Acupuncture & TCM Blog: Search Results

Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain & Shaking

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on May 26, 2010 11:03 PM | Permalink

Patient, a 63 year old female, is being treated for shoulder pain and shaking of the right shoulder.

Patient has been coming for treatment of this condition for 6 months. To date, the patient reports that since treatment her shoulder pain has improved 80% and the shaking has also gotten better. The duration of the shaking has decreased.

The treatment is geared towards balancing the body to reduce the pain and calm the internal wind which is causing the shaking.

NYCTCM Clinic Senior Intern AnnaMaria DiLisio

NYCTCM Clinical Training - Acupuncture Program

The clinical aspect of the program consists of four phases:

Observation (5 credits/150 hours)--in this phase the student observes the acupuncturists and interns in all aspects of their practice: patient intake, questioning, checking pulse and tongue, diagnosis, treatment strategy, and needling.
Assistantship (2 credits/60 hours)--in this phase students begin to assist the acupuncturists in treatment procedures such as moxibustion and cupping, and can withdraw needles from the patient.
Junior Internship (8 credits/240 hours)--in this phase students begin to needle patients under close supervision, and perform diagnoses with guidance from the clinical instructor.
Senior Internship (9 credits/270 hours)--in this final phase students diagnose and treat patients with more minimal supervision.

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Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for Digestive Disorders

By

Astara

on May 22, 2010 7:28 AM | Permalink

Eliminating Waste in Practice: Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for All Digestive Disorders

By Lisajeanne Potyk, LAc

Most of the patients I see in my clinic suffer from a variety of digestive disorders. They do not effectively process their food. They have diarrhea, heartburn, and acid reflux disease. They're nauseated.

And who would expect any different? In this fast-paced, high-technology culture, we're overrun with time constraints and stressors of all kinds.

People unaware of what a good diet consists of rely on processed fast foods and meats packed with hormones and antibiotics. In the West, we're overprescribed antibiotics and other medications; women are reeling from the side-effects of birth control pills; and we regularly take any of a myriad of anti-inflammatories for the slightest ache. It's no wonder so many people are experiencing internal disharmony. And if all of that wasn't enough, most people either don't know how to, or are afraid to, release their emotions. Opting for a sense of control, they "hold." And they get constipated.

The digestive system is a mirror to how we process our external world on every level. Are we assimilating good nutritional, emotional and spiritual nourishment, and effectively eliminating what is toxic to us? Are we letting go of negative situations and allowing ourselves to be nurtured by positive ones? Without the foundation of a healthy, properly nourished body, we can't find the strength to feed into our emotions. If there's a backlog of undigested emotions, any digestive symptom can manifest. Once balance in the body is established by poor nutrition and digestive functions, we gain the platform to integrate our internal and external worlds.

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches us to properly diagnose and treat our patients using staid, ancient teachings recorded thousands of years ago. People don't change from century to century, but their circumstances do. The environment, food, medications, and stressors affecting our patients are very different today, and since the disharmonies that cause them are rampant, digestive disorders are also rampant. Diagnosis and treatment according to the TCM model, written in (and for) a different time, can therefore be complicated and confusing.

Now, imagine a group of acupuncture points that could be used to balance every kind of digestive disorder, including irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, ulcerative colitis, indigestion, and more. Imagine that the points are simple, easy to follow, and quite effective. There is no need to take the pulse, no need to consult a textbook, and no need to fumble through myriad causes. Wouldn't that be magic? It is, thanks to Dr. Teh Fu "Richard" Tan.

Dr. Tan has dedicated his life to experimenting with combinations of points, which are used with excellent clinical results, often instantaneously. Isn't that what we, as practitioners, want - to insert our needles, see an immediate change, and know our treatment is working? With the eight magic points, Dr. Tan offers the ability to elicit consistent, positive results.

One could consult any number of the core books written on TCM theory, but isn't the practice of acupuncture - of healing - about how much better the patient feels after being treated? Better to learn the laws of acupuncture, become skilled at them through knowledge and discipline, and then break out into your own successful expression of them.

Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points

Points on one side: LI 4, SJ 5, Liv 8 (Dr. Tan's liver point), Sp 9

Points on other side: Lu 7, P 6, St 36, GB 34p (Dr. Tan's gallbladder point)

Liver 8 (Dr. Tan's liver point) and GB 34p (Dr. Tan's gallbladder point) are found in locations not traditionally known. According to Dr. Tan, needling these points is more effective. Dr. Tan's liver point is located anterior to Sp 9 on the medial condyle of the tibia, a rich region oddly ignored throughout history. The area can sometimes be very painful to the touch, but it can be more useful than Liver 3 in treating any stagnation in the Liver channel, especially when it is attached to the emotional disorders of resentment and anger.

GB 34p is located posterior to GB 34, just under the head of the fibula, where the tendon attaches. When penetrated, the point radiates electrically down to the foot, just as P 6 goes to the finger. It works better than GB 34, and is more sensitive. If both Liver 8 and GB 34p are tender, it can indicate an emotional component to the disorder. I regularly use this treatment for digestive ailments, with excellent results.

Case Studies

A 28-year old female came to me with anxiety and constant, burning pain in her epigastric area, something she'd experienced for much of her adult life. She was highly sensitive to many foods and didn't eat much. Most of the medical specialists she consulted gave her the same patent answer: "There's nothing wrong with you; it's all in your head." She was very nervous and skeptical about acupuncture, but she was also desperate.

After the third treatment with the eight magic points, her gastric burning and discomfort began to diminish. I continued seeing her twice a week. A month later, she was eating comfortably, and was fairly calm. She's received so much relief from the eight magic points that even a job transfer hasn't kept her from traveling to continue occasional treatments with me.

I have found the eight magic points useful for patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation, as it is a wonderful balancing treatment. A 40-year old female with breast cancer was just finishing her course of radiation when she came to me for acupuncture. She looked literally lifeless. Mostly bedridden, she had become frail, pale and weak. Given her delicate digestion and poor appetite, she wasn't getting the nutrients she needed to recover her strength. I kept the treatment simple, using light needling with the eight magic points. When she returned to me for our second session, a light had already turned on in her eyes. Even her family noticed the dramatic difference in her qi. Continuing treatments, she began her recovery from the adverse effects of radiation.

A pregnant woman, 28, experiencing severe vomiting and persistent nausea, came to my clinic for help. I chose to use the eight magic points, but substituted LI 3 for LI 4, which is forbidden during pregnancy. Her symptoms abated immediately. She continued with me throughout her pregnancy, and ultimately had an unusually easy delivery. She is now the mother of a healthy, contented newborn.

The eight magic points performs wonders on people experiencing emotional upset, especially women with hormonal imbalances. A 42-year old female experiencing perimenopausal symptoms came to see me for her emotional distress. Hypersensitive to everything and everyone, she felt deeply depressed and completely controlled by her emotions. She was so anxious that she couldn't eat; she couldn't even lie still on my table for more than 20 minutes without getting antsy. I explored my toolbox of protocols and decided intuitively to try the eight magic points. At her next treatment session, she raved about how much better she felt. I continued using the eight magic points, which became the antidote for her intense emotional imbalance.

Learning From Dr. Tan

The first six months of my apprenticeship with Dr. Tan consisted of simply observing him in his bustling clinic. I was to ask no questions. He told me, "Once you learn it in your heart, your mind will understand." The Chinese teach by familiarity, which leads to an instinctual knowing (the tiger). Once the ground of knowing is established, the "why" is understood (the wings). The student becomes familiar by watching; masterful and responsive through doing and observing results; and, once they've grown their wings, creative, by developing a style uniquely theirs.

I'm just getting my wings under Dr. Tan, but my clinical practice has long taken flight with the success of these treatments and the tremendous results my patients experience. The beauty of a protocol like this is that, as with magic, we don't have to understand why it works, because we see for ourselves that it works. Consider the eight magic points. See for yourself that it is magic.

Acupuncture Today
December, 2005, Vol. 06, Issue 12

NYCTCM is proud to sponsor three CEU Seminars by Dr. Tan, August 20, 21 & 22 2010.

