| On this page: | The Right Treatment for You | Classical Pulse Diagnosis | What is Qi Stagnation | Classical Tongue Diagnosis |
The Right Treatment for You
Every patient is unique and requires unique treatment. After an Initial Oriental Medical Examination, the Acupuncturist can determine what will be the most efficient and most effective treatment:
- Acupuncture (we use sterile one-time use Seirin needles, which are the highest quality, most gentle acupuncture needles manufactured in the world)
- Chinese Herbal Medicine (we use the highest quality herb granules available and compose individualized formulas for each patient)
- Oriental Nutrition Counseling
- Oriental Massage (12 different styles, dependent on the condition)
- Health and Wellness Workshops
Classical Pulse Diagnosis:
Energy mo
ves from each of the 12 organs in your torso to specific positions on the radial artery, on the wrist below your thumb. The function and strength of each organ is evaluated by the quality and strength of the blood flow in those specific positions. The acupuncturist will place his/her fingers over the pulse on your wrist.
- A normal, healthy pulse has moderate speed and strength and feels just like blood [of course!].
- It is not fast or slow.
- It is not excessive [pushing the fingers off the pulse] or deficient [difficult to feel].
- Most importantly, the pulse does not have a quality other than that of blood.
Normal and healthy blood is viscous; it’s thicker than water, but not as thick as motor oil, for example.
In Oriental Medicine, there are 28 pulse qualities. One is normal, and 27 indicate problems.
What is Qi Stagnation?
How improper Qi flow affects your health:
Qi
1. Energy.
2. Vital force.
Meridian
1. A pathway from the organs to every part of the body.
Qi Stagnation
1. An interruption in the flow of Qi through the meridians, possibly causing organ imbalances with a loss of normal function.
2. An interruption of communication from the organs to any cell or tissue in the body.
Organ Imbalance
1. A state of abnormal organ function due to deficiency or excess, possibly causing Qi stagnation. The organs are the lungs, large intestine, stomach, spleen, liver, gall bladder, pericardium, heart, small intestine, kidneys and bladder. Every one of these organs interacts with every other. Imbalances in the liver, for example, affect the spleen adversely.
Qi stagnation is a condition in which Qi is not moving smoothly from the organs to the rest of the body. This congests the meridians and affects the normal transmission of body impulses. The function and healing process of vital body parts are often affected.
Organ imbalance and Qi stagnation are caused by any physical, emotional or chemical stress the person cannot adapt to. In the early stages, Qi stagnation affects only muscles, ligaments or organs. Although extreme pain has been observed in some cases, it is more often noticed as a discomfort, or not noticed at all.
However, if the condition is allowed to go untreated, the body will attempt to help support the affected area, but may deform instead. As the muscles become more rigid, the area starts to degenerate.
The longer the condition is allowed to go untreated, the less chance there is for recovery. What began as a minor problem or discomfort may lead to irreversible damage.
Classical Tongue Diagnosis:
The organs, energy, and blood are represented on the tongue.
A normal, healthy tongue has four qualities:
1. The color is a lustrous, healthy red [not purple, bright red, pale, pink, etc.].
2. The coat is thin and white: it covers the tongue’s entire top surface [not clear, yellow, thick, etc.]
3. The size is average [not long or short].
4. The shape is round [without bumps, cracks, toothmarks, depressions, pointedness, swelling, or anything else unusual].
If your tongue is not normal, it shows problems exist in your body.
