Can I hook you up?

Achievements:

I completed one treatment for a patient with hip flexor pain and pain/tightness of the IT band (outer side of thigh). He told me before we started that his previous acupuncturist needled aggressively, loosening the muscles within minutes. I accepted the easy challenge, but just to make sure his first treatment with me was a satisfactory one, I offered electrical stimulation applied to the needles. He accepted, and I admit I enjoy hooking and stringing people up. The battery pack can have 2 or 4 wires attached. Once each clip on the end of a wire is hooked to a needle, it's kind of fun to find a way to drape the wires over the patient's body, to prevent any downward pull on the needles. And then the game: "Let's see how high I can dial this up." Ha ha, seriously - I ask the patient to tell me when they feel a light tapping on the needles. And then if they want to go a little higher, I oblige. Anyway, another fun treatment, and he left feeling much better.

Disappointments:

I have another stop-smoking patient who is running into the same problem as many others. They love their habit too much to change it. I believe many smokers who seek acupuncture know they really should stop, and are ready to take action. But even though they are concerned about their health, they love their routine. He instantly noticed the cigarettes tasted horrible after beginning treatment. He even noticed that taste as I inserted the needles the second time. And he could go longer without smoking. But he sought out coffee after a while, in HOPES of stimulating his cigarette craving! Clearly not ready for acupuncture. When you don't enjoy smoking, you are ready to start treatments.

Struggles:

It's getting cold out, and between constant hand washing, alcohol wipes, and my circulation, my hands are always cold. I'm very sorry, patients! I hope it benefits those of you afraid of the first needle; I get to numb the spot first, by touching you.

Dying of Stress

One more essay before I return to my list format, if I may.
I attended a seminar this month, where these 2 points made an impact on me:

1. "Cures have been found for most deadly acute diseases. We will die of chronic disease. Stress, diet and toxins are the biggest contributors."

2. "There is a new diagnostic code that can be filed with insurance claims for Occupational Stress."

In Chinese Medicine, the short-hand diagnostic term for stress is Qi Stagnation. The diagnostic terms are labels for a group of symptoms, and Qi Stagnation applies to: rib-pain, chest distention, sighing, moodiness, irritability, a variety of digestive disturbances, and a variety of PMS symptoms. To quote an old teacher of mine, "Qi Stagnation is the physical manifestation of 'not getting what you want'". As you can imagine, everyone now-a-days has Qi Stagnation. When you have some of these symptoms...treat it! When it is chronic, you can imagine how many deadly diseases can result over decades.

Besides treating people with acupuncture and herbs, we make lifestyle recommendations when appropriate to the condition and our scope of practice. We see Qi Stagnation, like any other diagnosis, as treatable, if not curable. The acupuncture and herbs will treat a condition effectively as long as the source does not re-introduce itself, so this is how I like to address the source:

"What is the cause of your stress?" (wait for answer, then...) "And what do you plan to do about it?"

I know most people don't have a plan yet, but I like to encourage the idea of one.
I see too many patients, family, and friends thinking stress is just an accepted aspect of life. Short-term, maybe. But years of hating your job or house or partner, etc. requires action. I also hear that someone knows a change is necessary (for example in relationships), but they don't feel the power to act on it. That is often a symptom of depression, to make matters worse - Low motivation / feelings of hopelessness. Usually decisions are made for us, years after they should be.
(I don't encourage break-ups in the clinic, but I have heard that many complicated health conditions have resolved soon after divorce.)

I can testify to having a whole new "daily mood" thanks to many drastic changes in my own life over the past 2 years. When I hit little bumps in the road still, I treat it before they snowball into a mood disorder. I expect it translates to a healthier phase of life for my insides. I hope that my happiness inspires those around me, and that as we de-stress, we serve as role models to other sufferers.

Personal private belief

I didn't expect to ever write about this, since I refuse to talk about it with my patients. But A) you are friends,not patients, and B) I think I have one follower and no commentors. So, what's to be afraid of?

Anyway, I was inspired by a couple of people in the last couple of days to express my idea of God (or some Supreme Being) as I see Him through acupuncture and herbs.

I am not big on religion, and I respect anyone who is, provided they aren't hurting anyone to promote it. I went to church in my high school years, and then decided I had a better relationship with God from home other days than I did dressed up on Sunday. I don't talk about it, but I have a deep admiration for Him, whether or not He is the God I was taught about.

That vagueness being said, I think Chinese medicine is so effective while being so natural, that it was a divine plan. "There is going to be disease in these humans, so I need to put the cure on earth along with them to find." How patient, careful, and enlightened we had to be, though, to discover each herb and it's use! I'm sure we aren't done, because we haven't found the one for cancer or AIDS. Maybe they are at the bottom of an ocean. Or maybe we will wipe out the human race first. Who knows?

