Time for a break

I have decided to take a wee break from writing this blog for a few months until the Spring. Two main reasons - Firstly I am coming up to a very busy time of book and article writing which will take a great deal of time. Secondly, and more importantly, I am unsure as to where this blog is leading. I started it off with every good intention and have written over 100 of them in almost 3 years. The hit count of over 7000 isn't exactly overwhelming and I sometimes feel as if I am writing into a black hole - there is little or no feedback. I would be more than happy to write a blog on subjects that people want - so during the break please indicate what you want me to write about!!!

Please look at the Notices page of my web site www.johncrossclinics.com for any startling developments or on www.chakrapuncture.org if you want a question answering about that system. If there are any queries whatsoever I am always very willing to answer them. I receive an average of 20 emails a day from practitioners and patients all over the world. Until 2013 then - au revoir.  - JRC

Surgery - Part Four

For this final part on surgery I'll discuss a great massage treatment both to soften superficial scar tissue and also to re-energise the pathways through the lesion. This must be done with oil, otherwise the client will be hovering a few centimetres off the couch. It is not subtle but does the trick, it falls into the 'no pain, no gain' category of therapy. I am talking about Connective Tissue Massage (CTM). This was pioneered by an Austrian physiotherapist named Maria Ebner in the late 1960's. I was fortunate to do one of her courses in the early '70's. I would strongly recommend that you purchase her book on the subject as it covers oodles of  other things as well- it really was the holistic massage of its day. CTM is performed with the radial border of the middle finger superimposed on the ring finger, and consists of three phases:-

1. Contact with the client to the required depth of their of their tissues and at the correct starting point
2. Take up the 'slack' of the tissues by putting them on the stretch
3. Carry out a short or long stroke along a prescribed line.

Clients will feel that you are dragging a sharp pair of scissors across the skin and, without using oil to buffer it, it can be extremely painful. Start by doing some short strokes of app. two inches (5 cms) long at right angles to the scar tissue until the whole length has been covered. You may then do some long strokes travelling with the meridian energy flow through the scarring. By the time you have finished the whole area will feel warmer and more energised. Let me know how you get on.

Surgery - Part Three

So what can we do about the negative affects of scar tissue? There are two main ways of effecting a better energetic flow through the scar tissue, with bodywork, to enable the commencement of self healing to take place. One is acupressure and the other is deep massage. Today I'll mention acupressure.

If scar tissue occludes the flow of energy either through one of the classical meridian lines OR in non meridian locations that may give trouble elsewhere in the body, it is obvious that we need to recreate a natural flow of chi once again to the region that has been affected. Scar tissue isn't always apparent on the skin - just take the example I gave in the last blog, so initially you have to gently feel around locally to find any tender or acute points. With some oil on the fingers start with some finger tip acupressure to all the tender points around the affected region. Do not initially put any undue pressure to the area as you client is very likely to hover above the couch - try and get your fingers to get progressively deeper in that you can tell, after a couple of minutes, that the area is more energized and hyperaemic. The second stage of the treatment with acupressure is stimulate energy flow through the lesion (scarring). For this you must know which meridian has bee affected. Place one middle finger tip on a proximal point of that meridian and the other middle finger tip on a distal point. In the case of the last blog, I placed the left middle finger on KI 23 (by the clavicle) and the right middle finger on KI 3 (by the medial malleolus). Initiate the flow by doing some gentle massage on the points and then just hold the two points for anything up to 3 minutes. You (and your client) usually feel a nice warm flow. In all cases of energy balancing you have to achieve a 'oneness' between the two fingers and a similar sensation under them. If the scarring is really deep it may take a couple of sessions or you will have to do some massage as well - next blog. Stay well and hope you are enjoying a late Summer - JRC

Surgery - Part two

As a physiotherapist, I have often had to deal with the effects of what scar tissue can do to the patient. Most surgeons don't know of the existence of energy lines, meridians and reflexes and often poo-poo the idea of anything that is 'more' that the physical body on which they have operated. Surgery has come on in leaps and bounds, though, from the butchery of 100 years ago. Key hole surgery has been a revelation and I personally can attest to a very successful key hole hiatus hernia operation. The scar tissue that is always residual from any surgery varies enormously in size and tissue consistency and quite often does not cause any problems. The therapist must be aware though during the initial consultation that if the patient/client utters those immortal words -'I've never been well since my operation', then you must start to think that deep or superficial scar tissue has effected the person's energy flow. Patients often describe being extremely tired and having 'brand new' symptoms to what they had pre surgery. Let me give you an example of a patient I saw recently.

Male in his mid 30's who had been suffering from depression, lethargy and anxiety. He had been diagnosed (apart from depression) with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Iris and tongue diagnosis told me that his kidney, bladder and spleen energies were low for someone of his age. I then asked him about any surgery he had had- he told me that as a child he had surgery on his scrotum (hydrocele), he had also had the 'snip'. That would explain how his kidney and spleen energies were depleted as both meridians would have been affected. I gave him a couple of treatments (explained in next blog) and he is feeling  much better.

