My Pain is Here! Why'd You Needle There?

[Guest guest]

http://pulsemed.org/localdistal.htm

 

My Pain is Here! Why'd You Needle There?by Brian Benjamin Carter

 

 

Hello,

 

I went for my first acupuncture visit and he put needles in my ankles and my

inner arm near my elbows. My pain is in my lower back and my neck. Is this

normal? Will it be the same area every time or will it be different areas each

time I go? Thanks for any help you can share!!!

 

 

 

Cris,

 

Yes, that's normal. You could have asked him about it during the treatment. His

explanation would have been something like-

 

I am using points that are on meridians/channels that flow through the area

of your pain.

I am using (distal) points that affect those areas from a distance.

Local and Distal Acupoints

In acupuncture, we often use a combination of local (at the site of pain) and

distal (distant from the site of pain) points. Sometimes we use only local or

only distal. It depends on the presentation, the acupuncurist's style, and their

diagnosis and treatment strategy.

 

One of the cool things about acupuncture is that it is often possible to treat

someone entirely on there forearms, hands, lower legs, and feet - regardless of

the problem!

Your Brain is the Computer, Acupoints are the Keys

It only takes a little imagination - plus some MRI research - to come up with

the following analogy: I think of the brain as the computer, and the acupuncture

points as keys on a keyboard. By hitting the right keys, you tell the computer

what to do. The brain can reconfigure the body based on the input you give it

with acupuncture.

Distal Treatment is Part of the Medicine

Many Medical Acupuncturists (MD's, etc. who attempt to practice acu with little

or no training) only feel comfortable with local points. This is because they

don't understand or accept the theories of chinese medicine that have made

acupuncture effect for thousands of years. Some people call this 'medipuncture,'

instead of acupuncture.

 

Licensed Acupunturists (LAc, RAc), on the other hand, usually study for 3-4

years in school and receive a Master's degree in a course of study mostly on

Oriental Medicine. They also take around 492 hours of western medicine as well.

Medical Acupuncturists often take only 300 hours of acupuncture (sometimes by

watching videos!) while Licensed Acupuncturists take 1130 hours or more of

acupuncture theory and get 909 hours of clinical practice under supervisors.

Diagnosis First, Treatment Second

So all that training makes for a bunch of complex detail in diagnosing problems-

what kind of pain it is, where, how long it's been there, what it feels like,

what makes it better or worse, etc. all go into the diagnosis. Once they know

the character of the pain, they can choose points locally and distally to effect

it.

Acupuncture Styles

There are some very different ways to practice acupuncture:

 

Chinese style may make use of the cleft, stream or river points,

tendinomuscular meridians...

Taiwanese Master Dong/Tong style using imaging methods to treat, for example,

the knee with the opposite elbow.

Scalp acupuncture. There are at least 3 systems. They're often used for

stroke rehabilitation.

Japanese style is shallower, uses fewer needles, and might not even keep the

needles in for very long. They also use a lot of moxa (burning mugwort to heat

up the acupuncture points).

Medical Acupuncturists sometimes use only what recent research shows. But

many of their studies are flawed due to bad study designs because of their

ignorance of chinese medical theory. So their ability to treat is limited. (Some

of them, however, devote their entire practice to acupuncture and are quite

good.)

Sports Medicine acupuncturists may go deep into the nearby muscle to " reset "

its natural resting tone. This is also refered to as motor-point acupuncture.

Plus, you can combine several of the above styles into one treatment!

 

 

Find a licensed acupuncturist here: " Resources for Finding Acupuncturists and

Herbalists "

 

 

 

Hey! Did you like this article?

 

YES:

 

 

 

Then sign up for Being Well, our free monthly e-zine to stay current on the

latest Pulse articles. Let's be honest: You might not remember to come back!

Being Well is your helpful and informative reminder.

Subscription is free and your email is private (never sold, never shared, spam

is evil). If you change your mind, you can anytime. But you won't -

you'll love every issue, right? You'll keep checking your email for the next

one, right? (The right answers are yes and yes)

>> Subscribe by sending a blank email

(beingwellnewsletter-).

>> Or get more info first.

 

- AND THEN -

 

Browse the Pulse website for more information on Alternative Health. We cover

loads of conditions and diseases, chinese medical therapies, acupuncture and

more.

>> Use the easy pull-down topic menus on the front page (up at the top where it

says, 'quick jump to')

 

NO:

 

Make a suggestion about this article or the Pulse. Your criticisms will help

us improve and bring you even better info in the future! Thanks ahead of time

>> Email me your concerns and suggestions (bbcarter)

 

All the best!

Brian

 

 

 

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, and more