Sometimes these herbs make me laugh. For instance the bark of the mimosa tree cures one symptom of anxiety and depression: the cycling negative thought. You know the mimosa tree? It has a pink plume that sticks up in a curved feather-like shape. It looks like a headpiece for a costume called "Crazy", in my opinion. (But maybe 2000 yrs ago, it just looked like a pretty bird sitting in a tree.) Either way, that image of the mimosa tree makes me think it is waving us to come over to it when we feel like crazy is taking us down in a spiral of thinking one horrible thought. The latin name for the herb is Albizzia, and the formula I have used and prescribe with it stops cycling thoughts that make you stay up all night, or cry all day/week, and or start panic attacks. Doesn't matter what disorder or disaster someone has endured. It just stops the cycling thought so you can move forward. Within minutes!

And my other fave: the egg sack of the praying mantis. I know! Hilarious! Who figured this one out? It treats urinary incontinence and night emissions. I can imagine some ancient sage looking at a pregnant praying mantis and thinking, "that thing is so delicate, but the eggs are so secure! My grandma needs some of that material to keep her from peeing everytime she coughs." And...they work. Amazing.

The Season

Achievements:

I have a patient who plays basketball for a college team, and has had knee surgery with post-op pain. I saw her once, and she has reported that the treatment greatly helped. She scheduled again, and I hope that she experiences more long-lasting relief before the next season starts. I worry about athletes, who don't let injuries heal as they should, sometimes.

Disappointments:

One of my fertility patients was scheduled for a labor induction at the hospital, but decided to try me a couple of days before going. She was willing to see how much acupuncture could move labor along before going the "scary medical route", as she put it. I performed the labor induction treatment on the 2 consecutive days that we had before her hospital appointment. She felt increased kicking while in my clinic room, and that continued through the first night. But the labor was not induced by me. Sometimes it takes more than a day or 2 of treatments. But I rarely get feedback after one treatment, so I was glad to hear what the 2 sessions resulted in. I will recommend a few more treatments within a week, when time allows.

Struggles:

Flu season is upon us. I am sad to see how many people can be knocked down and kept down for days or weeks, and in my mind it's unnecessary. We don't even need flu shots, if you can swallow pills, and have a decent immune system. The Chinese herbs that have anti-viral properties stop the cold and flu progression as soon as they start. One day of taking the herbs, at the first sign of fever or sore throat, and you're back to work/life. The popular cold-remedy called Airborne is a combination of this 'famous' Chinese anti-viral formula, and vitamins. But I always keep a bottle of the original formula in my at-home pharmacy, and I know I will never have to suffer a cold or flu again.
This goes for other conditions I see people struggling with, too. (Anxiety, for instance.) But the cold and flu is so acute, it is just too darn easy to treat to worry about.

Body Chemistry

Achievements:
One of my fertility patients had an extra-long menstrual cycle when we met. My treatment goal is to regulate the cycle. Make it as close to 28 days as possible. Reduce the clots. Get her basal body temperature chart to have a nice peak and plunge instead of the flat shape of the previous month. It is our second month of weekly treatments, and her cycle is now 27 days. The clots are smaller and less frequent. Her chart line looks perfect! I'm excited to have a patient that follows the protocol of acupuncture and herbs, and charts her temperature for me. Sometimes it's hard to express how important that is for tracking progress, and that once they do, they will be quickly encouraged by the results.

Disappointments:
Acne is very difficult to treat. There is a whole specialty in herbal medicine for dermatology, which is beyond my knowledge. I don't lead patients to believe I can help with that, unless the acne is a direct result of stress. Then it's easily treatable by treating stress, so I will try. I have discovered that my current patient is not such a case.

Struggles:
I'm fascinated by mood disorders. I study depression and anxiety whenever I can, and I call upon the knowledge I have from my own life to make sense of it all. I have an instinct to sympathize and share when I hear that someone is suffering from these issues. But I also know that professionally, some patients don't need to hear about me. They are trying to seek treatment and think my personal life has no place in their treatment time. I don't exactly know what my patients who let me share think of it. An hour treatment leads to a lot of discussion. I'm passionate about this as my specialty. I hope I am tolerated, if not appreciated, for my interest. My intention is to express how confident I am in the treatments I use.

Detox

Achievements:

I am learning more about the usefulness of the stop-smoking protocol, thanks to my patient who is sticking to the 3x/week schedule. It is just 5 needles in each ear; always the same points for 30+ minutes.
What I already knew was that it reduces cravings and the side-effects of withdrawal. I heard that cigarettes will start to taste bad soon after starting treatment. Some people confirm that, others don't. But most people do say that they forget to smoke, or don't crave the amount of cigarettes they used to, after the third treatment or so. ("I went all day without smoking, and at bedtime, realized I forgot to smoke!") Sadly, we still have to encourage them to take ADVANTAGE of the reduction in cravings, because that patient did get out of bed to smoke one, out of habit.
But back to what I learned: The side effect of quitting which is WEIGHT GAIN is one of those "withdrawal side-effects" that we prevent! My current patient said she hasn't changed her eating habits or gained weight, and of course! She doesn't have the nervous need to keep putting something in her mouth. The jitters/ anxiety issues didn't come up. This is a huge encouraging thing for some people worried about quitting.