I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to re-establish meridian harmony following surgery and also how deep and superficial scar tissue affects meridian flow. It is very real!!!! Next blogs will show how to resolve this through acupressure/reflexology and massage.

Surgery - Part One

I saw my consultant neuro-surgeon last month in Edinburgh. It was a 14 hour round trip with and overnight stay for a 10 minute chat! Apart from him showing me the latest MRI findings of my cervical spine post decompression and fusion and suggesting that no further surgery was required, the amusing topic of the day was that he was  a doctor who called himself 'Mr' and I was a 'Mr' who called himself Doctor (I don't do that very often as it is extremely confusing for all concerned to have a doctorate in medicine and yet not be a medical doctor). The surgery seemed to have gone OK and there was no reason why it should not have been successful - but there never had been any guarantees that there would be any pain reduction following surgery.

It set me thinking that I must have encountered hundreds and hundreds of patients over the years who had not benefited from surgery - even when they had embraced it with eyes wide open (as I had) as a last resort once all conservative treatment had failed to produce results. I am NOT anti surgery as I feel that it is an essential part of medicine that has altered improved the lives of countless people with organic, musculo-skeletal and neurological conditions. However, nothing can be guaranteed and it should always (except in emergency cases) be carried out as a last resort when conservative treatment has failed. It can never usually be reversed if its not been successful - there's no going back - it is a one way route! There's the rub.  How many patients really and truly appreciate that. Most of still think that 'doctor is always right' and that the surgeon 'must' be right. If conservative therapy didn't do the trick pre surgery - it sure won't post surgery. When I was practising, the hardest thing that was asked of me was to treat something that had been surgically treated beforehand. One of the hardest things to cope with is the effect of scar tissue formation (next blog), but when treating chronic lumbar pain (for example) I knew the lumbar anatomy backwards - but after surgery it was such a difficult job as the anatomy had changed.

It remains a huge bone of contention with me that, sadly, these days surgery (especially with musculo-skeletal conditions) is often carried as a first resort before therapy (of any kind) has had the opportunity to exhaust all the channels. Wearing my 'really big head' hat, I know that I've saved scores of patients from having the knife. Patients with acute spinal or knee cartilage conditions were all 'cured' (the word is ALWAYS used advisedly) before the dreaded knife. On a few occasions that physical therapy took several sessions, I wasn't always successful in achieving the surgical stay of execution - but you can't win em all. Next blog - the effects of scar tissue.

Hello Again

I am back blogging, sending regular pieces on the various aspects of complementary therapies. I decided to take a few weeks off over July and August as there are only so many hours in the day and the grass grows at an alarming rate during our wonderful summers. We have had two sets of visitors (our 4 grandchildren) which was a delight. Now the autumn (fall) is almost upon us and the NW Highlands is back to its usual wet and windy weather. We have to put the heat back on at tea time whilst London is basking in high temperatures. Still its great for the last few days of the Paralympics. Hope many of you managed to watch the Olympics and Paralympics, not just to see the sport but also to marvel at what London can offer. They have put on a great show and I can't see it being bettered next time round.

I am back to lecturing and giving workshops. I start in November doing a refresher Chakra workshop at Chilterns MS Centre near Aylesbury on 17/18 November. I am already working out my Spring 2013 schedule and hope to be going across the pond as well as Sweden and a few parts of the UK. Check the web site on these details. Although the Light Touch reflextherapy book was published in May, it has only just been advertised and has started to sell quite well - Ive had a couple of very good reviews and lots of questions about it via email.

So I'll be starting the next round of fascinating and scintilating blogs in a couple of days on the subject of surgery and its effects on the energy body. Trust you all had a great Summer. - JRC

Acupuncture and Acupressure in India

I have just learnt through my 'Linked In' site that the Indian Government does not allow practise of acupuncture, acupressure or reflexology. The sub continent is reckoned to be the country where it all started before it transferred to mainland China about 5000 years ago. So if this information is correct it is absolutely amazing that therapies that are relatively cheap to do and with relatively few side effects cannot be practiced? I am slightly bemused with this information. I often receive emails from practitioners in India who comment on my books and ask specific questions about treating their patients with chakra puncture as well as TCM. I didn't realise that the government didn't allow practise, unless it is doctors (RMP) only. Does anyone else have any information on this?

Reflexology Research

Some positive reflexology research has actually made the popular press this week even though scores of legitimate research does not. It was a three year study by researchers at the university of Stirling that showed the effects of reflexology on the hearts of healthy volunteers. It was  small study but had excellent protocols and results. It will not be world changing but it is to be welcomed. There are many problems with medical research these days. To be shown to be effective it has to be done exactly by the book with very narrow protocols. Until something has been researched correctly it is often stated by the orthodox medical fraternity that such and such an approach is not research based and is therefore not valid. Therefore positive results for whatever complementary therapy has not complied with this narrow structure is deemed to work purely on anecdotal evidence or the dreaded placebo effect.

