Comments on: Strategy in Chinese Medicine: Timing and Momentum, pt. 1 http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/ Chinese Medicine Mon, 21 May 2012 00:55:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Strategy in Chinese Medicine, pt 4: Timing and Momentum – - Deepest HealthDeepest Health http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2687 Strategy in Chinese Medicine, pt 4: Timing and Momentum – - Deepest HealthDeepest Health Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:58:09 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2687 [...] http://deepesthealth.com/2010/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/ [...] [...] http://deepesthealth.com/2010/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/ [...]

]]> By: Stéphane http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2138 Stéphane Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:36:18 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2138 Thanks Michael for this great series of articles, and thanks Kristy for the insightful comments. When I was in school, my teachers insisted on the importance of accurate diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis (in Chinese medicine terms, not modern medicine), you can't have an effective treatment. Without a destination in mind, you're just wandering aimlessly. Circumstances might force you to make some detour, but you should always keep your destination in mind and keep going in that direction. I too deplore the state of TCM (though I'm a TCM trained acupuncturist) nowadays. An old Chinese Chengyu goes : Han Dan Xue Bu (Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One's Own Ability). Unfortunately it seems to be what TCM is doing now. Thanks Michael for this great series of articles, and thanks Kristy for the insightful comments.
When I was in school, my teachers insisted on the importance of accurate diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis (in Chinese medicine terms, not modern medicine), you can’t have an effective treatment. Without a destination in mind, you’re just wandering aimlessly. Circumstances might force you to make some detour, but you should always keep your destination in mind and keep going in that direction.
I too deplore the state of TCM (though I’m a TCM trained acupuncturist) nowadays. An old Chinese Chengyu goes : Han Dan Xue Bu (Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One’s Own Ability). Unfortunately it seems to be what TCM is doing now.

]]> By: G. Michael Reynolds http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2137 G. Michael Reynolds Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:38:59 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2137 Now that sounds like an excellent idea. Thank you very much, Kristy. :) Now that sounds like an excellent idea. Thank you very much, Kristy. :)

]]> By: Kristy http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2136 Kristy Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:22:03 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2136 Michael: The best way to learn this (imo) is to have a colleague feel the pulses at the same time as you needle. Find the point with your left index finger, grasp the Qi of the channel by bringing your thumb towards your index finger (just pretend at the start til you get the hang of it, and eventually you will be able to feel the Qi - like grasping the ribbon of Qi along the meridian) Then, bring the needle down into the point you have found, if you're using tubes, you can insert the tube right between the fingers of the left hand and then tap it in. Pull off the tube, and you can adjust the needle with the right hand while you have your left hand around the point still, you don't have to touch the needle shaft or anything to feel the Qi, just see if you notice anything. After a while you'll start to notice "something" .. apparently some people feel it in different ways, like a warm sensation like a smile in their stomach or other various ways. I feel it in my left hand like tingling and a slight motion. Anyways, if you have someone feeling the pulse at the same time, they can report back and you will start to be able to recognize when a sensation you feel makes a change, and then focus in on more of that sensation. This is a lot harder to type than it is to show, and I'm not the worlds best writer, but I hope you get the gist :) It's actually mega fun to practice this way, and very exciting! This is the way I learned from my teachers. There are probably all sorts of other ways and methods of learning this and I'd love to hear if others have different experiences or tips because I'm always looking to refine my technique. Michael:
The best way to learn this (imo) is to have a colleague feel the pulses at the same time as you needle. Find the point with your left index finger, grasp the Qi of the channel by bringing your thumb towards your index finger (just pretend at the start til you get the hang of it, and eventually you will be able to feel the Qi – like grasping the ribbon of Qi along the meridian) Then, bring the needle down into the point you have found, if you’re using tubes, you can insert the tube right between the fingers of the left hand and then tap it in. Pull off the tube, and you can adjust the needle with the right hand while you have your left hand around the point still, you don’t have to touch the needle shaft or anything to feel the Qi, just see if you notice anything. After a while you’ll start to notice “something” .. apparently some people feel it in different ways, like a warm sensation like a smile in their stomach or other various ways. I feel it in my left hand like tingling and a slight motion. Anyways, if you have someone feeling the pulse at the same time, they can report back and you will start to be able to recognize when a sensation you feel makes a change, and then focus in on more of that sensation.

This is a lot harder to type than it is to show, and I’m not the worlds best writer, but I hope you get the gist :) It’s actually mega fun to practice this way, and very exciting! This is the way I learned from my teachers. There are probably all sorts of other ways and methods of learning this and I’d love to hear if others have different experiences or tips because I’m always looking to refine my technique.