Disappointments:

I don't think I've served my patient complaining of MCSD well. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder is a poorly understood phenomenon in the medical world. Patients report allergic-like reactions to certain chemicals they are allergic to. They are more sensitive at safe levels of exposure than others, and they sometimes quit work or socializing to avoid the exposure. It is bizarre, as this is the only disorder in history where the patient can tell you what the cause and symptoms are from the first experience. They are never UNsure what triggered a reaction. -Reaction often meaning palpitations, tremors, digestive turmoil (nervous system reaction). I try to diagnose and treat according to Chinese Theory, but get no results. The patient can't wait to come back though, because the treatments are so relaxing. It's the only peace they get in the day. But they can't afford it, finally.

I looked up the disorder, and learned that most sufferers have a history of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. I learned that the symptoms of panic attacks are palpitations, tremors, and a fear that they are dying. It's unclear if there is a cause-effect relationship, or if MCSD and panic attacks are both results of something attacking the nervous system. But I learned how I should counsel the next patient with this complaint. (And at least treat the stress)

Struggles:

It is just HARD to be a business owner, sometimes. Saving for taxes... affording all the continuing education classes... hoping you can take a vacation and still pay the bills. Some months are great, and some aren't. So on top of the other expenses, it's nice to have a cushion in case of a slow month. I just remind myself how I'd rather have these struggles than the ones I had in previous "careers".

Let's open that chest!

Achievements:
I am always amazed at how instantaneously people feel this one point working, called Pericardium 6. It's near the inner wrist, and as the translated textbooks say, "It opens the chest". I know it's indicated for many things: asthma, nausea, depression, and others heart/chest conditions. But I wrote off the term, "opens the chest" as some poetic catch-all phrase that the Chinese came up with thousands of years ago...and we should worry more about modern or medical terms that are associated with it.
But everytime I use it on someone with a history of asthma, they ask RIGHT AFTER I insert it, "What was THAT point?" I tell them "P6, why?" "Because I just felt my chest open!"
So there you have it. It literally 'opens the chest'. But even crazier...I used it on my patient suffering from depression, and I know he enjoys the treatments and feels better after each one. But one week I switched out that point for one that is more for anxiety, and he noticed. "Why didn't you do the wrist point? That one always helps me sleep on the treatment table."
Next week he said he wanted no more of the anxiety points, just the P6 and other ones I always use. We talked about how depression is called that because there is a feeling of pressure coming down on the body. Posture sinks down, heads can't look upwards...the chest needs opening I guess, to feel better!

Disappointments:
None this week.

Struggles:
We can't just throw herbs at our friends and family who complain about a symptom out loud. They truly have to ask us for help. The herbs we give them just sit in a cabinet and rot, if they have never taken herbs before. They cannot comprehend, despite my efforts to educate them, that they aren't like vitamins. They are medicine that will cure them in a matter of minutes or hours. (For acute conditions)
It is nice to quit worrying about all those people who post, "I have a fever!" on facebook. If they aren't asking me for help, I can just ignore it. I have let them know I can do acupuncture and herbs any time they are sick or in pain, though.

Mental well-being

Achievements:
I was waiting for a table at a small restaurant one night, and there was a young women sitting outside clutching her head and moaning and rocking. I didn't know her, and I didn't know if she was just crying or was in pain. I pointed to her and asked someone sitting near her, "Is she ok?" The friend said she was having a migraine. I asked her if she would like an acupuncture treatment in the feet, to relieve the pain, and she cried, "If it will help, yes." I put a needle in each foot, the point corresponding to migraine headaches, and 4 or 5 minutes later, she was acting normal again. She thanked me profusely, and asked how long she should sit there. I asked her if she could hang out for up to 20 minutes, and then I'd remove them. So that's what we did, and she went home feeling fine. I hope she continued to see an acupuncturist somewhere. No - I did not give her my card.

Disappointments:
My patient trying the "stop smoking" protocol missed her last two appointments. I hope she picks up again so we can continue until she is cigarette-free. (We got down from 20 cigs to 5 in a week.) But we as acupuncturists sometimes don't know if someone just feels good enough to quit treatments, or forgot to look at their calendar, or can't afford to continue, or whatever. It's a special treat when someone calls to let us know why they aren't continuing, if we were expecting them to show up.

