Go ahead and swear!

Go Ahead and Swear! A study published in NeuroReport shows that uttering your favorite curse word helps ease pain. In this study, the participants held their hand in an ice water bath while repeating a curse word. They then held their hand in the water a second time while repeating an everyday neutral word. They reported their pain levels for each "bathing," and it was found that the participants reported a lesser pain experience while being allowed to repeat a curse word.

In Chinese medical theory this makes a certain amount of sense. Pain is caused by our Qi not flowing smoothly. Stress is caused by our Liver Qi not moving properly (Liver being related to the emotion of anger or frustration). Swearing can help release our Liver Qi, freeing it. Perhaps swearing also has an effect on not just our Liver Qi, but all of the Qi in our body. Free Qi movement equals reduced pain!

So, if you bang your thumb with a hammer, or are a pregnant woman going through labor, feel free to mutter (or scream!) that favorite curse word. You'll feel better for it!



*I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts lately, the kiddo has ceased taking naps recently, making me reconfigure our schedule and trying to figure out when to get some writing done. I hope to get back on the writing wagon now that things have settled down a bit! Thanks for being patient with us!

What is Qi?

Ooooh, this is a fun question! Biomedicine has been wondering this FOREVER! (Or, at least since they learned of Chinese Medicine and Qi.)

I like to tell my patients when they ask, that Qi is what makes the difference between being alive and being dead.

Biomedicine doesn't know what makes us alive vs. dead, and they don't know what Qi is. Coincidence? I think not!

One textbook definition of Qi is "The fundamental substance of which all matter in the natural world are composed. All matters in the natural world are formed by the change and movement of Qi." (Advanced Textbook on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, Vol. 1. New World Press, Beijing, China, 2002.)

Another textbook similarly describes it as "The fundamental substance constituting the universe, and all phenomena are produced by the changes and movement of Qi. Qi is both the essential substances of the human body which maintain its vital activities, and the functional activities of the organs and tissues." (Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, China, 2003.)

Free, smooth movement of sufficient amounts of Qi is essential to health and vitality. When this is not the case, we begin to experience unhealth. Acupuncture is certainly not the only way to achieve free and plentiful Qi. Health CAN be retained and regained through healthful living, but Chinese medicine can speed the process back to health. In addition, Chinese medicine can PREVENT disease by ensuring that the amount of Qi that one has is always in adequate supply and moving properly throughout the body.

So what does Qi feel like? To me, as a practitioner, when I needle a patient and I'm aiming for the Qi, it often will feel like the tip of my needle is bouncing on the surface of a balloon. When I "get the Qi" it feels as though this balloon has let the needle in. I've heard other practitioners describe it as a gentle tugging sensation on the tip of the needle.

My patients often say that Qi feels like someone pressing on their skin at the site of the needle. Some patients will feel this same sensation of pressure run along the channel after the needle has been inserted. Some people will feel the Qi as a mild warm or cool sensation at the needle.

Perhaps it's this inability to even describe the sensation of Qi that has led so many to be skeptical of its existence? Okay, maybe it's due to the fact that there are no biomedical tests that can prove that it exists.

Regardless, Chinese medical practitioners can feel the Qi in your pulse, can see it reflected on your tongue and in your face, and can feel it through the needles. Thousands of years of patients and practitioners and positive results can't ALL be wrong.

One of my biggest pet peeves

We hear it all the time. "It couldn't hurt." It sounds innocent enough, and REALLY it is a sign that things are changing in the biomedical field. Doctors are starting to accept the fact that even though acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine don't test well under "standard double-blind, placebo-controlled studies" (watch for a future post on the problems with this style of testing of Chinese medicine), they are seeing that their patients often get relief from non-biomedical medicine.

Here is my problem with hearing the words, "It couldn't hurt:" It COULD hurt if done improperly, and may not do any good. A licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist goes through a 4-year program of learning in GREAT depth all of the intricacies of this style of medicine. In many states, doctors are allowed to practice acupuncture without ANY training because it is considered a "medical procedure" and thus falls under their scope of practice. Luckily, the doctors who practice acupuncture without ANY knowledge of the system are few in numbers. However, the "training" that many doctors receive should not be considered training, but a brief introduction. 100-300 hours of instruction just isn't enough to learn the ins and the outs of such an intricate system of medicine. Kudos to those doctors who have the conscience to get at least SOME knowledge, but this doesn't make you an acupuncturist.

