
Recently in acupuncture-tcm Category

- Wind cold dampness, the most common type
- Blood stasis
- Deficiency
- More wind pathogen invasion: this will present with more lesion in the tendon. Shoulder pain will extend to the nape and fingers.
- More cold pathogen invasion: this will present with more lesion in the bone. Shoulder pain will be severe in the deep area, but will be alleviated by heat.
- More damp pathogen invasion: this will present with more lesion in the muscle. The shoulder pain will be fixed, worsening with pressure. There will be local swelling .
- Expel wind-cold
- Promote Qi and Blood circulation
- Remove the obstruction from the channels and collaterals
- 3 Needle Hegu Puncture may be applied to:
- LI-15 Jianyu
- SJ-14 Jianliao
- Jianneiling
- SI-9 Jianzhen
- LI-11 Quchi
- SJ-5 Waiguan
- Pain in the medial shoulder: LU-5 Chize, LU-9 Taiyuan
- Pain in the external shoulder: SI-3 Houxi, SI-8
- Pain in the frontal shoulder: LI-4 Hegu, LU-7 Lieque
- Pain radiating to neck and back: BL-10 Tianzhu, SI-12 Bingfeng, SI-13 Quyuan
- Limited Movement: ST-38 Tiaokou accompanied by active movement and moxibustion
- Shoulder, Shoulder Joint, Clavicle, Sympathetic, Subcortex
- The method used is strong stimulation, while patient is asked to rotate his/her shoulder.
- Needle should be retained for 10-20 minutes.
- As a further alternative, Cupping Therapy may be used on the following points:LI-15, SJ-14, SI-10, and the extra point Jianneiling
- extra point taijian (the name means "lift shoulder;" it is located 1.5 below the anterior part of the acromiom);
- extra point jubi (the name means "raise arm;" located 3.5 cun below the anteroinferior part of the acromiom)
"In terms of itch, Traditional Chinese Medicine considers that it connects with wind pathogen. So treating pruritus is always based on dispelling wind. But for chronic eczema caused by wind from Yin deficiency and blood dryness, it is worthy to be cautious to use pungent and warm natural drugs to resolve superficies. Or the condition would worsen because pungent and warm natural drugs reinforce the wind of blood dryness. Drugs of pungent and cool nature to resolving superficies, such as Bo He (Wild Mint) and Chan Tui (Cicida Moulting) are highly recommended.
Even while the lesion is akin to neurodermatitis, pungent and warm natural drugs to resolve superficies can not be abused, or would cause acute outbreak of eczema. Traditional Chinese Medicine consider that it need to promote blood circulation in the first place for the sake of dispelling wind, and then wind vanish naturally after blood stasis removes. So it is suggestive that some herbs of promoting blood circulation should be added."
Read more at Chinese Medicine Gem blog. He gives TCM diagnoses and possible treatments for common symptoms.
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At Rootdown.us we want YOU - the TCM community - to complement and expand on what you find here. We encourage you to add ideas, your first-hand experiences and new information to make Rootdown.us a living, dynamic, and interactive reflection of YOU and YOUR knowledge and contributions."
Good resource!
November is National Diabetes Month.
Diabetes, Biomedical and TCM Perspectives and Treatments (Part 1)
Part 1 covers the biomedical treatment of diabetes; the nutritional therapy section is helpful.
Diabetes Mellitus From Western and TCM Perspectives - Part 2
Diabetes was discussed in all the earliest ancient TCM tests, including Neijing. According to TCM overconsumption of fatty and greasy food, sweets, emotional disturbances, and a constitution that is too yin is related to developing diabetes. Clinton Choate then analyzes diabetes according to TCM theory, explains treatment according to the Three Burners, giving acupuncture protocol. He explains diabetic complications according to TCM including cataracts and night blindness, edema, skin infectins, neuropathy and strokes. He describes food remedies for diabetes.This article is helpful to anyone suffering from diabetes who wants to understand it better, and helpful forTCM practitioners.
Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease) is mostly related to Fixed Bi and Painful Bi.
Fixed Bi Syndrome: The chief manifestations include pain and heavy sensation in the relatively fixed areas of body limbs or joints, numbness of the muscles, aggravation of the condition in rainy days, white greasy tongue coating, and soft slow pulse.
Painful Bi Syndrome: The chief manifestations include severe pain in the limbs and joints as if being stabbed or pricked. In the worst cases, there is fixed pain that is alleviated by warmth but aggravated by cold, better in the daytime but worse at night, limited movements of the joints, no local redness nor feverish sensation, cold sensation in the affected parts, thin white tongue coating, wiry tense pulse.
Wind, cold and dampness invasion causes the blockage of the Qi and blood in the meridian. In modern medicine, it is related to aging, endocrine disorder as well as trauma and improper posture.
Clinical manifestations
The onset of osteoarthritis of the knee is insidious. Initially, there is articular stiffness, seldom lasting more than 15 minutes; this develops later into pain on motion of the affected joint(s) and is made worse by activity or weight bearing and relieved by rest. Deformity may be absent or minimal; however, varus deformity of the knee is not unusual.
Imaging
Radiographs may reveal narrowing of the joint space, sharpened articular margin, osteophyte formation and lipping of the marginal bone, and thickened, dense subchondral bone. Bone cysts may also be present.
Major pattern differentiation
Fixed Bi:
Pain fixed in the knee joint accompanied by heaviness, stiffness and numbness, sometimes slight swelling.
Painful Bi:
Severe pain in the knee joint, aggravated by cold and alleviated by heat.
Treatment Principle:
Expel wind, Cold and dampness, improve the meridian circulation and regulate Qi and blood.
Major Acupuncture points and needle techniques
Acupuncture points for knee:
Xiyan (Ex.), Dubi (ST35), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34)
Alternative Therapies:
Auricular therapy
Corresponding area (Knee), Sympathetic, Shenmen

