An Ear, Revisited

One of the many things I am doing these days is performing auricular acupuncture in a very comprehensive program we have created at Peaceful Spirit Therapeutic Massage here in Tucson. The two primary protocols are for smoking cessation and maintaining a healthy weight. I say the programs are very comprehensive because in addition to the ear acupuncture we also have a psycho-therapist and nutritionist involved. Each participant gets two sessions with the therapist and a nutritional review/education session. The participants are doing very well. We are just starting week two of a twelve week course. I expect they may hit a 'wall' in another two weeks. But that is why we have set the program up like we have; three treatments a week for a month, two a week for another month and finish off with once a week for the last month. I think it is a great program and service.

One of the ladies in the program asked me an interestng question last week. One that I do not have an entirely clear answer for.

She experiences a lot of eye pain and a sensation of 'scratchiness' in her eyes. She has been experiencing this for more than a year, her opthamalogist does not have a clear diagnosis. But since she has been coming into the ear clinic she is not experiencing this pain or scratchiness.

It would make more sense in my brain if I had been needling points that are associated with her eyes, or her liver. But I am not.

I am doing points to calm the shen (Shenmen), balance the endocrine and hormone systems, reduce hunger and target her stomach and spleen. One point (Anti-depression) is close to the "eye point" but close to is not the same as on poit, especially in auricular acupuncture.

This is one of the times when I say "H,mmm. I honestly do not know the mechanism of how this is happening." I also know that neither she, nor I, care how it is happening; she is just glad that it is.

After each of the sessions the participants are in a good, calm state. Laughing ans smiling as they head back into their lives. It has been interesting to hear how the auricular acupuncture is affecting their lives and the reactions they have had to incidents throughout the day.

I may not be able to explain exactly how auricular acupuncture works, but it is obvious that something is happening.

How does this work???

This afternoon I was giving a treatment to a nice lady that has had severe chronic neck pain for the last two years. She took two falls within two weeks and has been in pain ever since.

This afternoon I was giving her an intial treatment, complete with the 10,000 questions. "And we leave no part unquestioned" to paraphrase an old Arlo Guthrie song. After the needles were in and she was relaxing on the table I decided to do "invisible needling" on her hands and neck.

Invisible needling is when the acupuncturist holds a needle over a point and manipulates it so that the patient can feel the qi at the site. This is done without actually puncturing the skin. After a couple of minutes she was able to feel the points on her hand. They got "warm and heavy." That was what I expected. Then I went up to the side of her neck where she acutally feels the pain. The sensation I felt as I worked this point was like when I try to push to magnets together of the same polarity. That mushy, repelling feeling. Not a technical term but I do not know how else to describe it.

When I started to 'work' the point she was feeling energy move through her head, over her ears and close to the back of her eyes. This was interesting and not completely what I expected. But the next point is where it really deviated from expectations.

I went to the point of her neck where she has a ruptured disck, C-6/C-7. I started to 'work' the point and noticed that the one needle I had in tyhe side of her neck, where it hurts the most was "throbbing" and "vibrating" at the same pace as when I was working the invisible needle. The feeling here was not the magnetic repelling feeling, but more like needling into a sponge. Very strange.

What does this mean? Why would an invisible needle technique create this type of a response? I wish I knew a clear answer. I do know that the energetic field of the body does extend past the physical. It was the first time I have had this strong of a response from invisible needling.

When she got off the table her neck felt better and she wanted to take a nap.

I wonder what she will be feeling in a few days when I get to see her at the facility??
How will her neck have responded to this?

Questions that I do not have answers for tonight...

A moment in the Sun

A few months ago I started working with a business coach and I have written about narrowing my focus. This work has really help me. Personally and Professionally. Last Monday the article appeared in the local newspaper. It was great. A lot of fun and five new patients out of it. Follow the link in the title to read the actual article.

I enjoyed the interview and the entire process. I have seen how I have narrowed my focus and through that improved my effectivenss. I still treat pretty much anything within acupunctures field, but my focus is womens health.

This process has also inspired me to reach out to other groups of women and through that I have written a paper on endometriosis. Go to my web site to read it.

All in all I am enjoying this aspect of my life.

Still working at imroving a few others... ;-)

Will write more soon.
Michael