Joe's Acupuncture Blog

2009-06-02T14:54:00.003+01:00

I have recently seen a patient who had pain in her foot radiating up from her big toe. It was severe enough make walking very uncomfortable and to prevent her from standing on the foot for long periods of time. She had suffered with the pain for many months and nothing she had tried had helped relieve it. As she described the pain it seemed to me to follow the path of the Liver meridian. This patient had also had an operation some years ago on her foot and a heavy scar crossed the pathway between Liver 2 and Liver 3 acupuncture points, about an inch from the base of the big toe. I thought the scar might be blocking the qi so I needled the two ends of the scar and the sides of the scar where the Liver pathway intersected it. At the same time I needled Liver1,2 and 3 all with evens technique. I wanted to move the qi as I thought the pain was the result of stagnation - things were simply not moving.

I repeated this treatment weekly over the course of five weeks and the results were good. The patient reported a lessening of the pain each week until there was only a residual ache in the area of the first metatarso-phalangeal joint - the base of the big toe. She reported being able to go walking the in Peaks and to be able to stand on the foot for long periods without pain.

Sometimes pain seems to stem from the qi not flowing in the meridian and inserting needles along the pathway - in the local area and distally- gets the qi moving and the result is a reduction of pain and an improvement in mobility. I have found that this type of treatment can help pain in the shoulder and in the elbow.

2009-02-24T14:15:00.002Z

Spring is on its way. The bulbs are coming up, the buds are swelling on the trees and shrubs and the sun is higher in the sky. At this time of year it is possible to feel the energetic change in season very clearly. If you go for a walk you can see that the birds and animals are changing their behaviour. They were quiet in the winter and reserved their energy. As spring approaches they liven up. They build nests. They get frisky! They are in tune with the seasonal shift. Human beings are part of nature too and also should live in harmony with the seasons.Unfortunately few of us do.
It is not really possible to slow our lives down in the cold dark days of winter and reserve our energy for the spring – though this is what most animals of our size would do in a temperate climate zone. Hibernation does not fit in well with modern life styles. Most employers would take a dim view. When Spring comes we feel it like any other creature – we are part of nature. The problem is that many of us have been working hard through the winter when we should have been resting. We have artificial light. We have air-freighted food. We have stress and deadlines and too much coffee at work. People do not always make the seasonal adjustment well.
In my acupuncture practice I find that many of my patients feel a little ropey at this time of year. They often say they feel a bit 'unbalanced' in the early spring. This is often reflected in their pulses.. If acupuncture has helped a person in the past it worked by helping to restore the balance of qi in their body. Even if a person is feeling well it can be a good idea to come in for a 'tune up' when the seasons change to protect this balance. In traditional Chinese medicine it is always considered wise to catch imbalance quickly and to prevent it getting more severe.

2009-01-13T12:26:00.002Z

Quite a few patients have asked me recently -how often should I come back once my 'main complaint' has improved. I usually say that there is no simple answer - everyone is different. As rule of thumb it is a good idea to come back if you feel you are beginning to slide into ill health - by which I mean it is better not to wait until the symptoms are so horrible you feel you must do something about them. It is easier to deal with things earlier on.

I would also say that it is a good idea to see an acupuncturist when the seasons change. In Five Element theory people are part of nature and respond to the energetic changes that occur with the seasons. The approach of autumn or the onset of winter for can effect people emotionally. Others wilt in the summer. People often find the transitional times between seasons difficult and as a practitoner I have noticed that there seem to be more blocks and imbalances on the pulses at these times of year. It is a good idea to have a 'tune up' - get the pulses evened up. I go to see my own acupuncturist seasonally and I feel the better for it.

2008-12-08T10:40:00.004Z

One of my patients asked me what I meant by 'Element' when I describe myself as a Five Element practitioner. It's a good question. I started to say that all things in nature are made up of the Five Elements - but realised that this was misleading. Put that way it sounds like things are literally made up out of Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood like those models of molecules we had at school with red, yellow, white, blue and green balls connected with toothpicks. This is clearly not so.

The Five Element model, like the theory of yin/yang, came from the observations the ancient Chinese made of nature. The Five Elements are a model for understanding the way the natural world manifests through the succession of the seasons, the behaviour of animals, the development of plants and the changes that occur in our bodies. Human beings are part of nature and the theory is that if you understand how the greater universe works you can gain insight into how the human body works. In nature the seasons follow one another - the spring is followed by summer, summer by autumn, autumn by winter. Plants grow, flower, bear fruit, store their energy for the winter, then grow again in the spring. Humans and animals follow a similar pattern - if we are following nature. The ancient Daoists in China believed that the failure to follow nature - what they termed the Dao, 'the Way', inevitably led to ill health. If you follow nature you are going with the flow of the Dao and you will be in harmony with the universe. Your body will be as it should be.