I have often been accused in the past of not giving a fig for research. This is actually not true - I am just as in favour of it as anyone else. Most research is actually very time consuming and, quite frankly - boring! Why should I comply with someone else's rules when all I want to do is to treat sick people. I know that my methods work without researching them - let others do that if they want to - and a few have!. We all know that pain relief acupuncture has been researched ad nauseum. This only proves one thing - that pain relief acupuncture works. Yippee!!! Ten thousand practitioners and a million patients down the ages didn't need to be told that - they already knew it. What science cannot answer though is why non pain relief acupuncture works - eg those used for well being, emotional, non painful skin conditions etc. And yet it still works!! When will these scientific boffins realise that if something has been practised for hundreds or thousands of years - it obviously works, otherwise it would have died out. Anecdotal evidence on therapies that have existed for millennia is fine by me.

Higgs Boson

One day in the early 1960's when Peter Higgs was out walking in the Scottish Highlands he had a 'eureka' moment. He, and many other physicists of the time, had wondered if the acceptable atomic model of the time was just plain wrong! What was it that caused the other particle to gell? What was it that formed the matrix or the fascia -if you will- of the universe to allow every other type of particle to function in a coherent and 'ordered' way? He formulated that there had to be another particle that was, at the time, impossible to detect with 1960's technology. He was ridiculed by many of  his peers and several articles that he wrote on his hypothesis were refused publication in the scientific journals.

The announcement this week that, at last, physicists believe that this elusive particle had possibly been located has brought huge ramifications to everyone interested in life, the universe and everything. This particle that is infitessimally small is located everywhere! It pervades the whole of the universe, therefore pervades every living organism including you and me. It has been coined the 'God' particle - this is actally a misnoma that is based on the fact that hundreds of physicists had called it the 'goddam' particle that couldn't be isolated. I just wonder though whether that which Peter Higgs dared to suggest to the scientific community in the 1960's had already been shouted from the rooftops by other philosophers down the ages such as Hippocrates, Paracelsus, von Reichenberg, Hanneman to name a few. I believe that what we have always believed to be the universal energy that has its own innate intelligence is exactly what has now been scientifically proved to exist. I believe it to be the 'Field' and the universal ether. I also believe that as scientists carry out further experiments using this new found knowledge, they will finally prove the existence of the energy field that we call prana, chi, ki or whatever other name you want to give to vital force. We are living in wondrous times!!

The art of Touch and Feel (2)

I often meet with workshop delegates who have little or no experience of actually touching their patients/clients so we have to start slowly and build up. The first exercise I ask them to do is to gently place both middle finger pads on the partner's leg on some area where I know there is a sparsity of acupoints - the hands are app. ten cms. (four inches) apart. Just see what happens! They can close their eyes, concentrate on life, universe or everything or just think nothing. It is amazing how many different reactions we get after holding two non-descript points for about two minutes (thats a long time if you arn't used to touching!) Some of them say that there's an increase in heat under the fingers, some say that there is a kind of buzzing or some other kind of senstaion. I also ask what the model is feeling. I then proceed to go to touching (just touching mark you- not massaging or stimulating in any way) two acupoints on the same meridian (although I don't tell them that) and see what the difference is! We then do some stimulating massage on these points and again see the diference.There are scores of disparate sensations to be had.

I mention this to try and prove a couple of things. Firstly there is no right or wrong in the sensation that you will have - we are all different. Secondly - less is more!! Clinical acupressure is not about attacking the acupoint like a bull in a china shop as sometime occurs in both acupuncture and some types of reflexology. The secret in treating just one point (without balancing) is to place the finger on the point slowly, then initially do some gentle circular movements and trying to tune in to what the point is actually telling you. For instance if you wanted to try to ease a chronic condition of muscle imbalance - one of the main points would be LR 3 (between the great toe and second toe). Gently place your finger pad on the point and do some gentle but firm circular movements for a few seconds - this is the  equivalent of obtaining de qui in acupuncture. Then just hold the point and see what happens. If, after a minute there is no discernible alteration in sensation, then try some more circular massage. After a while you will detect a change of sensation - then just hold the point without tonifying in any way. This needs to coupled with FOCUS and INTENTION on your part. Experience will tell you when the acupoint has been properly treated. At no time are you aloof of your client - you tune in to what they are feeling. When you are dealing with acute conditions - keep the fingers still at all times. More next time.

