructor today and it's easy to see why! He's clear, thorough, and will take time to answer your questions. It also helps that he's treated thousands of patients using Tung acupuncture and has seen some amazing results! Thanks to Brad and his generosity of sharing his knowledge, he brings his next lesson in a two-day case study course in which Dr. Whisnant takes you as a virtual intern to teach and show you not just how to use Master Tung’s points but also how to do so in a very practical, clear way. This is the golden opportunity to learn directly from Dr. Whisnant: the next best thing to shadowing him in his clinic!

To purchase the class and start learning right away, click here to get started with Part I and click here for Part II.

Annual Gold Pass Member? Find the videos in your "My Active Courses" to begin your complimentary viewing.

~Donna Chow, L.Ac.

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