ElectroAcupuncture
What do Gout, Varicose Veins, & Neuropathy Have in Common?
What do neuropathy, gout, and varicose veins have in common? In western medicine not much, aside from being awful inconveniences, ranging from sources of extreme pain to discomfort and/or a significant cosmetic preoccupation.
For neuropathy you go to the neurologist, for gout to the rheumatologist, and for varicose veins you might see your primary care, who will likely refer you to a vein specialist. The neurologist may or may not inquire about venous circulation, and it is very unlikely the rheumatologist will ask about numbness or tingling in your feet.
But from a Chinese medical perspective, all of these conditions fall under the heading of impaired circulation in the lower extremities, caused by either weakness, inflammation, or both, leading to a misdistribution of bodily fluids, which exacerbates the former, which exacerbates the latter, and so on.
They are different in specifics only as a result of individual genetic proclivities—in fundamental mechanism they are the same. Someone with a colder bodily constitution—prone more to hypothyroid or hypotension, will be more susceptible to varicosities, whereas people with warmer body types—prone more to hyperthyroid or hypertension, will be more susceptible to gouty arthritis. The former are well advised to eat plenty of lamb and red meat, while the latter might consider being mostly vegetarian.
Neuropathies can go either way in the way of temperature, as they are more telling of issues with fluid metabolism. We find that neuropathy patients are either unusually thirsty, unusually not thirsty, or they urinate excessively or not enough. In either case, their body is clearly weakened to some degree, and it is imperative they get to sleep by 11pm, so nerves can properly regenerate.
While inadequate urination obviously leads to fluid retention which can clog neurological pathways and impair circulation, excessive urination can dry vessels of their healthy synovial fluids, causing us to feel parts of our body we previously took for granted as being unaware of.
Holistic medicine should modulate the organ function that is causing the improper excretion of fluids in addition to treating local blockages causing pain or discomfort. Easier said than done of course, as such conditions generally took many years to form, plus might be aggravated by present challenges, such as diet, stress, or medications being used to treat other conditions. However, through a course of treatment of acupuncture, herbal medicines, and dietary modifications, one should see improvement over a proper course of treatment, 120 days.
Please be discerning in your choice of clinician. If you see someone—whether east or west—who is failing to assess or treat beyond the immediate site of pain or discomfort, I would highly recommend getting a second opinion.
Why You Should Try Electroacupuncture for Pain Management
For those suffering from chronic pain, traditional medications only provide temporary relief and can come with side effects that leave people feeling sluggish and unwell. Electroacupuncture combines traditional acupuncture with electrical stimulation, enhancing its effectiveness for managing pain and promoting healing. By delivering gentle electrical pulses through the acupuncture needles, this modern approach stimulates nerves, muscles, and connective tissues, offering a potent and scientifically backed method for pain management. Recent studies underscore the growing recognition of electroacupuncture as a safe and effective therapy for various pain conditions. continue reading
What is Electroacupuncture?
While you might be familiar with what acupuncture is, have you ever heard of electroacupuncture? Just like traditional acupuncture, electroacupuncture uses needles on various acupuncture points. The difference comes in that with electroacupuncture, a small electrode is attached to the needles which allows a small amount of electricity to pass through, giving a slight vibration or low hum during treatment.
Sprained Ankle Remedy: The Follow-Up
I want to begin this week’s newsletter by clarifying and/or elaborating on the previous. This is just part of the reason I appreciate and enjoy replies and feedback. The latter as it serves keep in touch with old friends—the former as it gives me the opportunity to improve my communication in educating people about Chinese Medicine.
Several people responded to my miraculous sprained ankle healing story with inquiries to whether they could or should use the same topical for their own chronic pain; which told me I fell a bit short in my explanation.
The external application I used for my acute injury, San Huang San, contains herbs that are very blood-invigorating, which can be good for most forms of pain, but also very COLD, which is only advisable in the very first stage of an acute injury. Past that interim, San Huang San would most likely do more harm than good (just like ice), as in contrast to allopathic medicine we offer no one-size-fits-all remedy for a particular symptom, i.e. Pain/Inflammation.
The same principle applies to internal medicine, as people have come into the clinic asking for “the herb for weight loss,” or “the herb for high blood pressure.” There is no such thing, and if an acupuncturist ever tells you or prescribes otherwise, run. From our perspective, either of these pathologies can be a result of different dysfunctions in different organ systems within each person. While in one case we may have to strengthen the lungs’ circulatory function and remove fluid retention from the urogenital microbiome, in another we might have to remove fluid from the gastrointestinal microbiome and sedate pulmonary function. Very different diagnoses and prescriptions.
For chronic pain the best things people can do, in my opinion, are yoga, qi gong, or pilates. Without a daily, or at minimum weekly routine, I can’t imagine how it is humanly possible to live without pain or discomfort. Topically, what I am presently using in the clinic and seeing best results with is a more warming analgesic liniment, nicknamed “Evil Bone Water”—bottles available upon request at my office.
As the weather in the northeast has suddenly shifted from very warm to cold and pouring rain it is common for people to be more vulnerable to viruses or exacerbations of musculoskeletal pain. The warm weather opens our pores and dilates our blood vessels, and we wake up the next morning and must go outside into the cold rain, which has greater opportunity to “enter” and exacerbate pre-exiting “dampness” at the neuromuscular or immunological layers.
This is why during this time of year it is especially important to dress relatively warm (I can’t tell you how many girls I’ve seen in cutoff belly shirts and guys I’ve seen outside jogging topless, both of which just begging for pathological dampness!), avoid raw foods, and eat ginger, garlic, and onions. This past weekend of torrential downpour we made a chicken soup cooked in chicken bone broth, with the typical accoutrement, chopped celery, carrots, potato, onion, garlic, and ginger, with quinoa cooked separately so as to add to the many leftover portions to come. Rice or noodles are a fine substitution here, but as we consume plenty of both in our home, I like to occasionally honor the western nutritional perspective as well.
I hope everyone is now a bit clearer on what San Huang San is, why it worked so well for me, but likely would not for you presently. However, there are other options for chronic pain, such as the now widely renowned in my world, “Evil Bone Water,” as well as the always advisable diet and exercise. Wishing everyone a pain and virus free week, in spite of this proverbial cold, wet rag that temporarily surrounds us.