The art of Touch and Feel (1)

I have lived quite a schizophrenic existence in my career. I am both orthodox and complementary (I hate the word 'alternative') and have spent many years pioneering integrative medicine. In my complementary medical career I have practised many different types of therapy including homoeopathy, radiesthesia, acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, chakra therapy, reiki and naturopathy. I am often asked which of these I liked doing the most. the answer is always anything that requires touch and feel i.e. all the bodywork modalities. When I qualified as an acupuncturist in 1978, having been a physiotherapist for 8 years, what I tried to do then, and what I have attempted to do since is to combine the two! What could be better I thought than combining Chinese medicine and physical therapy to give the best of both worlds. I soon learnt, though, that we are all made differently and my colleagues often saw things in  a completely different light to me. Only a small fraction of physiotherapists actually touch their patients (this seems to be getting worse year on year) so why should I pioneer 'touch'. Similarly not many acupuncturists actually want to combine touch with needling, even though, strictly speaking, traditional Chinese medicine means using needle, moxa, herbs, diet AND touch.

I have lost track of the times in lecturing or in print that I have shouted from the rooftops the importance of touch and feel and that acupressure is not a watered down version of acupuncture. Much of this may have fallen onto deaf ears, but also I know that hundreds of my students, pupils and readers have, like me, found that the correct use of acupressure - in all its forms - is infinitely superior to needling. I am certainly not decrying acupuncture - heaven forbid. But what I am saying is that there are thousands of acupuncturists out there who do not know what they are missing by not using touch and feel as extra strings to their bow. I shall expand on these thoughts over the next couple of blogs. Take care - JRC

Update and New Book

Sorry for lack of blogs lately. Whoever said that retirement brings more free time was obviously not retired! Went to Edinburgh last week to see the consultant neurosurgeon and have another scan (my 6th and final one TYG). For those of you who are geographically ignorant re. Scotland (that includes many folk who live in Scotland) - it takes me about 8 hours to get to Edinburgh by car, 2 trains and cab. So with an overnight stay it meant being away from home for  40 hours - all for a 10 minute consultation!! The good news is that the surgery went well and the scan showed that the 'plastic' disc in my neck was well entrenched. The bad news is that it doesn't seem to have helped much as the pain levels are still high. He did suggest me taking vitamin B12 and Folic acid even though I take several herbal and vitamin remedies already. I was surprised that a neurosurgeon gave me vitamin advice - there is hope for integrative medicine on the NHS after all .

The 'Light Touch Reflextherapy' book is finally published. I had ordered over 100 copies from AuthorHouse the publisher in Indiana, although they are actually printed in Milton Keynes, UK. They took 44 days from order to arrival - not bad going for something that was supposed to be urgent. I had several folk waiting for copies from all round the world so that was a bit of a pain for them to be kept waiting. I had a very good service from the publishers apart from the last six weeks. Now the fun begins!! I am sending out review copies to many of the reflexology journals home and abroad and advertising in Positive Health and other on line and hard copy magazines. It is a very expensive exercise and of course all the expense is up front with returns in dribs and drabs. First reactions from those who have read it though, are favourable.

I have already written out the Synopsis for the next book on Acupressure and Homoeopathy combinations. This, too, will be self published though I may get the printing done locally. It will be a small booklet and am hoping that this will fill a void as it is aimed at the lay person and not the medical professional. The more, though, that I research the topic, the more exciting it becomes and I am wondering why on earth I get these urges to write and to share knowledge - it is a masochistic existence sometimes. What really makes it all worth while is when I receive an email or letter informing me how much the teaching has helped and how, in turn, they have been able to help their own clients.

My Spine

An update on my grotty neck - I'm off to Edinburgh in 10 days time for another scan and to see the consultant neurosurgeon. Things haven't improved since my spinal fusion last December. I'm unsure whether I want more constructive surgery as once was enough of a traumatic experience for me. There certainly isn't any conservative treatment that will help - I have tried them all over the past 15 years or so since first being diagnosed with cervical spondylosis.

I have been asked many times as to why I haven't managed to 'cure' my own neck, especially with my own acupuncture/acupressure inventions. The simple truth is that I have given myself hundreds of treatments and spent a fortune on seeing scores of different practitioners over the years in an attempt to treat my neck. I did NOT undertake surgery lightly and will always maintain that surgery should always be a last resort.

I am absolutely no different to any other patient in requiring the cause of a condition to be addressed, and not just trying to ease the symptoms. I was born with a roto-scoliosis of the mid thoracic spine. This has given me many different symptoms that has affected other parts of the spine as well as the internal organs and the autonomic nervous system. My thoracic spine has improved on what it was when I was in my twenties (thanks to treatment from my wife) and the curvature is not so pronounced although it has left me with an instability. However, fifteen years ago the cervical spine started to show signs of a compensatory curvature, that has eventually given me the compression and arthritic changes that I have today. So, I know what the cause is, but sadly, this cannot be cured.

All of this has naturally given me an interest in the spine, and in particular how various spinal anomalies can cause non spinal conditions. Several years ago I started to run workshops called 'The Holistic Spine'. This resulted in a poster being produced and later this year I am finally embarking on writing a book on the topic.  So its not all bad news then!!