Friday Aug 20th: Clinical Wonders with Acupuncture 1, 2, 3

Saturday Aug 21st: Advance Balance Method - Introduction to Global Balance, New Format

Sunday Aug 22nd : Advance Balance Method - Treating Zang-Fu Disorders with Meridian-Conversion Therapy

To register for Dr. Tan's Seminars, and for more information, go to New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Continuing Education Seminars

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Black tea helps diabetes

By

Astara

on April 29, 2010 9:31 PM | Permalink

Image via Wikipedia

"Black tea and diabetes
Scientists studied the polysaccharide levels of green, oolong, and black teas to determine whether they could be useful in treating diabetes. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate, including starches and cellulose (type of fiber), that are believed to benefit people who have diabetes because they help slow down the absorption of glucose (sugar).

Of the three teas, the polysaccharides in black tea had the most ability to inhibit glucose. The black tea polysaccharides also displayed the most antioxidant powers in seeking and destroying cell-damaging free radicals.

... In 2005, a research article published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that giving diabetic rats the equivalent of five cups of black or green tea per day reduced glucose levels and also significantly inhibited the formation of cataracts."

http://www.examiner.com/x-2994-Phoenix-Alternative-Medicine-Examiner~y2009m8d14-Black-tea-may-control-diabetes

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Choose Foods by their hot or cold character

By

Astara

on April 21, 2010 9:33 PM | Permalink

Image via Wikipedia

Correct Your Eating Habits

We have our eating habits but we are not sure if they are good or bad for our health. I would like to correct our bad eating habits.

Drinking cold water in the early morning.

Commonly many people have a habit of waking up in the morning and drinking a cup of cold water. They do not want to drink cold water early the morning, but they believe that it helps to their health. If we drink cold water in the early morning, it damages the Yang energy of your body.

If you have lots of heat on your stomach, such as dryness of the body fluid, it will help to drink cold water in the morning. These people drink cold water when they have constipation; it works for this symptoms.

In the morning, our body's yang energy is directed upward. So if you drink cold water, it might make you catch the flu easily during fall and winter because cold water directs the energy downward or expels yang energy from the body.

What about Salt?

I have heard about two theories about salt for health. One is that reducing salty food is good for our health, and the other is that bamboo salt is a good medicine. Which one is better for health? What do you think?

Bamboo salt has a salty taste, and works to reduce inflammation, and relieve or expel the body heat.

When you have lots of heat symptoms-in oriental medicine we say Stomach Fire- such as swelling and pain in the gums, or a sore throat from a cough, the bamboo salt helps to relieve these symptoms.

The salty taste is based on five elements of oriental medicine: goes to the Kidney, it flows downwards and softens hardness so that it is used to treat constipation and swelling. But it can also injure the body fluids if too much is consumed.

What kinds of Green tea do you like?

Which one do you prefer to drink, coffee or green tea?

Green Tea has a cold character. If you have lots of heat in your body, I suggest drinking green tea over coffee. However it is not good for a cold abdomen or body, because it creates dampness in the body.

When you drink green tea, you have to know about your body's conditions.

I would like to say Bo He (박하. Menthae Herb. 薄荷) and Ju Hua (국화. Chrysanthemum flower. 菊花) tea are the same as green tea. Their nature is cool and slightly cold. Bo He and Ju Hua are good for dispersing wind heat. They help to clear the eyes, clear heat from the head, and relieve a sore throat from heat. On the other hand, if you have cold symptoms or are cold hypersensitive, you have to avoid these kinds of tea.

We have cold or hot characters on our body, I would like to say food is the same as a human. They have cold characters or hot characters. I suggest that you discover which foods are good or bad for your body before eating.

Julie Lee, L. Ac.

Unique Acupuncture at Elixir Day Spa

Beaverton, Oregon

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Common cold treated with herbal tea

By

Astara

on April 12, 2010 6:58 PM | Permalink

Image via Wikipedia

Last weekend, my husband got a cold. He is liable to catch colds twice a year, often in the beginning of spring and winter. In the last few weeks, he has worked overtime at his day job and also worked at his mom's store. He worked 14 hours a day without rest.

Due to his tight schedule, he could not get good sleep. I noticed that he was exhausted already but he could not rest during the day. I prayed he would not catch a cold but finally he did.

Our private doctor is my dad, so I called him and told him, "My husband had a cold again."

He always said, "Again..."

About Me

When I was growing up in South Korea, I took herbal medicine from my dad twice a year. I think he makes the formula depends on my condition and symptoms. But I am sure it based on boosting energy, tonifying, harmonizing and balancing Yin and Yang.