Struggles:
This topic deserves so much more space than a paragraph. A book would do. I have been told by two friends who are holistic healthcare practitioners, that they have had patients come back to the clinic to complain to them about how they were treated.
A comment made to both of them was, "I didn't like how you kept asking me how I felt during the treatment...you didn't sound confident enough. And I didn't feel like I had the right to answer honestly. I felt like I had to say I was ok. You controlled me."
Other concerns they expressed had to do with the line of questioning during the intake. Even though they only had back pain, for instance, "how dare" the practitioner single them out with embarassing questions about their menstrual cycle, or ask them to show their tongue.
These are steps in every treatment- regardless of complaint- so it seems we are at risk of disturbing some patients who don't know what to expect from a treatment. A tough question now is, do we need to try and detect patients who seem distrusting, from that first phone call? And prepare them more carefully? I'm sure we can't every time, although there are sometimes clues during the first phone call. Then, should we study a protocol for reassuring patients who seem hesitant to answer our questions? Or be thorough in each New Patient treatment with explaining what to expect. Maybe these occurences aren't avoidable, and we just need to be sincere and sympathetic when it happens. I bet the answer is "all of the above." Holistic medicine attracts patients who don't trust or like conventional medicine. But how can we help the patients who don't trust or like any one-on-one, communication-based attention?

Ren 1

Achievements:
I have treated my new "stop smoking" patient 3 times now. After the first 2, she said she had cut back from a pack a night, to 5 cigarettes. She is amazed at how much her sinuses have cleared (surprise!) and how blissed out the treatments make her feel.

Disappointments:
It didn't occur to me that one of my regular patient's headaches were caused by dairy. She reported a huge improvement since eliminating dairy from her diet. As long as she figured it out and she's better, I'm happy. You learn something every day.

Struggles:
You can't believe how much composure you have to summon up, and quickly, when you realize you have to use the point called Ren 1 on a stranger for the first time. It is a point on the perineum effective for several urinary and sexual symptoms, but often we can select other points instead. This time I couldn't, so talked with the patient about it, and received permission to use the point. Then I just clenched my jaw, calmly put on my latex gloves, and worked on reassuring my patient that it wouldn't hurt. That's the hard part. I know needling the point won't hurt.
I know the patient is going to be nervous with the delicate situation. I know I feel enough awkwardness for both of us, for putting us in this position. But I have to exude confidence, peace, wisdom, and perhaps a little humor to get the patient through that one second quickly, so they can leave behind all the: "OH MY GOD, oh my god, oh my god...are you done yet?"

I believe I pulled it off! (Including all the psychological steadiness.) The symptoms are improving, and the patient is joking about it.

Misc:
My eyes were opened to a use of an herbal formula I have never prescribed. There is one for "damp-heat in the lower extremities", but I wasn't sure if I'd ever see a patient that needed it. Then I realized this summer: when I drink alcohol, my feet get so hot and swollen, I can't sleep at night! And: alcohol is the most damp-hot substance we consume! (Damp-heat= Chinese medical terminology for disorders presenting with swelling, redness, and heat sensations.)

Now I take this formula when I drink alcohol, and BAM!..feet symptoms are gone!

Welcome to my fascinating world!

Every day that I was in acupuncture school, and many days since, I have been in awe of what acupuncture and herbs do to cure or treat symptoms, disorders and diseases.

Besides just being excited to tell you what I witness at the clinic, I hope to answer the often-heard questions: "What does acupuncture treat? How quickly should I see results?" For the former: the list is too expansive, and truly my goal is not to bore you. For the latter: patients can respond at different speeds and magnitudes. But we expect significant change in 2-3 treatments for acute cases, and more for chronic cases.

To give you a behind-the-scenes idea, here are my EXTREMELY abbreviated notes from this week:

ACHIEVEMENTS -
Great success (since the first treatment) for depression caused by hormone fluctuations.
Much improvement (in first 2 treatments) for sprains & pains of new exercise regimen.
And...I convinced a new patient to try acupuncture for smoking cessation! Most people don't go for the 2-3x/week schedule!

DISAPPONTMENTS -
No noticeable improvement yet in patient with hyperhidrosis (excess sweating). I am following a protocol from published research, which was for 10 weeks. I have only finished week 5...and it is a HOT and HUMID summer...so I will stay hopeful a while longer.

STRUGGLES -
I have decided to offer housecalls, and that is working well. But it's tricky to figure out the schedule and my limits regarding time, energy, and traffic.

MISC -
My coworker received a birth announcement from one of his Labor Induction patients! How nice! We ask all of our patients we do this for, to let us know some day how quickly it worked. It is usually fast-acting, so I do offer a free follow-up treatment the next day, if the first treatment wasn't immediately effective. I never get any news, but I never get anyone coming back the second day, either.