Subcutaneous needling therapy
Select local point or tender points
Seven-star needle tapping and cupping
Read paper on Osteoarthritis of the Knee for Rachel Peterman's Clinical Acupuncture Practice II class at New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mineola, NY.
She gives an overview of Osteoarthritis of the knee, and Western and TCM treatment approaches.
Rachel H. Peterman, M.S., DHEd(c), J.D.
Osteoarthritis of the Knee.pdf
This
author (Rachel Peterman, a student at NYCTCM) believes that the "sham" acupuncture (non-specific
needling), would also have the tendency to stimulate Qi (albeit not as
effectively as well-placed and executed needling), therefore the acupuncture
treatments would appear to provide less clinically significant benefits,
as opposed to studies where acupuncture is compared with a "pure" control
group. "Sham" acupuncture is not analogous
to placebo. "Sham" acupuncture is more
analogous to giving a half dose of medication.
A drug would not appear to be as efficacious if it was compared to a
half-dose, that's why a placebo, with no pharmacologic activity is used
as a control in pharmaceutical clinical trials.
A proper control in an acupuncture study would involve no actual
needling and consequently no stimulation of Qi.
It is unclear whether "sham" acupuncture has been implemented in some
studies in order to intentionally skew the results of the statistical analysis,
or whether it merely reflects an ill-considered and fatally flawed study
design. It is also significant that the
study does not provide the exact acupuncture points used in each study,
although the authors admit that there was not consistency between the
studies. The usual criterion for
meta-analysis is that the studies be identical or extremely close to identical
in design. It is impossible to
determine, based upon the information disclosed in this analysis, whether the
studies were appropriate for meta-analysis.
By: The American Physiological Society Study finds acupuncture and exercise decrease a key marker for disease
Exercise and electro-acupuncture treatments reduce sympathetic nerve activity in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), according to a new study. The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The study also found that the electro-acupuncture treatments led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference.
The full article is reprinted at Acufinder.com
Resource:
Stener-Victorin et al. Low-frequency Electro-Acupuncture and Physical Exercise Decrease High Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2009; DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00197.2009
The study has some limitations, including a small sample size, so further research is necessary, the authors wrote. To find the full study, click here

"The value of receiving an education from an accredited acupuncture school should not be taken lightly. Accreditation signifies that students may be assured that the school has been assessed and accepted by Oriental Medicine professionals and that the acupuncture program is considered valuable to others in the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicines.
The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), serving to promote excellence in acupuncture and Oriental medicine education, is the only accrediting organization acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit master's degree level programs in the profession." says AcupunctureSchools.com
ACAOM has a list of ACCREDITED ACUPUNCTURE & ORIENTAL MEDICINE PROGRAMS AND ADDRESS DETAILS on its website.
"The
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(ACAOM), (formerly the National Accreditation Commission for
Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- NACSCAOM) was established in June 1982 by the Council of
Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM). Its
mission is to foster excellence in acupuncture and Oriental
medicine education. The Commission acts as an independent
body to evaluate first professional master's degree and professional
master's level certificate and diploma programs in acupuncture
and first professional master's degree and professional master's
level certificate and diploma programs in Oriental medicine
with a concentration in both acupuncture and herbal therapies
for a level of performance, integrity and quality that entitles
them to the confidence of the educational community and the
public they serve. The Commission establishes accreditation
criteria, arranges site visits, evaluates programs that desire
accredited status, and publicly designates those that meet
the criteria.
The accrediting process requires programs to
examine their goals, activities and outcomes; to consider
the criticism and suggestions of a visiting team; to determine
internal procedures for action on recommendations from the
Commission; and to maintain continuous self study and improvement
mechanisms. The Commission is the sole accrediting agency
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit
professional
master's degree and
master's level
programs in the field. ACAOM is also a charter
member of the Association of Specialized and Professional
Accreditors." ACAOM mission and purpose
Interesting discussion on Ling Shu's famous quote in Richard Goodman's Blog.
"While working on selecting texts for Volume Two of Classical Chinese Medical Texts, I found some interesting information on what constitutes a superior physician. There is also some information on what constitutes an inferior physician. I have picked three texts to look at. These three texts do not necessarily represent all that has been written on the subject, but as they are three of the older texts in Chinese medicine, namely the Ling Shu, the Nan Jing, and the Jin Gui Yao Lue, I consider them great models for one who strives toward becoming a superior physician.
Ling Shu Chapter 55
The superior physician treats that which is not yet ill. The inferior physician treats that which is already ill.
This is a fairly famous statement, which is often interpreted to be a call to preventative medicine. Modern physicians often complain that patients come in with specific complaints and it is impossible to treat what is not yet ill. I find this stance strange, as if we are to believe if someone has a disease which has already become manifest, the practitioner is prevented from treating what is not yet ill.
At any rate, the following quote from Nanjing has a completely different interpretation of the above passage:
Treating what is not yet ill means that when one sees illness in the liver (for example), this (can be) transmitted to the spleen. First fill (shi2) the spleen qi so that there is no way for it to accept the liver's evil qi. This is what is called treating what is not yet ill.
As you can read, the writer of the Nan Jing felt that the meaning of treating what was not yet ill did not mean some psychic rendering of signs and symptoms, but a way of treating a person who comes with a specific complaint. One might go so far as to suggest that when the superior physician sees that one zang-organ has been afflicted by evil qi, the zang-organ in the control/destruction (ke) cycle of the five phases needs to be supported."
read the complete article "Superior & Inferior Physicians" on Richard Goodman's blog
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