Location: NYCTCM, Room 101, 155 First Street, Mineola, NY, 11501
Course Description
Microcurrent is safe, non-invasive and can effectively be used alone or in addition to an acupuncture treatment. It offers an alternative to patients who are phobic or sensitive to needles as well as many other benefits.
This 2 day course with lecture, demonstrations and active student participation is designed to take the mystery out of microcurrent. It presents microcurrent use in medicine from an acupuncturist's perspective. Students will learn how to to use microcurrent instead of needles to move blood and qi. The course does not cover other electrotherapy devices.
Day One: Microcurrent for Pain & Injury
This course introduces the foundations of microcurrent for pain and injury. Topics include probe and pad techniques, treatment protocols and strategies including Enhancement of Muscle Repair, Golgi Organ Tendon Apparatus, Thru and Thru, Combining acupuncture with microcurrent, research, definition of terms, microcurrent and healing, contraindications, benefits, suggested settings, case histories, and treating conditions such as frozen shoulder and plantar fascitis.
Day Two: Advanced Rejuvenation Techniques for Face & Body
Learn the key to achieving exceptional results. This course along with review of the basic techniques introduces new toning techniques for the face and body. Topics include microcurrent myths, the face regions, the muscles of facial expression, micro-expressions, and a rejuvenation program with "skin foods and detox soup."
About the Speaker: Barbara Berger, LAc Is a leading proponent of Microcurrent Therapy. She completed her acupuncture training in 1979 in San Francisco and received a Diploma in Acupuncture from Colombo South Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1981. Ms. Berger has studied acupuncture under the direction of world-renowned teachers Dr. Anton Jayasurya and Radna Thanbirajah. She has 26 years of clinical experience as a practitioner and teacher of MTT.
Health depends on the flow of current throughout the body. Electrical balance is disrupted with injury. Microcurrent instruments deliver minute doses of beneficial current to the cells in order to return the tissue to a normal level of electrical activity. This allows the body to more effectively use proteins and other nutrients for cell growth and repair. Today, microcurrent is often referred to as "needle less acupuncture" and is available in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, veterinary clinics, spas and private practices throughout the world.
Microcurrent Therapy Training
Cost: two day course- $350.00 (early bird special $325.000)
one day course -$175.00 (early bird special $150.00)
student discount-$225.00 for two days
early bird special (payment in full by April 1)
Refund/Cancellation Policy: Cancellation made up to 4 weeks before the course will result in a full refund less a $75.00 processing fee. No refunds are made with less than 4 weeks notice. If this course is canceled, there will be a full refund
Chris Giordano, a student at NYCTCM, gave an overview of Frozen Shoulder from a TCM perspective for his Clinical Acupuncture Practice II class "Treatment of Modern Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine".
He describes the basic bioscience of frozen shoulder, then tells us the basic TCM knowledge about frozen shoulder, including major pattern differentiation and major treatment points and needle techniques. He gives techniques for prevention of frozen shoulder, then summarizes current research on the treatment of frozen shoulder with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
"The cause of frozen shoulder is unknown, but it probably involves and underlying inflammatory process. The capsule surrounding the shoulder joint thickens and contracts. This leaves less space for the upper arm bone (humerus) to move around. Frozen shoulder can also develop after a prolonged immobilization because of trauma or surgery to the joint...
The symptoms are primarily pain and a very reduced range of motion in the joint. The range of motion is the same whether you are trying to move the shoulder under your own power or if someone else is trying to raise the arm for you. There comes a point in each direction of movement where the motion simply stops as if there is something blocking the movement. The shoulder usually hurts when movement reach the limit of the range of motion, and can be quite painful at night.
Major Treatments or Medications
Treatment of the frozen shoulder can be frustrating and slow. Most cases will eventually improve, but it may be a process that takes months. Initial treatment and increasing the range of motion of the shoulder with a stretching program. Anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed.
It is critical that a Physical Therapy program be started and continued to regain the loss of motion.
An injection of cortisone and long-acting anesthetic, similar to novocaine, may bring the inflammation under better control, and allow the stretching program to be more effective. In some cases, injecting a long-acting anesthetic along with the cortisone right before a stretching session with the Physical Therapist can allow the therapist to break up adhesions while the shoulder is numb from the anesthetic.