Each 'Element' is a particular quality of energy, what the Chinese call qi - which can be observed in nature and a can be observed in human beings. The acupuncturist's job is to observe how a patient is - how balanced the Elements are. If they are not in harmony there will be signs. Different Organs resonate with different Elements - the Lungs and the Large Intestine associated with Metal for example, the Bladder and the Kidney with Water, and problems with these Organs may show up on the pulses. If a certain Element is imbalanced there may be signs such as particular colours on the face or certain qualities of speech or emotion which the practitioner may notice during the consultation . The Five Elements control and support each other in complex ways. By the use of needling and of moxa the practitioner tries to bring all the Elements into equilibrium. When the Elements are brought into a better balance the theory is that the patient will begin to feel better 'in themselves' and the body will have a chance to heal itself. I believe that many of my patients have experienced this for themselves.

I can recommend a good book on this subject which gives a lot of information but is still accessible for the lay person - Five Element Constitional Acupuncture by Angela Hicks, John Hicks and Peter Mole. Churchhill Livingstone, 2004 ISBN 0443071705

2008-11-28T21:22:00.006Z

I've been asked about what is happening when I am taking pulses during treatment. Several things are happening. I take pulses to get information about what is going on in my patient's body. There are many different qualities that may be felt on the pulses, slippery, choppy, wiry or knotted to name a few. Each gives a clue as to how the patient is. For example, if a pulse is 'wiry' it has a taut feel to it, like a guitar string. This often is a sign of disharmony in the Liver and Gallbladder when felt in the pulse position corresponding to these organs - or it may indicate Phlegm or pain when felt on other pulse positions. The quality of the pulse may guide my treatment planning. There are six pulse positions on the wrists - three on the right and three on the left and each can be felt either deeply or superficially. Each position corresponds to one of the organs of the body.

I also use the pulse to give me feedback during my treatment. I take the pulses at the beginning of the session. In my mind I have a idea of what I think an ideal pulse would be for my patient and I plan my treatment to move the pulse in that direction. I often think of what a child's pulse feels like. All the positions are equal in strength relative to each other, are not too big or too small, they are elastic and calm and regular and rooted. Such a pulse indicates good health. It is often called the Normal pulse. I needle and take the pulse again. I hope to find a pulse change that takes the patient nearer to this ideal , Normal pulse. The pulse tells me if I am going in the right direction.

I record the pulses from one treatment to the next because I can then see if the pulses changes achieved in one treatment are lasting and carrying on into the next. If I change the pulse for the better but it reverts after an hour then I must try to find points that make the change more permanent.

When I needle a point the pulses can change quite dramatically. It still fills me with wonder sometimes - I'm sure my patients can see my jaw drop from time to time.

2008-11-20T21:21:00.000Z

Today I was advising a patient to practise a little bit of acupressure on a few points at home to help with headaches and was asked exactly what technique to use. I thought of a website I visited some months ago that discussed this and I thought it had some good ideas and advice. The link to the site is http://www.eclecticenergies.com/acupressure/ . I think the technique described here is sound and the actual point location directions are good for people looking for points for the first time. I would be careful using the points without talking to an acupuncturist though - not all of the points would suit everyone. I would want to take into consideration what Element a patient resonated with - what we call the Causative Factor in Five Element acupuncture. Acupressure can be used to work with the emotions - help a person experiencing grief for example - and it can also be used as first aid - perhaps to reduce the impact of a headache or to quell nausea. I would be very happy to discuss this with patients if they wanted to explore acupressure.

2008-11-17T19:53:00.000Z

I made a bit of a mail shot today so I hope people will start visiting over the next few days. Looking back at the first post I think I should be clear that I would never use patients names nor write about anything that could be linked to a particular individual without first asking permission.

I was asked today about acupuncture and giving blood. As a member of the British Acupuncture Council my patients can give blood - you need to ask me for a certificate which you present at the donation centre. Just ask me.

2008-11-14T14:30:00.000Z

Today my website is up and running and I am starting my blog. I guess this first post should be a bit of a mission statement. The address is www.joestevens-acupuncture.co.uk

What do I hope to do with this blog that I have grafted on to my website? The truth is that this is the first time I have set up something like this. I plan to use it to answer questions put to me by my patients in my practice or emailed to me by readers of this blog. I would also like to give patients the space to share their experiences of acupuncture with other people. I hope that this will stimulate comment and discussion and that the blog will grow. The next step is to let my patients know of the existence of this blog and to see how it develops.