Pain
Slow & Steady Heals the Shoulder
At the end of 2022 I tore my rotator cuff, not throwing a baseball for some important league game, not in some random construction accident nor act of heroism. Instead, one of my first favorite paternal pastimes was throwing my daughter as high as I could into the air then allowing her to crash down on to my palm, elbows flexed, held tight by my bicep’s insertion.
Everyone says the same thing: You blink and they’re all grown up! This isn’t exactly an example of that, but I definitely didn’t take adequate note that my favorite play toy had grown from 15 to 25 pounds, and as an acupuncture colleague who was treating me for the issue remarked: “Would you throw a 25-pound weight up and down and catch it in your palm?”
To which I replied: “It depends how adorable and joyful the weight was.”
Typical presentation of a torn supra-spinatous: Pain radiating into my deltoid, especially with my arm extended to the side and/or behind me—even worse with inward rotation (trying to pour water from pitcher into our filtration system). Occasional pain while lying on my shoulder at night, and I couldn’t throw a tennis ball, let alone a baby anymore. I had to find other ways to enjoy parenthood. I also got used to pouring water with my left arm, which was probably a temporarily decent brain exercise anyway.
My funny acupuncturist friend helped a bit—a lot of sports medicine, trigger points and gua sha techniques—though no classical points, and improvement was always temporary. For two years my intermittent, moderate pain continued, and I was terrified of the notion of surgery and determined as such to avoid it.
I continued to go for treatment, occasionally poked and cupped myself at home as much as I could (though the supraspinatous is located behind the shoulder, making local self-treatment relatively impossible), and got very diligent with my daily Qi Gong practice: Shoulder rotations, shoulder rolls, neck rolls and rotations, “silk reeling” exercises, which are great for creating unique notches of negative space around the joints for the corresponding breathwork’s oxygen to enter. “Qi moves the blood,” is one of our most ancient maxims, which means where oxygen goes, fluids follow. I couldn’t tell you when it happened any more than I could when my daughter jumped from 15 to 25 pounds, but somewhere between years 2 and 3 of my injury, enough fluids got to the tendon and joint for my pain to disappear!
Today I am unsure if the tear is still there—I’m 47, not 27, so my shoulder may never again be perfect. I continue to do my Qi Gong regularly, preventively, not only for my shoulder, but other vulnerable tendons and ligaments as well. Slow and steady heals the shoulder!
If you have chronic pain it is something that requires daily attention, an at home regiment, self-massage and gentle movement anywhere from 10-20 minutes 1-2 times a day, and patience, the “patient patient,” if you will. If you stop, if you half-ass it, or give up, you’ll likely be resigned to the “blue pill,” surgery and well… literal blue pills, either of which will eventually wear off. I often recommend tailored Qi Gong homework exercises to my patients with our sessions, but if you’d like local Qi Gong teacher referrals, please let me know—happy to refer!
Yin & Yang of Stomach Pang!
Not all bellies are created equal, nor therefore, is all belly pain.
Stomach pain on the left tends to have more to do with organ function, whereas (in women) the left side might pertain more to ovarian function. Generally, belly pain that occurs above the umbilicus pertains to two of the three “yang” systems of the body, either “Shao Yang” or “Yang Ming,” either of which because of their connection to our intestines and digestive enzymes, might be accompanied by thirst for cold drinks, insomnia or agitation (not only as a result of the stomach pain), constipation, chest tightness, blurred vision, or blockage of the ears.
“Yang stomach pain,” as it were, tends to be constant—the abdomen feels firm and hard, resistant to touch. Conversely, pain that occurs below the umbilicus pertains to any one of the three “yin” systems of the body—gastrointestinal, endocrine, and/or hematological, tends to be more intermittent. The abdomen is softer, still tender to the touch, but it occurs more often in people who are prone to diarrhea and sensitive to the cold.
Thirst may still be present, though it is more likely for small sips of warm water, not big gulps of cold. That is because thirst of yin pathologies is a result of the GI tract’s lack of healthy fluids, whereas thirst of yang pathologies is from excessive inflammatory heat. If the same medicine is prescribed to both patients, one will improve and the other will exacerbate.
Yang pathologies might find relief with sour and/or bitter foods and medicinal—those whose mechanism is to drain, purge, and emolliate the abdomen.