Unfortunately, through programs to teach "medical acupuncture" there isn't enough hands-on training, and this is where the problems lie, in my opinion. There are proper angles and depths at which needles are inserted at each of the acupuncture points (of which there are over 500 commonly-used points). If needles are inserted improperly, such injuries can occur as tendonitis, neuritis, pneumothorax, peritonitis and more. An acupuncturist spends an entire YEAR learning just proper needle insertion, let alone the other aspects of the medicine.

"Medical acupucnturists" aren't given enough training in the art of Chinese medical diagnosis. For example, back pain, in Chinese medicine can have one of several different diagnoses that is leading to the patient experiencing pain in their back. Many medical acupucnturists use a standard set of acupuncture points (kind of like following a recipe to bake a cake) to treat back pain, regardless of the Chinese medical diagnosis. Doing so may lead them to use a point that, at best will have no effect, or at worst, exacerbate the complaint.

Another downfall to a lack of hands-on training is a lack of the concept and perception of Qi. Now, I know this may sound like a silly thing to be concerned with, but I assure you, it's not. (I will note here, that not believing in, or being able to feel Qi, at least isn't DIRECTLY harmful, just a waste of a patient's time, money and trust in the medicine). Medical practitioners who learn "medical acupuncture" are not taught to feel Qi. To me this is missing the entire point of the medicine! If you can't feel the Qi, or don't believe that it exists, how can you manipulate it in order to get the healing response that is desired?

Again, I applaud doctors for opening their minds to the possibilities that other styles of medicine can work. However, unless you're willing to dedicate your time to getting full training, please refer your patients to a specialist. Let's all stick to what we're good at, and refer our patients to each other. They will be the major benefactors, which is what should have gotten us into medicine in the first place.

Acupuncture as treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

The study "Acupuncture's Effects in Treating the Sequelae of Acute and Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries: A Review of Allopathic and Traditional Chinese Medicine Literature" has shown that electro-acupuncture can be useful in mitigating many of the symptoms associated with a spinal cord injury. The studies that were reviewed included studies that looked at all Spinal Cord Injury problems, bladder problems, pain issues and dysreflexia (spasms that can cause high blood pressure).

Electro-acupuncture is the application of a small electric pulse through acupuncture needles. Electro-acupuncture typically is very mild, and has been described as causing a "tapping" sensation. When electro-acupuncture is applied to the site of the Spinal Cord injury, relief from many of the above mentioned symptoms are lessened.

There have also been some studies from China showing some nerve regrowth in rodents with Spinal Cord Injuries. The regrowth is still slow, but quicker than the natural regrowth that does occur. This could potentially be very useful in patients with incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries.

What might this mean?

In terms of money, the medical costs over the lifetime of a person with quadriplegia totals more than three million dollars. For a person with an incomplete spinal cord injury, one in which they likely retain some motor functions, the total is still a staggering $680,000! This is if we're only talking about the medical costs. If you factor in lost wages, decreases in productivity on the job, and fringe benefits, the totals can be an additional $62,000 per year. That's a LOT of money! If some of the medical costs are reduced due to fewer infections and less pain, how much could be saved?

In terms of life improvement, medical problem occurrences are reduced. Can you imagine being in constant pain? How about frequent bladder infections because you have to be catheterized? What if these can each be reduced? Fewer infections and less pain could mean a very different outlook for many!

From a Chinese medical standpoint, a Spinal Cord Injury is just another stagnation of the flow of Qi. Remember the car accident on the freeway analogy? A Spinal Cord Injury is a MAJOR blockage to the flow of Qi, but small improvements CAN be made, which may mean BIG improvements in quality of life for someone living with such an injury.

Leave the magic alone!