Constitutional Types

Carrying on with basic Naturopathy today I shall discuss archetypes or Constitutional Typing. There are several ways of differentiating a person's type. The anatomist or kinesiologist would use the body somatyping of mesomorph, ectomorph or endomorph to be able to deduce a person's capabilities, strengths and weaknesses from it.The classically trained homoeopath would use the archetypes that Hahnemann pioneered, namely the Miasmitic concept of disease. Briefly this means that we are all born with certain hereditary weaknesses that represent a disease taint handed down to us from our forebears. The Ayurvedic practitioner would archetype using the Ida (Deep or Organic) and Pingala (Superficial and non-organic) strengths and weaknesses. In a similar way the TCM practitioner would classify the person's strengths and weaknesses in terms of Yin and Yang complementary aspect of Chi of individual organs that form the Elements. The following is a very brief summary of what to look for with body language, speech and emotional imbalance - remembering that a high percentage of our disease stems from psychosomatic origins. I have included dreams, but these can be subjective and many practitioners just simply don't like to quiz about them.

Liver and Gall Bladder imbalance (Wood Element) - Tendency to stoop and have round shoulders, shuffle. They speak with a drawl or whining tone that can be very irritating. Emotionally they are angry, irritable and indifferent towards others. They dream of violence.

Heart, Small Bowel, Pericardium and Triple Energizer imbalance (Fire Element) - Tendency to gabble and chatter. Get anxious and agitated. They are noisy and curious. They may be giggly and very shy. Dream of laughter, being shut in or exposed.

Kidney and Bladder imbalance (Water Element) - Rigid spines and tend to shuffle. Tend to be 'weak' people. Insecurity and diffidence. Have extreme fear and phobias. Dream of drowning and water.

Lung and Large Bowel imbalance (Metal Element) - Boisterous and heavy. Very forward and sit on the front of their seats when interviewed. Can be shy and suppress emotions. They cry a lot but need to be alone to do this. Dream of sadness, also flying and singing.

Spleen and Stomach imbalance (Earth Element) - Have a tendency to put on weight or lose weight rapidly. They have dark secrets and can be fearful, anxious or depressed. Cannot express themselves readily. Dream of food and fasting.

Hippocrates and Vital Force

A few of you have commented on me mentioning Hippocrates in the last blog and asked me what else he said - their in lies a book!! He allegedly said the following:-

• Only nature can heal providing it is given the opportunity to do so.
• Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food
• Disease is an expression of purification
• Symptoms are a signal - not the disease itself
• Do not suppress symptoms

He also called VITAL FORCE -Vis Medicatrix Naturae

So what did he mean by this phrase and what is vital force. The acceptance of vital force is, of course, the cornerstone of anyone who works in healing, complementary medicine and naturopathy. All living things are made up of energy or vital force and that dis-ease occurs because of an imbalance of vital force either within or without. Without this fundamental precept all else is meaningless. With it - the true nature of disease becomes clear. If we introduce any kind of un natural, perverse or altered states into our system, dis-ease will ensue. The science of quantum physics has made huge strides lately into giving some scientific credence to the existence of vital force. Scientific or allopathic medicine is based upon reductionism, as opposed to vitalism in natural medicine.

Over 2500 years ago Pythagorus called this energy Pneuma. He said that is came from a central fire in the universe and provided man with his immortal soul. Hippocrates, as we know called it Medicatrix Naturae. Paracelsus b. 1493 believed in a healing energy that radiated within and around man like a luminous sphere. He called this force Archaeus and said that it could operate at a distance and was able to both cause and cure disease. He was the founder of magnetic healing. Much of Samuel Hahnemann's work in homoeopathy was based on the philosophy of Paracelsus. Mesmer (1733-1815) was convinced like Paracelsus that humans were influenced by a subtle force or energy field in the universe that could be harnessed for healing purposes. He called this energy Animal Magnetism. He pioneered the science of mesmerism which was later called hypnotism. Baron Von Reichenberg called this energy Odic Force or Od from the Norse god Odin. D.D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic called it Innate. Traditional Chinese medicine calls it Chi or Ki, Traditional Ayurvedic medicine calls it Prana and so on and so on. There is nothing new under the sun. I am more than confident that one day the scientific network will embrace this philosophy. JRC

Naturopathy -the Basics (3)

It was probably Hippocrates who was the first physician to say that symptoms are like golden pearls of information that are to be used to find out the true cause of a condition. Symptoms are merely the patient's expression - they are like a flag being waived in the practitioner's direction saying' this is what my body is attempting to express, but please find the cause'. Symptoms should never be suppressed with chemical drugs or such like. We have to take the whole person into account with our treatments. We are not just jumble of dissimilar organs and tissues that require a different medical approach for each - instead we are a wonderful blend of togetherness! If one part of the body starts to fail, in time it will cause others to fail. This topic of holism is nicely answered in many of the fixed laws and principles of traditional medicine such as the 'Mother -Son' and the 'Five Transformations (Elements)'.