Yin pathologies might find relief with sweeter (not by American standards) and more acrid (not by Indian standards) foods—those whose mechanism is to imbue the organs with more energy.
Another great way to distinguish diagnosis is by learning how people find relief.
If passing gas provides relief it is more likely a yang pathology, whereas if a complete bowel movement is needed it is more likely yin. If a hot compress feels good this is DEFINITELY a yin pathology, just as if ice water does it is DEFINITELY yang. A patient suffering from gastrointestinal, hormonal, or hematological weakness wouldn’t wish ice water on their worst enemy! That’s probably not true. People suffering with chronic “yin pathologies” tend to be understandably irritable, henceforth would very likely wish this on their enemies.
Then again, wouldn’t you wish acupuncture on your worst enemy, to transform them into a healthier, happier person to ultimately convert from worst enemy to best friend, or at the least, tolerable human being?
Where is your stomach pain, or that of a loved one?
What makes it better?
What makes it worse?
The answers to these questions and more can help us ascertain an accurate pattern diagnosis!
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.
Acupuncture for Stomach Pain
We have all experienced stomach pain. Either we ate something wrong, a medication we took had side effects, it might related to one’s menstrual cycle, and/or be simply chronic digestive issues that have some genetic component. How do we treat this with acupuncture and Chinese medicine?
First, per usual, we must identify the correct pattern.
If someone suffers from chronic constipation and bloating, we can assume the pattern is one of “food stagnation,” which can be corroborated by a dense sensation in the middle finger position of the right radial artery—also by palpating the epigastric region for tenderness. These patients tend to feel overheated, they might experience excessive thirst, insomnia, or irritability, all as a result of the intestinal inflammation. Whether or not there is distention alters the diagnosis.
We can needle points along the stomach and large intestine vessels to move gases out and downward. Depending on the rest of the pattern, we might also use the pancreas or even lung vessels to transfer mitochondria to the former organ vessels, the way one might money from their savings to their checking account, as needed. Herbal formulas indicated tend to revolve around rhubarb root, possibly lily-turf, gypsum stone, or white peony, the latter of which can be especially adept at treating all forms of cramping in the body.
From a western medical perspective, these are patients who might benefit from intermittent fasting and/or a magnesium supplement.
More commonly, stomach pain has to do with our blood. Either it is not moving or not arriving to the local area, leaving the smooth muscles of the organs dehydrated, sent into spasm in search of fluids, but we experience it as, Ouch. My tummy hurts.
In a pattern of “blood stagnation,” acupuncture works exceptionally well. We can use points along the pancreatic or liver vessels to encourage healthy blood movement. We might also use local points around the abdomen—where everyone always wants us to put it—to encourage local vasodilation and the dissolution of amenable masses. Useful herbal families might revolve again around white peony or rhubarb, but also apricot kernel, corydalis, or safflower. Generally, the veins beneath the patient’s tongue will be distended and purple enough to corroborate diagnosis.
Lastly, is blood deficiency, which might be slightly less amenable to acupuncture—more so to moxibustion, herbal medicine, the consumption of red meat, and healthy sleep hygiene. Moxibustion is often more effective at generating mitochondria and healthy fluids than acupuncture. Herbs we might consider are rehmannia, angelica, or even red dates, the latter of which has the added benefit to settle heart palpitations and anxiety.
Since 2 of the 3 physiological patterns for stomach pain pertain to the blood, it is quite common to be menstrual and/or hormonal related. Some patients for whom it is impractical to come every single week can benefit from coming at least just twice a month, the week before and after their cycle begins.
Five Transformative Health Benefits Acupuncture Provides for Overall Health
As more insurance plans and more allied health practitioners begin to embrace what has traditionally been known as “alternative medicine” treatments, acupuncture has enjoyed a surge in popularity with potential patients desperate for a drug-free alternative for their overall health and wellness.
Acupuncture, an ancient practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been gaining traction in modern healthcare as a holistic approach to promoting physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. While skeptics may question its efficacy, a growing body of scientific research supports acupuncture’s myriad health benefits. From pain relief to stress reduction, this time-honored therapy offers a natural and effective way to enhance overall health. continue reading
