Acupuncture can address knee pain. One of the common reasons for knee pain is osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Osteoarthritis is defined as “a degenerative joint disease, in which the tissues in the joint break down over time” by NIH. It is the most common knee problem that I encounter, and it could also be one of the most difficult cases to treat with acupuncture.
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Carpal tunnel syndrome is basically the compression of the median nerve, caused by the narrowing of the small space called the carpal tunnel that the median nerve goes through. During my acupuncture training in school, one of my teachers told us that the problem in the wrist was never just in the wrist.
Since the median nerve originates in the neck and travels down the front of the shoulder, arm, forearm and to the hands, any inflammation and swelling of the muscles, tendons, ligament, joints, and the surrounding tissues on the path will compress on the nerve.
Because of the distribution of Triple Warmer channel and Gallbladder channel, this combination covers most problems of the muscles and joints on the lateral side of the body. This point combination is essential for the treatment of neck pain, shoulder pain, and low back pain.
The name of this point is 四讀, Shi Toku (Japanese) or Si Du (Chinese). It means “Four Rivers”. Apparently, it indicates the region in China where the Yellow River and three other large rivers merge, and the name suggests “big currents”. I think it is reasonable to assume that this point is where big currents of Blood or Qi occur.
All the organ systems are equally important in keeping the body in balance, but, for an acupuncturist, Kidney (in an Eastern Medical sense) takes precedence in the assessment of a patient. This is because Kidney is considered as the source of our vitality, controls Yin/Yang balance, plays an important role in reproduction, etc. The list […]
A Chinese classic, Su Wen素問, indicates that pensiveness is the normal emotional state that Spleen supports. In a healthy individual, Spleen should provide good memory and mental calmness to handle affairs in a thoughtful manner. From this perspective, Spleen 脾 (in Eastern Medicine) is not just an organ; rather, Spleen represents the digestive functional unit […]
One of our diagnostic tools is abdominal palpation. Some acupuncturists palpate a client’s abdomen to observe the muscular tension, aortic pulsation, and tenderness of the acupuncture points and channels in the abdomen to assess the overall condition of the client.
Acupuncturists tend to associate cold feet and hands with the imbalance of the liver function. There is a set of four acupuncture points called Four Gates that are used to improve the circulation of not only the extremities but the whole body. One point is Liver 3, and the other point is Large Intestine 4. As shown in the illustration, these points are in similar structures. LV 3 is between the first and the second metatarsals, and LI 4 is between the first and the second metacarpals.
Anatomically, because of its location in the central and pivotal part of the body, this channel is important for the core stability. As shown in the illustration, the fine balance between the core extensor muscle group and the core flexor muscle group is kept in this area. The acupuncture point GB 34 (also named Tai Myaku) is frequently used to treat low back pain and rib pain for this reason.
In an acupuncture session, the practitioner often uses a channel that is seemingly unrelated to your complaints. Treating low back pain by using the gallbladder channel is a good example.