So I did a search on Google for acupuncture today and was reading through some articles. Some were on the latest research. Some were on a new clinic that just opened up somewhere on the east coast. Some were written by acupuncturists who went through "Medical Acupuncture" training. This last group were the ones that caught my eye today and have spurred on this post. First off, I want to write a little bit of a disclaimer. I'm getting ready to hop up on my soapbox here, so if you're not interested, just close your browser window now ;)

And now, let the games begin!

First off, a little background on "Medical Acupuncture." Medical acupuncture is the result of biomedicine taking acupuncture and using it for their own purposes. They've seen that huge amounts of people get acupuncture done on a regular basis. They've seen that these people have had sometimes miraculous results. They've taken acupuncture and stripped it of its system (because Qi, Yin and Yang are faniciful, magical theories that can't exist) and turned it into a set of recipes. For pain you do this set of points. For nausea - this set. For diarrhea yet another set. There isn't a great amount of attention paid to the Chinese medical diagnosis, as there is to the symptoms. Biomedicine has found through research that certain points are used often in treating certain conditions and feels that all of the "magical" theory of Qi, Yin and Yang can be discarded. Sounds familiar, right? That's what biomedicine does! They want to find the active ingredient in order to turn it into a marketable pill. Forget that there may be other ingredients that are working with the active ingredient to make it even more powerful!

For the record, I don't actually have a problem with "Medical Acupuncture." People who practice this style of acupuncture get results and patients DO feel better!

However. Yes, there's a however. (You should know me by now!) This system of acupuncture has been watered down, and I think the results get watered down in the process as well. By ignoring the theories of Chinese medicine, you leave out its main purpose - to treat not just the symptoms, but the body as a whole.

Chinese medicine has been in existence for at least 5000 years. The system has been tried and true and is still used as a MAJOR form of healthcare in China. Can't we just leave it at that? Do we HAVE to know HOW it works? We know from reasearch that acupuncture releases endorphins. We know that it effects our nervous system. However, science still can't explain HOW it works. Acupuncture may effect nerves and endorphins, but it goes beyond that, and science can't figure out what "that" is!

I'm not saying stop the research. Not at all. What I'm saying is that researchers and those reading the studies need to understand that there's more working here than endorphins and neurons, and that the system doesn't work by using just one point! When you read a study that says, "this point doesn't work for that symptom," please keep in mind that no point is meant to work in isolation. Acupuncture is a system, not a pill. Also, "that point" may not work on everyone with "that symptom," because not every patient has the Chinese medical diagnosis that calls for "that point;" they may need another point that is also good for "that symptom."

When you take a system that is not based on science (though science often CAN support that it works) and try to look at it through your scientific lens, you might not get to see it for what it is. When you boil that system down to try to find what makes it tick, you lose the magic that holds it together. You lose that which makes it work. Don't ignore the stuff that makes it work. Let's not forget that Qi and Yin and Yang and all of the theories of Chinese medicine ARE Chinese medicine. Let there be some scientific unknowns. Let there be magic!

Acupressure is as effective as Acupuncture

So you don't like the idea of being needled. That's cool, you won't hurt my (or any other acupuncturist's) feelings! There is always the option of having acupressure performed, rather than acupuncture.

One of the main questions that I get asked about acupressure is if it's as effective as acupuncture. The answer is yes. Acupuncture is merely one method of effecting someone's Qi. There are styles of "acupuncture" where the practitioner holds the needle next to your skin, but doesn't puncture it. There are practitioners who can treat patients from great distances - they don't even have to be in the same room let alone the same city!

One reason acupuncture seems more popular than acupressure is that it's easier. The metal of the needle works like a lightning rod, conducting the healing energy very easily through it. It takes a lot of control and power to be able to conduct the healing energy safely through yourself to your patient. Another reason people tend to prefer acupuncture over acupressure? The psychological effect that needling has. "If I'm being needled, it MUST be stronger than just pushing on my skin."

So, if you're not into the idea of being needled, feel free to talk to your acupuncturist about your preferences. Never is it NECESSARY to needle an acupoint. Acupressure works just as well.