Constantine Hering (1800-1880) spent his life examining the human body and he gave us 3 laws of cure. He states that when patients are treated with natural methods, cure takes place in certain directions - from above downwards, from the internal towards the external and that during cure symptoms appear in  areverse order than they did with the formation of disease. Quite simply he was saying that when a patient is being treated with naturopathic methodology (fasting, homoeopathy, herbs, acupuncture, reflexology, healing etc.) he/she takes the opportunity to self heal and do it in specific ways according to the laws. An example of 'top to bottom' would be the migraine headache that eases with correct treatment only to present an upper dorsal tension which, in turn, gives way to low back pain. An example of the 'interio-exterior' law would be the asthma that eases with correct treatment only to give way to eczema on the skin. The asthma may have been caused originally by applying suppressive treatment to the ezcema (cortizone based ointments for example). The return of symptoms, as outlined in the third law may be transient or long lasting. They are often called the 'healing crisis' and are simple the person's self healing vital force attempting to produce homoeostasis within. This so called 'unitary' theory has stemmed from the 3rd law. It states that dis-ease is a force (of energy) that proceeds from organ to organ and from system to system throughout our lives, always getting deeper and producing a more chronic symptom picture. When self healing commences, the patient's healing energy is called into action and the symptoms re-appear and proceed from the deep towards the superficial. This is often why when, after a couple of treatment sessions, a patient will remark that they feel better within even though symptomatically they may be the same.

Next time - What is Vital Force!!!

Naturopathy - the Basics (2)

Naturopaths recognise that dis-ease may be due to inherited, congenital and developmental factors as well as infection, trauma, nutritional, structural and emotional imbalance. Naturopathy is an approach to health rather than one specific therapy. Modern naturopathic medicine is based on a philosophy which emphasises the unity of life and sees health  and dis-ease very much as the product of human physiological, biochemical and emotional harmony and disharmony. The diagram is one of the most basic you will ever see, and yet is quite profound. It deals with both CAUSE and EFFECT

A physical aetiology may produce both emotional and chemical affects - an emotional condition may have been produced by our own thought forms or environment etc. but there are often chemical and physical changes as well. Just because we may be dealing with a mechanical condition it doesn't necessarily mean that the cause is mechanical - it may be chemical or emotional. A symptom such as pain may be due to emotional aetiology (long term stress, anger, tension, jealousy), a chemical imbalance (eating foods or taking chemicals or drugs that cause stomach or liver imbalance) or plain old trauma. Take the case of a 'frozen' shoulder. If the client tells you that it occurred due to an accident - then treat the shoulder. If they tell you that it just happened - the DONT treat the shoulder - that is where the symptoms are, it is not the cause.

However, they should also be considered in isolation. the treatment for an obvious mechanical (physical) condition should be a physical therapy, like wise the treatment for a chemical imbalance should be internal medicine. Therefore treating a spinal condition with chemicals (drugs) is about as daft as going to see an osteopath if you have chicken pox! Next time - a little on Constantine Hering and the Law of Cure and possibly Hippocrates - you lucky people! - JRC

Naturopathy - the Basics (1)

Today we make a start on the basics of Naturopathy, Natural Medicine or Nature Cure as it used to be called. I firmly believe that every practitioner of complementary medicine should be aware of the basics tenets of naturopathy.

Definition : - It is a system of medicine that seeks to facilitate and promote the body's inherent physiological self-healing mechanisms by means of exercise, massage, hydrotherapy, nutrition, diet, or manipulative therapy. Naturopathy is one of the world's oldest system of medicine and is based on four main principles.

• Recognition of the individuality of the patient (or client). Allopathic (orthodox) medicine has a tendency to 'clump' patients with similar symptoms as being the same and they are often given exactly the same treatment. Each person is an individual with different  physical, chemical, emotional and spiritual make-ups. We each live in different environments and have varied external stimuli. Each one of these should be taken into account before treatment commences.
• That one should attempt to establish and treat the cause of the condition and not just treat or palliate the symptoms. Allopathic medicine, in part, may also state this but naturopathy goes much deeper into the possible causes which are not always apparent, because of the different basic philosophy from allopathic medicine. An example of this would be the treatment of 'frozen' shoulder. Allopathic medicine would use analgesics, physiotherapy, exercise - all naturally assuming that the cause is a mechanical one. Natural medicine would give scores of other possible causes - including dietary imbalance (too many refined foods) that cause constipation, emotional upsets such as anxiety and lack of free expression.
• That one should recognise the whole person and not just the locally affected area. This means that we should look at the patient in an holistic way - mind, body and spirit - and appreciate that a symptom is simply an expression of imbalance within the whole. It is the person's way of attempting to express their energy imbalance.
• That everyone has the ability to heal themselves. Hippocrates called this 'vis medicatrix naturae'. It simply means that we should never suppress symptoms but allow the patient to heal themselves by their own built in energy system