If progress is slow, your doctor may recommend a manipulation of the shoulder while you are under anesthesia. This procedure allows your doctor to stretch the shoulder joint capsule, and break up the scar tissue while you are asleep. In most cases, a manipulation of the shoulder will increase the motion in the shoulder joint faster than allowing nature to take its course. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure several times.
Related terms in TCM
The first description of frozen shoulder was provided by the French physician E.S. Duplay in 1872. During the 20th century a corresponding Chinese term arose: "50-years shoulder" (wushi jian), referring to the typical age of onset of the disorder; the term frozen shoulder (jianning) is also used in China. While there are numerous references to traditional style Chinese medical treatments for problems of the shoulder area, investigations into the use of the therapies specifically aimed at frozen shoulder have only been described in the last few years.
Pathogenesis
Traditional Chinese Medicine differentiates frozen shoulder into three types:
Wind cold dampness, the most common type
Blood stasis
Deficiency
Frozen shoulder is mostly caused by weakness of the nutrient and defensive systems, asthenia of muscles and joints as well as wind-cold invasion. However, twisting and contusion due to careless exertion or stagnation of Qi and blood due to habitual one-sided sleep pressing the channels and collaterals may also cause "50 year shoulder".
Clinical Manifestations
Pain initially starts on one or two shoulders. It alleviates in the daytime and worsens at night. The condition also aggravates with cold, but alleviates with warmth. Prolonged "50 year shoulder" may result in muscular atrophy.
Major Pattern Differentiation
In TCM, "50 year shoulder" may be differentiated into three types:
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 .
Major Acupuncture Points & Needle Techniques for Frozen Shoulder
In TCM, the treatment principle for "50 year shoulder" is to:
Expel wind-cold
Promote Qi and Blood circulation
Remove the obstruction from the channels and collaterals
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
Acupuncture with Distal Points
One of the earliest Chinese reports of acupuncture treatment of frozen shoulder was published in 1991, based on a simple treatment method. The author of the article, Zhang Maohai, claimed to have found an effective therapy through his experiences. He focused on one acupuncture point, yanglingquan (GB-34), located on the leg, which he said seemed more effective than treating multiple points. The point was needled on one side only, the same side as the affected shoulder. In rare cases where this same side treatment did not seem to be helpful, the point was needled on the other leg instead.
The technique used was deep insertion (2.0-2.5 cun), followed by rotating and thrusting to get the qi reaction; the reducing technique was used for all patients, but deficiency patients were administered the treatment with both reducing and reinforcing techniques. The needle was maneuvered again every 3-5 minutes to maintain the stimulus. In the meantime, the patient was advised to move the shoulder joint. Total needle retention time was about 30 minutes, and five daily sessions made one course of treatment.
After two courses of treatment (with a break of a day or two between courses), the frequency of treatment was reduced to every other day until the condition was resolved to a satisfactory extent. In the event of acute shoulder pain, electro stimulation of the needles was used (intermittent waves, strong intensity).
It was claimed that as a result of this therapy, 64% of the 172 patients so treated were cured, and all the rest (except 8 patients) showed some degree of improvement. In two cases that were detailed, the total treatment involved 10 sessions in one case and 20 sessions in the second case.
The selection of this acupuncture point is of interest. Traditionally, yanglingquan is mainly indicated for treatment of lower limb disorders, such as pain and numbness in the legs and knees, but the effects of stimulating this point are thought to also extend upward along the gallbladder meridian, which traverses the costal region to the shoulder. There, the meridian passes through the point jianjing (GB-21), indicted for stiffness of the neck, pain of the shoulder and upper back, and for difficulty moving the arm. A further basis for using yanglingquan is its reputation for soothing and moistening the sinews. Since the shoulder capsule is contracted, this action is considered important to healing the disorder...
A similar method was described in a report by Feng Zhengen (4), using the extra point lingxia, located 2 cun below yanglingquan (GB-34). The point on the same side as the affected shoulder was needled, while sanjian (LI-3), on the hand, was needled on the opposite side. The patient would move the affected arm during the acupuncture therapy. Treatment was given daily for 10 sessions, followed by a 2 day break and then another 10 sessions. It was reported that of 210 patients treated, 158 cases were resolved, and that all but 12 cases showed some improvement.
