Inflammation

Acupuncture Treatment of Pain

When Are you going to treat my pain??? 6/14/22

Over the past few days, I have had several patients ask me …”I am coming in for neck pain or back pain or shoulder pain…where are you going to put the needles”? Or if I have been seeing the patient I am asked “when are you going to treat my pain… why don’t you just put the needles where my pain is?”

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the flow of energy or Qi, moves in specific pathways called meridians. There are 14 major pathways, and these pathways interact with each other. Initially, when I first see a patient, I like to make sure that the overall energy is clear, so I do a few “clearing treatments” before I focus on shifting any energy in a specific pathway.

Your energy is like a garden. I want flowers or crops to grow, so I need to make sure the ground is ready for planting. This means removing any unnecessary weeds, or rocks or debris. This is what the clearing treatments do. They make the energy channels clear and ready for shifts in energy. The clearing treatments are generally on the front, or back of the body and can consist of 2-4 treatments if necessary. This is to ensure that the energy is moving in the proper direction, not being contaminated. It is like removing a kink form a hose so you can let the water flow.

There is another important thing to note. Say you come in for wrist pain, there are 6 pathways that encompass the wrist area. These include the heart, small intestine, triple heater, pericardium, lung and large intestine pathways of energy. They all start at the fingertips and go up the wrist, to the forearm. Some of these pathways diverge to the chest, face and back. So, needles may not be placed in the wrist for wrist pain if there is a blockage of energy along a pathway is say the small intestine at the level of the scapula or shoulder blade.

Traditional Chinese medicine takes all of this into account. So, when I am asked “When are you going to treat my pain?” My answer is… I already am…I started with the first session. Sometimes clearing the general energy blocks (which can include internal and external factors such as emotions, heat, cold, wind, damp, excess or deficiency, side to side energy pathway balance) can make a profound change in the symptoms you came in with and others you were not aware of such as sleep, mood, digestion and concentration.

My treatment protocol consists of the following…

Clear general energy blocks -Internal Dragons, External Dragons, Aggressive Energy, Alkabane (side to side balance). 1-4 treatments if needed.

Clear local pathway energy blocks form one pathway to another (Entry/exit blocks) if needed

Treat meridian root cause with local and distal points at each treatment after the clearing treatments

Ashi points or painful points not specifically on an energy pathway.

Treat Constitutionally.

As a team, we are teaching your energy how to stay open and clear, but sometimes life gets in the way, and blockages can reoccur. Each part of this protocol may need to be done, or just one part, or perhaps several at the same time to shift the energy when it needs to shift. Each treatment builds on the one before, so it is important to have regular and frequent treatments early in your treatment course. As your symptom resolves, the length of time between treatments can be increased as long as you remain symptom free. Once we get to this point, I generally like to have my patients come back monthly for a tune up so that we can continue to keep their energy clear and keep them symptom free.

Author: Jean Donati PA-C, M.Ac, L.Ac.

Jean Donati is a Nationally Certified Physician Assistant, Licensed Acupuncturist and owner of Jean Donati Acupuncture. She specializes in Traditional Five Element Acupuncture, and Facial Rejuvenation for physical, mental and emotional concerns.

Using Acupuncture to Treat Liver & Kidney Health: Why it Works

According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 U.S. adults (an estimated 37 million). And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 4.5 million adults have been diagnosed with liver disease. Those are some sobering statistics, but did you know that acupuncture has a proven track record of effectively dealing with kidney and liver disease? continue reading »

What do the Cupping Marks and Colors Mean?

Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese medicine where inverted cups made of bamboo, glass, silicone or plastic are placed and inverted over acupuncture points, then placed under suction. Health benefits include improved circulation, increase in lymphatic drainage, release of toxins, and decrease in pain form conditions such as arthritis, muscle pain, low back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia.

There are two types of dry cupping. Dry cupping is where cups are placed over acupuncture points and suction is created which lifts the skin and soft tissues creating a stretch within the muscle and fascia. In stationary cupping, these cups are left in place. Generally, a tight sensation is felt around the cupped area. The cups are left in place for 10-15 minutes. In gliding cupping, lotion is applied to the area to be cupped and the cups are placed under suction and then glided along the meridians or pathways of energy. This type of cupping can cover a larger area such as the thighs and back.

Although there are vast benefits of cupping with acupuncture treatments, not everyone is a candidate for cupping. Those who are physically weak, have sensitive skin, inflamed skin, fever, or who are on blood thinners should not undergo cupping. Cupping can be used with pregnant women however, the stomach, lower back and specific forbidden points should be avoided.

It is common for cupping to leave small circular marks on the areas where the cups were placed. These areas are usually painless. The discolorations are a result of broken blood vessels below the skin surface. The color indicates the level of blood and Qi stagnation, toxin and dampness in the body. The pattern and color of the marks reflect the level of stagnation in the area. For example, the darker the color, the more stagnation present.

