We will continue to use examples. To make the article more interesting, let’s compare two acupuncture protocols and from them we will find the patient’s symptoms. The protocols to be analyzed are:
1 – GB26-ST28-LV5-BL30-BL32-CV3-SP9[i] made by ganglin Yin and Liu Zhenghua
2 – GB26-GB41-SJ5-CV3-CV6-SP6[ii] made by Jeremy Ross.
This loss of information is due to two fundamental aspects: first the protocol is defined by the therapeutic principles, not on the diagnosis and, secondly, because some acupuncture points can treat more than one symptom or one clinical pattern. The first we talked about extensively. The second can be understood by the following examples (we will use examples that address particular symptoms and clinical patterns).
EXAMPLE 1
Assuming I read a protocol with the acupuncture points ST25, BL25 and ST37 and I am asked what symptom they intend to treat, it is always the doubt related to the symptom. This set of acupuncture points is intended to treat the symptoms of an viscera, in this case the large intestine. Any symptom of this viscera can be treated by these points as diarrhea, constipation or pain in the lower abdomen, for example. So in this case I never know what is the symptom that led to the acupuncture protocol. I know, however, possible symptoms. I know for absolute certainty that there is some of those symptoms already mentioned. The information is dispersed but the protocol does not lose significance. Read the rest of this entry »
However in a general form that statement is correct. It is like the marquis of lapalisse, but actually all forms of medicine start their analysis by patients symptoms, defining a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Something that is implied on the same phrase but that I will best explain here is that there are well define rules for analyzing symptoms or prescribe acupuncture treatment.
Analyzing the presence of certain symptoms and understanding the relationship formed with each other becomes possible to reach a Chinese Medicine diagnosis. There are rules to study the symptoms and their relationship to help us define the medical diagnosis. And the symptoms are classified according with another set of rules. And there are well defined rules in order to prescribe different therapies. A chinese materia medica/Chinese phytotherapy formula have drugs known as emperors, ministers, etc… that have specific functions that will give information about its usefulness. The protocol of acupuncture is done using the principles of combining points (local points, acupuncture points on the same meridian, etc…). Read the rest of this entry »
My articles on Efficacy and Beauty (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4) appear to have affected a reader from the portuguese acupunctureblog who comment it in MTCforum. Particularly the assertion that an acupuncture protocol with 24 points was an incompetent acupuncture protocol, as I think it is in most cases.
Although they have not been presented arguments to allow a more technical discussion, were made some statements that indicate a misunderstanding of the article or about acupuncture as understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Read the rest of this entry »
How many acupuncture points are needed to say that the protocol is no longer effective?
Among patients who do not respond to acupuncture to small differences between acupuncture protocols that have not yet been measured in studies and based solely on opinion, always conditioned, of the acupuncturists becomes virtually impossible to answer this question.
In a protocol of 11 acupuncture points if 2 points are wrong hardly the protocol ceases to be effective. Could also be equally effective when compared with an 11 points correct protocol? Other equally interesting questions may arise.
A protocol is well done when it is able to read the therapeutic principles that gave rise to it and understand the patient’s symptoms. In a past article I mentioned the yin deficiency with dryness symptoms (dry mouth and throat, for example) and night sweats. In this case the therapeutic principles are: a) nourish the yin, b) to nourish body fluids and c) contracting the yin. Read the rest of this entry »
How does these factors increase acupuncturists ignorance?
By this time I hope that the reader is convinced that the effectiveness of an acupuncture protocol has little to do with the beauty of it. In some cases the effectiveness of an acupuncture protocol does not tell us much about the knowledge of the acupuncturist. Anyone using local acupuncture points to do acupuncture treatment for pain (more than 90% of complaints at the acupuncture clinic/acupuncture center) or who knows the location of the 24 points used in clinical practice can obtain some sort of results.
This raises a serious problem for the development of the acupuncturist and, most particularly the students who still doing acupuncture training. Especially some senior students in acupuncture school, who think no longer have anything to learn and that teachers are a mix of mummified Neanderthal with a very bad book yet to be written. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by nuno lemos | Under NEWS AND EVENTS
Thursday Sep 23, 2010
I’ll start to give acupuncture consultations in a massage school, 4NTEP, located in central Lisbon, more specifically on the Republic Avenue (Avenida da República).
The school 4NTEP is located at Avenida da República, n º 45 2 º floor.
Have easy access to get there by train (station Entrecampos) or metro (station Campo Pequeno and Saldanha).
You may contact the school by the numbers: 914447444 or 210986955. If you want you can also contact me directly for the number 918288958. Read the rest of this entry »
When does the acupuncture protocol begins to become ineffective?
Something truly ironic is that a protocol of acupuncture done well is not necessarily effective. In patients unresponsive to acupuncture, well done acupuncture will not get any results but in other patients a protocol of acupuncture done badly can obtain beneficial clinical results.
What then can be determinant for the effectiveness of the acupuncture protocol? Are the answers to the effectiveness of a protocol of acupuncture its number of points or the way will be built? These and other questions arise in the course of our article. Read the rest of this entry »
Years ago I treated a patient with vertigo as the chief complaint. At the time, and despite being aware of other acupuncture points, I used, as basis protocol, for dealing with vertigo or dizziness three acupuncture points: GV20/baihui, GB20/fengchi and ST8/touwei.
The first 3 treatments went without effect. The patient’s symptoms remained exactly the same as they were. On the fourth appointment I decided to add another acupuncture point, extremely important (and which became part of my base protocols on the treatment of this complaint). I speak to you about the point GV16/fengfu and that together with the point 2GV0/baihui makes the protocol of the sea of marrow.
I tell to you this story to draw attention to one fact: many times the addition of a single acupuncture point makes all the difference in clinical outcome. The efficacy in some clinical cases, it can really depend on the choice of a single acupuncture point. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by nuno lemos | Under FAK´S
Sunday Sep 19, 2010
How many points this meridian is made of?
This meridian is composed of 19 acupuncture points.
What is his external route?
This meridian begins on the little finger ulnar side on his nail angle.
The meridian runs along the entire inner edge of the hand between the palmar and dorsal skin, and the inner edge of the forearm.
In the arm traverses its postero-internal board and follows along the back through the shoulder blade.
Rises to the neck following trough posterior border of esternoclaydomastoid muscle and heads for the face, below the zygomatic bone and ends in front of the ear. Read the rest of this entry »
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