More next time - JRC

LIGHT TOUCH REFLEXTHERAPY

As I took out a particular package with AuthorHouse, they choose the price - not me. They have made it RRP £20.99. I think this is far to high but it will cost me lots of money to try and change it. I shall though be selling it for £14.45. P and P is £2.50 so the total price is £16.95. I'm doing a special price if both Book and the LTR poster are purchased - instead of £27.90 there will be a saving of £2.00 to make it £25.90. It is all I can do as they are sent under separate cover - one package and one postal tube. The new postal charges start late April so margins are quite tight. The book should be out by the middle of May.

I am honouring a favour to Michel Hamilton (who created the chakrapuncture.org website) and writing an article on two less known chakras - the Soma and Hridaya for him to put on his web site. It will come in useful for a future book on the minor chakras that I am thinking about. I shall soon start a series of blogs on naturopathy and the real meaning of various conditions.  Be good - John 

Update

Yes I'm still here!! I've been a bit busy lately but promise to do more blogging in the future (honest).

Good news - My latest book 'Light Touch Reflextherapy' is being published by AuthorHouse of Indiana.They used to have a UK branch in Milton Keynes, but no longer. It should be published the middle of May and you will be able to buy it through my website as well as Amazon etc. Price unknown at the moment but it should be £9-£12 bracket. I am really pleased with it - lots of illustrations to add to the 20,000 words. the A1 size poster will be available to go with it. I aim to self publicise it as I have a bit more time these days since retiring from clinical work. Why pay over £2000 to have a publicist when you can download to Kindle all you need to know for £1.85. Watch my web site for details and I shall be running advertising through POSITIVE HEALTH web site as well as specialised reflexology journals. I'm also starting a new Facebook page soon called John Cross Publications - its all go (in a nice relaxed way)

At long last Google have upgraded what you can do on a blog - so I'll be able to import illustrations etc. when describing acupuncture points. I was sooo limited before. Let me know what sort of stuff you want - clinical, political or general?? Be good - John

Update

I thought that I'd better give you an update about life in general

• The Light Touch Reflextherapy manuscript is now completed. All I need do now is to proof read, check and clean up the illustrations and find a publisher (is that all?) If I go down the self publishing route it should be out by end of May. Watch the web site for details. I shall make a start on the 'Homeopathy and Acupressure' book when this has been completed.
• My own health is not exactly wonderful. It's 3 months since having a decompression and spinal fusion on the neck and the pain levels are still bad. I guess that recovery will take months not weeks. As my wife keeps reminding me, I am no longer Superman! Sadly I have had to pull out of going to Bath for the ACPEM conference next month, also to Tuscany where I was going to give a 3 day workshop - these things can't be helped but I feel very guilty about letting folks down.
• The Brits always talk about the weather - so why not me. The contrast in the UK weather has been ridiculous. In the south east and east midlands, they are virtually on hose pipe bans through lack of rain - here in the north west of Scotland we have had more rain in the last year that in the last 10 that we've been living here. From 1 March 2011 to 29 Feb 2012, we had 53 dry days out of the 366 - the postman gave me that stat. He's been living here all his life and he's never known anything like it. If someone, though, mentions global warming I'll shoot them!!! And don't get me going on 'carbon footprint' - JRC

Powerful Points PC 8

One of the very best self help treatment points must surely be PC 8. It is situated in the centre of the palm where the middle finger nail of a clenched fist touches the palm. Please note it is not 'dead' centre of the palm. The great asset of this point is in calming the mind and clearing 'heat' from the head, throat and chest regions. It is colloquially called the 'stigmata' point, for obvious reasons.

PC 8 is said to be the Hand chakra point. This is a minor chakra acupoint that is linked to both the Foot chakra at Kid 1 (minor) and the Crown Chakra at Gov 20 (major) to give a triad of points that are used in stress release and calming the mind. It is one of the most useful sel help acupoints on the body and helps with relaxation, easing tension headaches, dizziness and hypertension. It is a much easier point to use that Kid 1 and is use extensively in qigong and other Eastern body work and martial arts as a point of focus and to generally strengthen chi.

Ten weeks down the road since surgery on my neck, I am still very sore. I am just hoping that things will start to improve by themselves - there is no way I am going through surgery again. I am, though managing to crack on with the LTR book and am now on the penultimate chapter. I shall be checking out some self publishing firms soon as I think that is the best way to go.

We have endured a very wet winter (quite different to the remainder of the UK) - with just 53 days out of 366 days without rain 1 March 2011 to 29 Feb 2012. No problems with low reservoirs here. Snow and gales forecast for the next few days - joy!!