It made me healthier than my husband even though he is tall, good muscle tone, good diet, and generally healthier than other men.

Thanks Dad!

My father suggested Tea therapy with acupuncture treatment. Tea therapies help prevent cold or during a cold, it can help you recover.

If you have frequently cough, your qi is ascending, producing fever during cold, Wu Wei Zi (오미자, Schisandrae, 五味子) Tea may help to reducing cough.

If you feel very low energy/qi deficiency, you can use Sheng Mai San (생맥산, Generate the Pulse Powder, 生脈散); it made from Wu Wei Zi (오미자,Schisandrae,五味子), Ren Shen (인삼, Ginseng Rx, 人蔘) , and Mai Men Dong (맥문동, Ophiopogonis Rx, 麥門冬).

When you drink cold water too fast, it creates dampness on the stomach and produces phlegm; these are the reason for developing cold symptoms. By drinking Sheng Jiang (생강, Zingberis Rx, 生姜) tea, it has warm and spicy characters so it expels phlegm, warm the body and provide energy.

The orange peel tea, we called Chen Pi (진피, Citri Pericarpium, 陳皮), it promote to circulates Lung Qi, descends the Lung energy.

When the Gan Cao (감초, Glycyrrhizae Rx, 甘草) and Da Zao (대조, Jujubae Fr, 大棗) boils together, it helps to reduce phlegm in the nose, reduces inflammation, sinus drainage, and also can open the orifices.

If you have a lot of phlegm, you put together with pear, honey and Jie Geng (길경, Platycodi Rx, 桔梗) and make tea. Jie Geng helps to expel phlegm, pear is for reducing heat in the Lung, and honey promotes health by harmonizing herbs.

Julie Lee, L. Ac.

Unique Acupuncture at Elixir Day Spa

Beaverton, Oregon

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Parkinson's treated with Chinese Medicine

By

Astara

on March 24, 2010 12:12 AM | Permalink

Here is an excerpt from an article about Parkinson's disease as seen from a TCM perspective.

"While nourishing kidney and liver is often accomplished by herb therapy, calming wind syndromes is more frequently attempted through acupuncture therapy."

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DA-loops_in_PD.jpg

PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Possible Treatment with Chinese Medicine

by Subhuti Dharmananda, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

"The characteristic symptoms of Parkinson's appeared in ancient Chinese medical texts that described trembling of the hands and shaking of the head. The disorder and its basis has been subjected to considerable analysis over the centuries. Syndromes in which elderly patients suffer from spontaneous shaking, or from other muscular manifestations such as paralysis or tonic spasm, are thought to be the result of yin deficiency of the kidney and liver leading to generation of "internal wind."

According to the theoretical understanding of aging, over time, the yin essence of the kidney and liver declines, and this leads to common signs of old age, such as drying of body fluids, fragility of body structures, graying of the hair, wrinkling of the skin, loosening of the teeth, and withering of the flesh. The basic text of Chinese medical theory, Neijing Suwen (ca. 100 A.D.), says that "One who is over 40 years of age will have his yin half-reduced." In ancient descriptions of trembling of hands and shaking of the head, and stiffening of the muscles, it is mentioned that these symptoms are a manifestation of wind and involve the liver organ system. The Neijing says: "All kinds of wind and dizziness are associated with the liver; all kinds of sudden stiffness are associated with wind." In order for the blood and yin of the liver to be full, the kidney essence must be adequate, as it is the source of the liver yin. The decline of kidney and liver functions have a common origin in the aging process in which kidney yin (or kidney essence) is reduced (1).

In order for the normal aging pattern to lead to Parkinson's-like symptoms, the liver yin has to become so weak that a syndrome of wind is elicited. This may occur because there are additional factors that adversely influence the kidney and liver. Genetic propensity to suffer from Parkinson's disease corresponds to inherited defects in the kidney essence. Susceptibility of the liver to deficiency and generation of wind may occur as the result of diseases that damage the liver, from excessive use of alcohol and drugs that can damage the liver, or from a long history of behaviors that are unhealthy. In addition, external wind may penetrate the channels and invade the liver to induce the internal wind syndrome. External wind is a mysterious concept invoking environmental factors of various types that adversely influence the body, starting at the body's surface and penetrating inward. The experience of external wind usually produces symptoms of aches and pains. The internal wind, whether generated from within or from the influence of external wind, produces symptoms of shaking, described in Compendium of Medicine this way: "The upgoing qi in the channels and collaterals does not keep its proper position, thus causing the head to shake and the limbs to tremble."

