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.

EUREKA MOMENT

I usually get my inspiration moments whilst standing in the shower - must be the hot water affecting the brain! This time it occurred whilst treating a patient who had a working knowledge of homeopathy. I was treating her with acupressure and whilst sedating her CON 17 acupoint (for her tension), suddenly told her that this was the 'Aconite' point. Aconite is a remedy that is used when you are anxious, restless or frightened and mimics the action of CON 17. It got me thinking that most, if not all, of the main acupoints must have a homeopathic 'equivalent'. Knowledge of these two would make a wonderful self help duo. So, in the new year, and when I have completed the Light Touch Reflextherapy book (not long to go), I shall write a booklet on this subject which will be aimed at the lay person. I shall probably self publish.

Back in the 1980's one of the many zany ideas around then was to inject the tincture of a homeopathic remedy into an acupoint that, presumably, resonated at a similar frequency. It was called 'Homeopuncture' . I think it soon lost favour as it didn't seem to work - my idea has nothing to do with this.

Before I get correspondence on this matter - yes I know that the UK spelling is 'homoeopathy' and the USA spelling is 'homeopathy'. It is, though, a matter of choice and the American spelling is more accepted. Have a great Christmas and New Year. JRC

Be careful what you wish for!!!

I have just heard that the surgery on my grotty neck is on 22 December. I have to make my way down to Edinburgh the day before. A taxi has already been booked for the 6 hour journey back to Skye on Christmas Eve - there is no other way of getting home. It has taken 6 months since having the consultation with the neurosurgeon - I am not in the least bothered that it will be around Christmas. This will give me a couple of months recovery time before starting my Spring 2012 teaching schedule in March and April.

It may seem strange that someone like me who has practice complementary medicine and physiotherapy for over 40 years should be so pleased by the prospect of surgery. The simple answer is that I have tried every type of conservative treatment known to man and the arthritic changes in the neck are so bad now that surgery is the only answer. I shall, of course, be taking my arnica with me Next blog very soon but thought I'd better get this one of my chest. As I write this we are being buffeted with storm force winds and snow is blizzards forecast for the next couple of day. Fingers cross the bad weather eases up by Christmas. JRC

Powerful Points - CON 17 - Dan Zhong

Continuing the powerful points theme of a few weeks ago - today is about CON 17 (Ren or CV 17). It is situated at the centre of the chest level with the 4th intercostal space, between the nipples. Some traditional texts say it is forbidden to needle but as long as the needle is inserted no longer that 0.5 cm using a transverse direction - there is usually no problem regards vital organ puncture. Never use a perpendicular approach. It is a major point is treating many heart conditions such as chest constriction, pain and heaviness in the region, palpitation, arrhythmia, wheezing and coughing.

The main use of this point - especially using acupressure is that it calms the mind and spirit and is extensively used in panic attacks, anxiety, grief, sadness, insomnia and hysteria. It is considered to be the anterior aspect of the Heart chakra and, as such, is the most central point in the body. Together with Extra 1 (Yintang) it represents one of the two most powerful points on the body for calming the mind and may be used in many emotional and psychosomatic conditions. As a chakra point its 'partners' that may be used with it so as to give an all round treatment are the Solar Plexus chakra at Con 14, the Intercostal chakra at SP 21 and the Ear chakra at TE 17. All these points may be used in self help as part of a meditation programme or with a client. Check it out

The remarkable EAR

As well as being important when it comes to both hearing and balance, the ear has the most remarkable energy medicine attributes. Acupuncturists have known for a couple of millenia that it is possible to treat very many medical conditions through the ear (auriculotherapy). The body as a whole may be reflected in the ear as the classical inverted foetus. In the past 30 years certain points withing the body of the outer ear have been used in the treatment of many different types of sensitivities, allergic responses, cravings and desires. Examples include helping clients to stop smoking or to try and lose weight by helping the craving to nicotine and food. It is said that there is a direct link between the ear and the hypothalamus, which is the area of the brain that is involved with desires and cravings. This mostly uses electro-acupuncture, although it is possible to help cravings by placing tiny press stud needles in the ear.

The outer ear is, of course, also used in acupressure and body work. One of the ways that clients may begin to reduce their hypertension (high blood pressure) is by literally pulling the ear. I know it sounds crazy, but it works fantastically. They must be relaxed in a chair or lying down. Get them to GENTLY but firmly to pull down on the lobe (pinna) for about two minutes, three times a day. This procedure may be done independently or as part of a meditation session. It will take several days/ a few weeks to reduce the hypertension, but having taught this technique for several years, I can thoroughly recommend it as a 'natural' way of doing this. Have fun - JRC

Loose joints

I'm sure you have all come across clients and patients with loose or 'double' jointedness. I treated an ex army man this week for the second time who had very lax knee ligaments. He was able to hyperextend several cms. from the norm and he had very elastic cruciate ligaments. He'd been having knee pain for several years - the joint was never swollen but it was always 'pressurised'. When I had originally seen hi back in the summer, the predisposing cause of the knee pain was an old ankle sprain that hadn't resolved and even though he had been much improved since then he was still getting some discomfort.

Many years ago I was a practising homoeopath and used to give Nat. Mur. to help strengthen joints - the reason behind this is that loose joints are often associated with salt craving or a life long love affair with too much salt in the diet. Over a period of time the connective tissue become stretched. I asked him to take Nat. Mur. 6 (homoeopathic sodium chloride) for a couple of months. I would bet my mortgage that after this time his knee joints will be tighter and not prone to injury. Have a new look at all those peripheral joint problems with this peculiarity - it may be a solution!