Another stretch of the envelope

One of the classes I am teaching this quarter is "Acupuncture Techniques." This is the final of a series of three classes. I enjoy teaching this class because I get to cover some of the different techniques such as electro-stimulation, intra-dermal needling, auricular acupuncture and "gwa-sha."

A few weeks ago we were covering the electro-stimulation. It is relatively new in the eyes of acupuncture as it is between 30-40 years of age. It is somewhat controversial in that it is not 'traditional,' The ancient masters did not have 9-volt microcurrent machines they could incorporate into their treatments. But I think if they had them, they would have used them and loved them.

The understanding is that pain is caused by a restriction in the flow of energy, or 'qi.' "Where there is no free-flow there is pain. Where there is free-flow there is no pain" is an ancient saying in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Micro-current electrical stimulation is used to break up the stagnation that is impeding the flow of the qi, thereby reducing the pain level.

Lets look at this in the context of knee pain. Imagine six needles into the area around your knee, two above, two below and two on both sides of the knee joint itself. Now visualize a MICRO current being sent through the needles into the muscles and to the opposite needle. Top-outside needle to bottom-inside needle.

By passing a MICRO current through the knee in this way it does help reduce the pain. I know from my own personal experience and the many, many others I have helped with this.

So we were covering this concept and teaching the students what to do, and most importantly what NOT to do.

One of the students used to be a cabinet maker, carpenter, wood-worker. Her wrist has these strange nodule/growths on them. She asked what would happen if we hooked her to the machine. I replied: "I honestly do not know." She asked again if we would. She really wants to get rid of these nodules, there are three just above the wrist all in a line and all about the size of green peas.

So I said, as I am prone to saying:" What the heck, why not!" We hooked her up to the machine with only one lead pushing the current through the phlegm-ball nodules. It was turned up fairly high, a 6.5 and I have NEVER turned it above a 7. It has been my experience that we normally feel it around 3-3.5. The higher the number the more energy it is taking to get through the area and I take that to mean the greater or more severe the damage. After around 15 minutes, still with no feeling of sensation all of the sudden her arm started twitching and she could feel it, strongly. That had changed in a time of 10-15 seconds. I turned it way down then off in a few more minutes.

She reported the arm as having more feeling. She was happy and excited about it. Two weeks later is when we really stretched the envelope.

The next week we were covering "Intradermal needles" where you insert a very small, very short needle and then tape it in place and leave it there for a few days. We did that to her wrist, at her specific request. (You have to love adventurous acupuncture students!!!) The tape came off and was gone before she left the parking lot. I guess her body just did not like that idea.

But, Bless her heart, she wanted to try something a bit more aggressive. SO.

We cleaned her arm up then using a diabetic lancet we 'popped' the most distal nodule and then she pushed out this clear, slightly yellow gelatinous mass. (Read this as yech!!!). It felt fine, we covered it and went on with class.

Two week later the masses on her wrist are completely gone. She feels better, has more range of motion and better sensation.


But in all actuality I must confess this was stretching even my envelope. But it was effective and I always say that is what is the most important.
KIDS, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!