Seeing Qi
July 31st, 2010 by admin
When needling a patient, I may comment on how much Qi there is. In turn, most people ask, “How do you know?” Notice here that the skin around the acupuncture needles became erythematous (redness of the skin). This is a visual signal that the qi has arrived. This can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes after the time of needle insertion.
In the top photo, we were working to alleviate neck pain in a patient in her late 20′s. In the bottom photo, qi arrived to alleviate pain related to carpal tunnel syndrome.
The Neurological Treatment for Parkinson’s and Stress
July 22nd, 2010 by adminIn December 2009, I took an extremely informative class that focused on using scalp acupuncture to treat Parkinson’s, epilepsy and other neurological diseases. I took the information back to my clinic and found this treatment to have immediate positive effects. For one of my patients with Parkinson’s, trembling stopped within ten minutes of having needles inserted. His hand was steady and his gaze more relaxed. His Qi responded beautifully. I was so excited with his results that I decided to see what kind of an effect this treatment would have on other patients with different biomedical diagnoses, but a similar Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis.
Next, I saw great results with a 30-something, male professional who had a high level of stress for at least 3 months. He felt “scatter-brained”, tired and had been having difficulty focusing at work. His tongue was pink with a slightly greasy coating. His pulse was slippery and slightly soft. These signs were similar to my Parkinson’s patient, which prompted a similar TCM diagnosis. I decided to use the scalp acupuncture points with the primary goals being to alleviate stress and allow him to feel more focused.
I inserted the 5 scalp needles, added a few body points to support the treatment goals and then did some acupressure on his head. I quietly exited the room, giving him private time to relax, sleep or just go wherever his mind took him. After 25 minutes I returned and asked him how the treatment felt.
“I think I was asleep for awhile, but a few minutes before you walked in I woke up to a snap. My body shuddered and then I viscerally felt a network of cables coalescing in my brain.”
Wow! He actually physically felt the treatment taking effect. Thank you Dr. Huo for teaching this course at Emperor’s College in Los Angeles. I look forward to treating more patients with this particular method.
So What is Qi?
June 30th, 2010 by adminThe Chinese say Qi, Japanese say Ki, and the Vietnamese say Khi, but in the English language there is no such single word that translates Qi. Instead it must be described. It’s called the “universal life force.” It’s inherent in all living things. It is what animates us. And like nature, as the moon waxes and wanes so does our Qi. It’s strongest when we’re young and weakens as we age. It propels us forward reaching our goals or if not sufficient, keeps us quiet and still.
Some patients call and tell me they need some acupuncture to adjust their Qi. They aren’t sure how it works, but after their treatment they feel different, changed. I know for myself that I prefer not to go without my own Qi adjustment longer than 2 weeks. It’s different for all us because it’s all dependent upon where we’re starting from, what our lives are like and what we’re trying to achieve.