The selection of lingxia, rather than yanglingquan was based, according to the author, on the fact that he found a marked tender point at this spot which, when pressed, alleviated the shoulder pain.
Another acupuncture point in this same area of the leg that is used for shoulder disorders is tiaokou (ST-38). It is especially considered for treating acute shoulder pain, and is stimulated while the patient moves the shoulder. Jorge Vas and Emilio Perea-Milla compared the effects of needling tiaokou on shoulder pain when the treatment either did or did not elicit deqi, finding that deqi was important to gaining the desired prompt alleviation of pain. The successful use of tiaokou for frozen shoulder had been mentioned in an early publication by German acupuncturists.
Acupuncture with local points
The points chosen to treat frozen shoulder are often selected from those on the small intestine meridian, especially from SI-9 through SI-12, which run across the shoulder area. A key point is bingfeng (SI-12) at the attachment zone for the shoulder capsule. Bingfeng (grasping the wind; which became the title of a book about the names of acupuncture points; 8), is located by raising the arm, which produces an indentation at this spot. It is used to relieve disorders where there is shoulder pain accompanied by difficulty raising the arm, as occurs with frozen shoulder. In a report published in 1998 (9), results from treating 60 patients with "shoulder-arm" syndrome were relayed.
Although this report did not address frozen shoulder, it claimed to produce marked effects through use of this single point (a second point would be treated for manifestations of the disorder in the forearm or hand).
Local treatment was the primary focus of a recent report by Jin Dongxi and Li Zhingtai, who described treatment of 50 patients with frozen shoulder using acupuncture and massage (10). They stimulated several points on the shoulder, including bingfeng, as well as others on the hand and arm of the same side as the affected shoulder. The points selected for treatment were:
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)
Ashi or trigger points around the shoulder should be carefully sought and needled superficially; tiaokou (ST-38) with strong manipulation is useful. Deqi should be sought in the robust patient, with less stimulus in the weak patients. Electroacupuncture at quchi (LI-11), jianyu (LI-15), jianjing (GB-21), and jianzhen (SI-9) at 5 Hz helps; yanglingquan (GB-34) bilaterally for 2 minutes alone often controls pain and releases stiffness. Auricular therapy at shenmen, shoulder, shoulder joint, clavicle, and adrenal points is helpful. The patient should exercise faithfully with a slow warm-up.
Finally, the use of scalp acupuncture should be mentioned. This treatment is frequently used for chronic pain syndromes and was the subject of an evaluation involving 210 cases (15). A point was treated along the vertex-temporal line, which runs from the head vertex baihui (GV-21) to the temple at xuanji (GB-6), about 40% of the way from the vertex to GB-6, which is in the zone corresponding to upper extremity disorders.
The needle was threaded about 30 mm (about an inch) towards the temple (a second needle, inserted close to the same point but angled 45 degrees to the first and crossing its path, was often used to get more intense stimulus). If only one shoulder was affected, the contralateral side would be treated; with both shoulders affected, both sides would be treated.
The patient was advised to relax, focus on the affected shoulder, and carry out shoulder movements during the treatment, while the practitioners manipulated the needles (with repetitive rapid withdrawal about 3 mm, then slower return) at least every 5 minutes and sometimes also massaged the shoulder. The needles would then be retained for 1-2 hours, or up to 1-2 days for severe cases. Typically, treatment was carried out every 1-2 days with seven sessions as a course of treatment. "
Chris then explains how Tai Chi can help prevent frozen shoulder, and gives some exercises and nutritional recommendations, including vitamin D supplementation.
If you suffer from frozen shoulder, the exercises and diagrams are very useful.
You can read the whole paper here. It is a swf file which should open in your browser as a slide show or with Flash. Diagrams and pictures of the acupuncture points are included in the paper.
"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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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.
Basic TCM Knowledge regarding Osteoarthritis of the Knee
In Traditional Chinese Medicine 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.
Pathogenesis
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
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.
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 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), (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
"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."
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