Powerful Points - STOMACH (ST) 36

Sorry about lack of input over last few days - a combination of being too busy writing the book and generally catching up with life and leting my neck settle. I'm carrying on with important acupoints (let me know if you want any different stuff that hasn't been covered over the past 2 years).

Today I describe one of the most influential acupoints on the body that may be used with needle, moxa and pressure giving different reactions with this polychrest of a point. ST 36 is situated within the fibres of the tibilais anterior muscle, approximately one finger width lateral to the tibial crest (shin bone) with the quadriceps insertion on the tibial tuberosity. When using needle you have to be aware that there is a distinct de qi sensation and often the patient will gladly inform you that you have 'hit a nerve' They will feel the sensation travelling right down to the ankle. This point answers very well to moxa either as a cone or a stick and is also a brilliant self help point in acupressure.

Indications : Afflictions of the mouth, bitter taste, frequent vomiting, gastralgia and gastro-enteritis, chronic constipation, colic and diaphragmatic spasms. The general indications are anxiety, hypertension, dyspnoea, urethritis, incontinence and difficulty in urination, ezcema, headaches, vertigo, pain, leg weakness and oedema.

The special properties with this point is that it is probably our greatest point in the treatment of tiredness, lethargy and general lack of fibre. To remedy these symtoms you can either use stimulating needles, better still moxa or vigorous acupressure. I well remember using this point to great effect when doing pre-event acupressure/acupuncture on top class athletes. To treat the more acute gastric problems e.g. gastritis and upset tummy, you just need to hold the point with a fairly deep contact. It is a great self help point in spinal muscle and diaphragm muscle spasm. The point is directly associated with the mid thoracic region that gives its sympathetic nerve flow to the diaphragm and stomach - that's why it works. More anon - JRC

Powerful Points - Triple Energizer (TE) 17

Sorry to be so long with this blog - put it down to general decrepitude and sloth! I'm now almost 7 weeks post surgery and, although, the pain is still quite intensive at times, it is starting to settle a little. Fingers crossed! I continue to take life very easily and give the neck every opportunity to heal - there's no other way.

I thought I'd continue with the Powerful Points theme started last year - to introduce you to seemingly ineffectual points that have more 'oomph' to them than you may think at first glance. Today is TE 17. To those of you old enough to know differently, the TE meridian used to be called Triple Heater, Three Heater, Triple Warmer, Triple Burner or by its traditional name of Sanjiao.

TE 17 is located directly behind the ear lobe at the centre of the depression formed between the mastoid process and the lower jaw. It is a surprisingly deep point to effect with an acupuncture needle - anything up to one cun (just over 2 cms). It is, though, its use with acupressure and touch therapy where it can work miracles, simply because of its energetic links with other parts of the body. Firstly it is a very influential acupoint in many conditions of the ear itself. Symptoms and conditions include tinnitus, diminished hearing, earache, acute or chronic otitis, and general ear inflammation. It is also excellent in the treatment of Meniere's syndrome, dizziness, vertigo, TMJ stiffness, headache, nausea and some facial nerve disorders.

Through my work with the chakra energy system, this acupoint has taken on new significance as it is often called the Ear chakra - one of the 21 minor chakras. Significantly it is associated with the Intercostal (minor) at SP 21 and the Heart chakra (major) at Con 17. It is therefore very influential, either treatment on your clients or as self help, for stress release (especially long term), clearing the mind and treating old emotional 'blockages' such as grief, worry and anxiety. The best way to treat this point is to lie down on a bed and place the middle finger pads in to the bilateral points. Visualisation of what you want to achieve will help as you continue with the session. It is a brilliant point in gently lowering hypertension if caused by stress and anxiety, due to its links with the heart. Try and treat the bilateral points for about 5 minutes, then place one hand over the centre of the sternum (Heart chakra) and the other over the anterior Brow chakra for a couple of minutes to complete the treatment. Very relaxing!! More next time - JRC

Post surgical pain

I am now just over two weeks post surgery for my cervical spinal fusion. The anterior incision is only just healing following some complications. The pain in the neck, though, has been worse than the original problem - but it's early days and I'm feeling very well in myself. So what about the pain? It's difficult to do any self help acupuncture or acupressure on this, I hate poisoning my body with codeine etc. that have little effect and TENS machines and the like have no effect at all on what is a combination of neuropathic and post surgical pain.

What has helped is a combination of distraction therapy and trying to keep as busy as possible within the limitation of movement plus magnets! Yes - magnets! I use a large cervical collar that impregnated with small low gauss magnets. It has certainly taken the edge off the discomfort and allowed me to function. I have always been a fan of magnet therapy and have used them with the chakra energy system to good effect where I've used them with the minor chakras. Incidentally, if you are interested, the acupoints for Region One that covers the cervical spine is as follows:-
Positive magnets on KID 1 and PC 8; Negative magnets on HT 6 and KID 3. Points may be used bilaterally but one side is sufficient.