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.

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