]]> By: G. Michael Reynolds http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2135 G. Michael Reynolds Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:57:32 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2135 Thanks for the comments guys. Let's take 'em one at a time. Noah: Yes, that is something I have never heard anyone address in a school setting. Maybe NCNM covers it, I don't know. I found out about it the hard way before I ran into my mentor when I was having students treat me on a regular basis, doing what the clinic supervisors told them to. Despite having a barely detectable pulse I was regularly getting "Shen treatments" that involved a ton of e-stim for long periods of time. I remember once having really intense e-stim done on several of my back shu points and afterwards feeling pretty sure I was going to die. When I found out later that the Lingshu says, essentially, "yeah...back shus...you should moxa those" I realized that no one really had any clue what they were doing. So that's my major argument and what I want people to fix: either a) no one knows what they're doing or b) they know what they're doing according to a flawed model that either doesn't work or makes the problem worse. Kristy: Yes, that was something of a revelation for me too when I learned what was actually being talked about. Unfortunately at this juncture I have't learned to detect De Qi apart from the pulse, but hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later. Thanks for the comments guys. Let’s take ‘em one at a time.

Noah: Yes, that is something I have never heard anyone address in a school setting. Maybe NCNM covers it, I don’t know. I found out about it the hard way before I ran into my mentor when I was having students treat me on a regular basis, doing what the clinic supervisors told them to. Despite having a barely detectable pulse I was regularly getting “Shen treatments” that involved a ton of e-stim for long periods of time. I remember once having really intense e-stim done on several of my back shu points and afterwards feeling pretty sure I was going to die. When I found out later that the Lingshu says, essentially, “yeah…back shus…you should moxa those” I realized that no one really had any clue what they were doing. So that’s my major argument and what I want people to fix: either a) no one knows what they’re doing or b) they know what they’re doing according to a flawed model that either doesn’t work or makes the problem worse.

Kristy: Yes, that was something of a revelation for me too when I learned what was actually being talked about. Unfortunately at this juncture I have’t learned to detect De Qi apart from the pulse, but hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later.

]]> By: Kristy http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2134 Kristy Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:10:56 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2134 *totally* happy you mentioned this about the Qi coming to the point. I think that is a common misconception in school that the patient has to feel some sensation and that must be the DeQi. A lot of my classmates used to aggressively twist and turn the needles until the patient would say "yes! I feel the Qi!" mainly because the needle was twisting the muscle fibers and they wanted the sensation to stop.. lol The way I look at it, is that the patient is not trained in being able to feel Qi, but WE are, that is my job, to know when the Qi has come to the point, the patient doesn't need to feel anything, except perhaps a greater sense of wellbeing, a calm and relaxed, but heightened state of being in the moment. Once I feel the Qi come I will go back and check the pulses as well to make sure it has had the effect I want. That way if something didn't change how I want it, I can adjust things then and there. *totally* happy you mentioned this about the Qi coming to the point. I think that is a common misconception in school that the patient has to feel some sensation and that must be the DeQi. A lot of my classmates used to aggressively twist and turn the needles until the patient would say “yes! I feel the Qi!” mainly because the needle was twisting the muscle fibers and they wanted the sensation to stop.. lol
The way I look at it, is that the patient is not trained in being able to feel Qi, but WE are, that is my job, to know when the Qi has come to the point, the patient doesn’t need to feel anything, except perhaps a greater sense of wellbeing, a calm and relaxed, but heightened state of being in the moment.
Once I feel the Qi come I will go back and check the pulses as well to make sure it has had the effect I want. That way if something didn’t change how I want it, I can adjust things then and there.

]]> By: Noah K. Goldstein http://deepesthealth.com/classical-texts/strategy-in-chinese-medicine-timing-and-momentum-pt-1/#comment-2133 Noah K. Goldstein Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:10:58 +0000 http://deepesthealth.com/?p=875#comment-2133 I really appreciate this article and am looking forward to the follow-ups. I'm in my first year of school and still limited in experience and knowledge, but getting this type of insight is really helpful. Just yesterday in my Introduction to Clinical Techniques class we finished discussing the dangers/contraindications of acupuncture and energetic harm wasn't mentioned once. I also came out of the class feeling a bit off (after we gave each other cookbook treatments). We are students and do have to to practice on each other to gain experience, but it's interesting that it isn't addressed. I really appreciate this article and am looking forward to the follow-ups. I’m in my first year of school and still limited in experience and knowledge, but getting this type of insight is really helpful.
Just yesterday in my Introduction to Clinical Techniques class we finished discussing the dangers/contraindications of acupuncture and energetic harm wasn’t mentioned once. I also came out of the class feeling a bit off (after we gave each other cookbook treatments). We are students and do have to to practice on each other to gain experience, but it’s interesting that it isn’t addressed.

]]>