Cupping marks are not bruising. Bruises are made by injury or blunt trauma to the skin surface. Bruises are painful. The marks made by cupping are caused by suction and works to bring toxins to the surface of the skin. Cupping marks do not cause pain.

People often ask how long the cupping marks will last and if they have any specific meaning. The coloring of the cupping marks ranges from bright red to a dark purple. These can last 3 days to a week. A darker color means that there is more toxins and stagnation in the section of the body that has been treated. The darker cupping marks can last up to 3 weeks. Lighter marks that are pink can last for a few hours. Usually, subsequent cupping treatments will yield lighter marks as the toxins are dissipating from the body. In the case of an injury, multiple cupping treatments may be needed to rid the body of toxins and pathogens and induce healing of the deeper tissues.

Cupping marks type and color explained

Pale cupping marks and cold skin after cupping indicates deficiency, cold or dampness
Dark purple cupping marks indicate stagnation and cold
Light or bright red spots in the cupping marks indicate Qi and blood deficiency, or Yin deficiency
Little dark spots scattered in the cupping mark indicates deep Qi and blood stagnation
Skin lines in the cupping marks or itching after cupping indicates wind or dampness
Cold or dampness is indicated by water drops in the cup
Blisters/bubbles after cupping normally means dampness, accumulated fluids in the tissues, and cold

https://longhealthcare.com.au/health-topics/2018/12/12/do-you-know-the-meaning-of-the-different-cupping-marks#:~:text=Pale%20skin%20marks%20after%20cupping,and%20blood%20deficiency%2C%20Yin%20deficiency

Image from https://foundationphysio.com/physiotherapy-treatments/cupping/

No copywrite infringement intended

Author: Jean Donati PA-C, M.Ac, L.Ac.

What is Cupping and How Is It Related to Acupuncture?

Cupping is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy that dates back to ancient Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cultures as far back as 300A.D. TCM philosophy believes that pain results from the blockage of Qi, blood, or energy. You have all heard me say in relationship to acupuncture: “Where there’s stagnation, there is pain. Where there is free flow there is no pain.”

Cupping, like acupuncture is a method of clearing this blockage to restore the body’s natural flow of energy. This is beneficial for health promotion, prophylaxis, and treatment of disorders such as back pain, knee pain, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, as well as high blood pressure.

Recent researches show that cupping therapy helps to:

Reduce muscle pain

Improve blood circulation, promote cell repair and increase muscle relaxation
Assist the lymphatic system to drain excess fluids and toxins

Cupping has many musculoskeletal benefits. It is helpful for chronic lower back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia. In addition, digestive symptoms such as bloating, gastric reflux and constipation conditions can be eased with cupping. Overall recovery from cough, asthma and the common cold can be improved with cupping as well as acupuncture.

In a cupping session, inverted cups made of bamboo, glass, silicone or plastic are applied to the acupuncture points on the body to create suction. The suction of the cups pulls the skin upward as the suction increases. The suction opens up energy pathways in a similar way to acupuncture and is often used in conjunction with acupuncture to clear the energy channels and remove toxins from the body that are responsible for pain and disease. It has been used effectively for pain relief, increasing blood flow, chronic inflammation, enhanced relaxation, and improved quality of life.

Cupping draws fluid into the area being worked on by the suction it creates. This causes improved circulation and release of toxins. The discoloration that occurs after cupping is due to broken blood vessels just beneath the skin, much like a bruise. These marks and their color, are diagnostic of toxins being released to the upper skin layer for the body to disperse. The marks tend to fade within days to a week.

In the next article I will discuss the different types of cupping, coloration of cupping marks and their meanings. Stay Tuned!

Sources

Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16554-cupping

Harvard Health Letter https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-exactly-is-cupping-2016093010402)

WebMD “Cupping” https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/cupping-therapy

https://www.thomsontcm.sg/articles/what-do-your-cupping-colours-tell-you/#:~:text=These%20cupping%20marks%20are%20discoloration,of%20stagnation%20in%20that%20area.

Author: Jean Donati PA-C, M.Ac, L.Ac.

Kidneys in Balance: Activity & Rest in the Colder Months

Winter is kidney season!

Kidneys are, in many ways, the alpha and omega of Chinese medicine organ theory, as they manage development and decline and therefore both life and death. They are also considered the root source of our energy. Essence, or jing qi, is the energy we receive at conception (also called prenatal qi). The kidneys are like a battery that is not rechargeable. Throughout our lives we slowly deplete this reserve. How fast it gets depleted depends on our lifestyle, environment etc.

Author: Jean Donati PA-C, M.Ac, L.Ac.