Image courtesy of: www.bcrelax.com/acupressure/

I'm a proud tree-hugger! (But not for the reason you might expect!)

I've done a lot of hiking. When I was in acupuncture school, a friend of mine and I used to go hiking in the Columbia River Gorge whenever we had a long enough break between classes. Sure, all of our classmates thought we were slacking off. We let them think that. What they didn't know was that we had found the ultimate way to de-stress and allow our energy to flow smoothly so that we could study more efficiently.

What we found was that there was an interesting exchange taking place between us and the trees. Much like the exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) that occurs between animals and plants, we discovered the existence of an energy exchange.

In Chinese medicine, the Liver is the main organ that is involved when we feel "stressed out." Stress causes our energy to clump together so that it doesn't move properly. One of the Liver's jobs is to assist in the smooth flow of Qi. In order to compensate for our energy not moving correctly, our Liver beefs itself up to try to handle the bigger load. What we end up with is too much Liver energy, creating an imbalance. The Liver is associated with the element of wood, and so a stressed-out person may be described as "having too much wood energy."

What we found is that when we went hiking, our stress simply disappeared. The trees, because they ARE wood, were taking all of our extra wood energy and using it to become bigger and stronger trees. They need that wood energy, we need to get rid of any extra wood energy. Pretty neat, huh?

So the next time you're feeling stressed out, go for a walk in a wooded area. And if no one's around, or if you're like me and don't care what other people think, give a tree a hug. You'll both feel better for it!

Acupuncture can help Peri-Menopausal symptoms

Feeling hot? Considering making your freezer your home? Hot flashes can be one of the most annoying, and most noticeable, symptoms of peri-menopause. Common symptoms of peri-menopause include: forgetfulness, dryness (including not only skin and hair, but the vaginal wall), irregular periods, and of course, hot flashes. 34 Menopausal Symptoms has a great list and description of these and less-common symptoms (or ones that may be more common, but aren't always thought of as being associated with menopause).

Most women in this transitional time in their lives seek some form of relief for their symptoms. And who can blame them? They're losing out on sleep, they're uncomfortable from the symptoms much of the time, and NO ONE is being understanding of this time in their lives! One of the most common, and most controversial treatments has been hormone replacement (HR or HRT). Sure, it's helped a lot of women through the symptoms, but it isn't without risks, and isn't it just slowing the transition?

According to Chinese Medicine, this is a natural, normal and healthy time of change, just like becoming an adult - remember how crazy that change was? The secret to staying symptom-free (or at least symptom-not-so-noticeable) is keeping yourself balanced energetically during this time. Remember, when our energy becomes unbalanced, this is when we start experiencing unhealth and boy do our bodies start complaining!

Using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, it's very possible to ease the symptoms of peri-menopause. This isn't done by adjusting the hormone levels (as is the case with HRT), but by adjusting how your body responds to your changing levels of hormones. By reminding your body that this is normal, and that it's okay to go with the flow, it doesn't panic and create all of the miserable symptoms in an effort to get back to what it once considered "normal."

Because your body is being reminded how to be healthy, not covering up unhealth, there are no side effects and you'll be much more comfortable through this incredible change in your life!

What to Expect on Your First Acupuncture Visit

You've never had acupuncture before and, frankly, the needles are a little intimidating. Do they hurt? Is it safe? What does it feel like? Let's answer some of these questions (and more!) so that there is less to fear!

When you first go to an acupuncturist, you'll discuss your health in great depth. Don't be afraid to share symptoms that seem "weird" or "unimportant;" you'd be surprised how often these symptoms fit into the picture just right and will help your acupuncturist get a more complete and accurate diagnosis for you!

After discussing your health, your acupuncturist will check your tongue. Yes, I said TONGUE! Remember, acupuncture existed LONG before modern scientific tests, so ancient acupuncturists had to rely on the body and it's signs to make a diagnosis. Our tongues reflect the state of our bodies. For example, if someone is having sleep troubles, you will often find that the tip of their tongue is bright red. Try using this as a party trick sometime!