This interpretation of symptoms and signs associated with Parkinson's disease leads almost immediately to a therapeutic regimen: nourish the kidney and liver, with focus on nourishing yin, and sedate internal wind. While nourishing kidney and liver is often accomplished by herb therapy, calming wind syndromes is more frequently attempted through acupuncture therapy. In China, acupuncture and herbs have been used both independently and in combination."

The article continues to describe controlled studies using acupuncture and herbs.

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Frozen Shoulder helped with salt water injection

By

Astara

on February 12, 2010 2:57 PM | Permalink

"A salt water injection could help millions of people.. who suffer from frozen shoulder. The risk-free ten-minute procedure, known as hydrodilatation, involves injecting salty water directly into the shoulder."

The salty water breaks up the adhesion and the patients feel immediate relief.

Hydrodilatation takes just ten minutes and patients go home immediately.

"The procedure involves patients lying on their backs on an X-ray table. The injection is given using X-rays for guidance. Local anaesthetic and a steroid is then injected to calm down inflammation in the shoulder. Salty water - at a ratio of less than 1 per cent salt to water - is injected to balloon out the joint.

The normal joint space holds 10ml of fluid but a total of 40ml of fluid is injected. This lifts the stuck-down adhesions from the bone so that normal movement is restored. The excess water is then absorbed by the body over the next day or so. Patients are allowed to go home immediately. "

Read complete article at the link.

Frozen Shoulder Mail Online, March 2008

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Acupuncture for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

By

Astara

on July 15, 2009 9:39 AM | Permalink

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common job-related injuries and is responsible for the highest number of days lost among all work related injuries. It is the reason for over two million visits to physicians' offices and approximately 465,000 carpal tunnel release operations each year, making it the most frequent surgery of the hand and wrist.

Acupuncture is extremely effective at treating carpal tunnel syndrome; eliminating the need for surgery or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. In fact, one of the most common reasons that people get acupuncture is for repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Recent studies even suggest that acupuncture may be more effective than corticosteroids when it comes to treating CTS.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist made up of ligaments and bones. The median nerve and the tendons that connect the fingers to the muscles of the forearm pass through this tightly spaced tunnel.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as median nerve entrapment, occurs when swelling or irritation of the nerve or tendons in the carpal tunnel results in pressure on the median nerve. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.

Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb, index and middle fingers. The symptoms often first appear during the night. As symptoms worsen, people might feel pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm during the day. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. If not properly treated, CTS can cause irreversible nerve damage and permanent deterioration of muscle tissue.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Acupuncture

From an Oriental medicine perspective, CTS is seen as a disruption of the flow of Qi and Blood within the area and associated with Cold, Dampness or Wind penetrating the muscles and sinews of the wrist. Acupuncture points, stretching exercises, herbal remedies and nutritional supplements are chosen to treat accordingly.

As well as reducing the swelling, inflammation and pain in the wrist, acupuncture addresses any headaches, neck pain, shoulder stiffness and sleeping problems that often accompany this condition.

Your treatment may also take into account any underlying conditions that contribute to the development of CTS including obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid problems, diabetes, hormonal changes of pregnancy and menopause.

Tennis elbow can also be helped with acupuncture.

If you or someone you love suffers carpal tunnel syndrome, please call NYCTCM Teaching Clinic in Mineola or Manhattan to find out more about how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help you.

NYCTCM Teaching Clinic in Manhattan: 212-685-0888
NYCTCM Teaching Clinic in Mineola: 516-739-1545

Sources:
Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text. By Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1981
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Volume 105(5) April 2000 pp 1662-1665

Visit Acufinder for acupuncture articles, a list of acupuncture schools, and to find an acupuncture practitioner.

Results tagged “Conditions and Diseases” from Acupuncture & TCM Blog

Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain & Shaking

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Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for Digestive Disorders

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Black tea helps diabetes

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Choose Foods by their hot or cold character

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Common cold treated with herbal tea

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Parkinson's treated with Chinese Medicine

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Frozen Shoulder helped with salt water injection

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Acupuncture for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

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