Next is reading your pulse. In Chinese medicine, we have 3 different pulses on each wrist where our Qi is represented. Your acupuncturist will check your pulse for general speed (like at your doctor's office), but they will also check it for quality - what it feels like as it travels through the blood vessel.

And finally, your acupuncturist will start inserting needles. Acupuncture needles are single-use only, which means they will only be used on you, then disposed of properly in a sharps container, just like at your doctor's office! Acupuncture needles are super small - they're only about the thickness of a single human hair. They're solid, unlike hypodermic needles used for vaccines, so there's very little pain when the needle is put in (only a mild pinch!). Once the needle is in place, it shouldn't be painful at all! Some people may feel a sense of heaviness or pressure where the needle is - this is the sensation of the Qi! Some people feel the Qi, some people don't, both are perfectly normal responses.

Acupuncture needles are usually left in place between 15-45 minutes depending on your diagnosis. During this time, many people like to meditate, relax or even fall asleep (my personal favorite is the latter!). Whatever you choose to do during this time, the important thing is to physically and mentally relax so that the medicine can do it's work.

After you have rested with your needles in place, your acupuncturist will remove them. Some people may feel a little tired after an acupuncture treatment, some people may feel energized, some people won't feel any changes at all. All of these are normal responses. Talk with your acupuncturist about how quickly they might expect you to start seeing results. Some people see some changes after just one visit, some people may not see results for up to 8 visits. We're all different, and we're all in different stages of health or unhealth.

Congratulations, you've just finished your first acupuncture experience! Welcome to the beginning of your path to health!

Acupressure you can do on your pet at home!

Most pets like acupuncture, but everyone loves acupressure! Acupressure is like very specific petting, which pet wouldn't love that? Today I'm going to give you a few safe, but effective points that you can massage on your pets at home! Leila, my cat, LOVES to have these points massaged!

Before starting any acupressure on your pet, make sure that both you and your pet are in a relaxed state. Talk to your pet, tell them how good this is going to feel and how awesome they'll feel afterward! Always start VERY gently - barely touching the pet - gradually increasing pressure to no more than just the natural weight of your hand. Remember, this is subtle stuff, it doesn't take much to get your pet's energy activated! If your pet doesn't appreciate the acupressure, don't force the issue. It's possible that the points aren't quite right for your pet, or that they're sore. It's amazing how great pets are at knowing what's right for them!

1. Bai Hui (pronounced "by way") is located on the top of the head half way between where his or her eyebrows would be and the base of their skull where it meets the neck. This point is located between the ears. Bai Hui is great for helping calm your pet. If things have been stressful at home, or you just want to help make sure your pet is relaxed as possible, give this one a try! Massage this point using small, gentle circles.


2. Back Shu points (pronounced "shoe") are a set of points that are located all along the spine of your pet. These points are located about 1/2" to 2" (depending on the size of your pet) from the center of the spine on both sides. I like to think of these points as the dorrbells to the internal organs. When you massage these points, it's like saying to the internal organs, "Hello! I'm here and we'd like for you to come out and do your work! Help Leila be as healthy as she can!" Massage these points by stroking from between the shoulder blades down along their back to the base of their tail.


3. The insides of the ears contain what's called a micro-system. The entire body is represented in points located on the inner surface of the ears and rubbing them will activate all the systems of the body. Maybe this explains why some dogs LOVE to have us rub the insides of their ears? (Hopefully they don't have too much ear wax!) Feel free to gently rub all over the insides of the ears, avoiding the ear canal of course, and see how your pet appreciates it!


These are a great way to relax and improve the general health of your pet and it's a great way to bond to boot!

What is this acupuncture stuff? How does it work?

This is your standard-issue picture of the acupuncture meridians and acupuncture points. Many of us have seen this picture, or something like it, hanging around. The lines are the meridians and the Qi (or that stuff that means the difference between being alive and being not-alive) travels through them. The dots on the lines are the acupuncture points and we can access the Qi flowing through the meridians at these points. But still, how does it WORK?

I like to explain to people that meridians are like a freeway system and our Qi is like the cars on the freeway. When we're healthy and pain-free the cars are driving around fine, there's no traffic, no accidents and no road-rage. It's when accidents (a broken bone, a bruised elbow, an arthritic knee), the evening commute (an imbalance of Qi with too much in one meridian, and not enough in another), or road-rage (stress) occur that create symptoms in us.

For an accident example, you sprain your ankle playing basketball and it's doing all of the classic things that ankle sprains do: the area starts swelling (the Qi cars are getting backed up!), it is painful to the touch, let alone to walk on (the people stuck in the traffic jam are starting to get cranky!), and it's turning all KINDS of fun colors (the Qi cars aren't allowed past the accident). For treatment, an acupuncturist is going to play the role of the Department of Transportation. They are going to open the meridians and move blood (get the Qi cars involved moved to the side of the freeway to allow the cars to pass) and remove stagnation (get some of the Qi cars to exit the free way and take another route). All of these actions will allow for the swelling to come down and for the Qi to get to and from the area in a proper, organized fashion to promote healing.

For an evening commute example, you're exhausted constantly and really have a hard time getting yourself to do much of anything. You don't have quite enough Qi to spread around (there are too many cars on the road, instead of working or running the house - doing the things that help our society function), so you see a noticeable decrease in your ability to multi-task. Multi-tasking here includes the action of being alive, not just all of the things we say we're doing when we're multi-tasking such as exercising, painting the house, making dinner, keeping the kids entertained, etc. An imbalance is created because we need to use our Qi to stay alive and keep our bodies functioning, but there's not quite enough left over to do the fun stuff (or the not-so-fun-but-necessary stuff!). Treatment will be to increase your amount of Qi, while making sure that it is distributed properly. If our Qi levels aren't kept high and the distribution is uneven for very long, our bodies will start cutting back on it's functions - this is when unhealth happens.

For a road-rage example, you're stressed out. Work has been too demanding; NO human can do what they're asking! You think and worry about it incessantly and it's even disturbing your sleep! Stress really messes with us, yeah? So what's going on energetically is that when we get stressed out, our energy flow becomes ragged instead of smooth (erratic driving), which then leads to getting irritated easily (that driver sure seems angry!) and our Qi going against it's normal flow (the one committing the road-rage may even go so far as to follow someone off an exit that wasn't in their pre-planned route!) often leading to sleep disturbances, heart burn, appetite changes and such. Acupuncture will help calm us and promote the proper movement of Qi, allowing for health and happiness to return.

So in short, Qi is what makes us alive, the meridians are the pathways that Qi travels through to get to the different areas of our bodies to do it's work and acupuncture points are the access points to influence our Qi and it's proper amounts, distribution and flow.

Synergy

So, I always thought that acupuncture worked best when used in conjunction with Chinese herbal medicine. I always thought that Chinese herbal medicine worked best when use with acupuncture. This was so much the case that even though some of my classmates vowed they would never use Chinese herbs in their practice and thus shouldn't have to learn all bazillion of them (this might be a slight exaggeration on my part of how many herbs we had to learn), I struggled and plodded along learning all of the flavors, temperatures and actions of all those darned herbs.
Why did I punish myself so? Because in my own experiences as a health sufferer, I found that while each worked alone, I REALLY liked the results that I got when I was treated by both methods. Sure, acupuncture helped. Yeah, Chinese herbs made a difference. But put them together and it was incredible! (Okay, so the treatment experience wasn't always pleasurable - the needles kinda hurt going in and the herbs are sometimes hard to get down, but it is SO worth those temporary inconveniences!)
Because of these beliefs, I was super excited to find in my e-mail box this morning a letter from an old classmate about a study that was recently published (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19001827?ordinalpos=15&itool=Email.EmailReport.Pubmed_ReportSelector.Pubmed_RVDocSum) showing that there seems to be some proof that acupuncture helps the absorption of Huang Qin (pronounced wong cheen)! How cool is that? The ancient Chinese healers have known for millenia that these two modalities compliment each other beautifully!
I'm sure as research continues, science will find that this is true not just with Huang Qin, but with many, if not all, of the herbs used in the Chinese formulary!