Dee is a 45 year old female who came to our clinic for chronic sinus issues eighteen months ago. Her problem was diagnosed by her doctor as chronic nonallergic vasomotor rhinitis. She had frequently experience sinus pressure or pain with headaches, fatigue, and lethargy. She had this problem for 8 years and the severity of her problems changes throughout seasons with different triggers like perfume or laundry detergents. Before her coming to our clinic, she tried decongestants like nasonex but found it insufficient to relieve her congestion and pressure pain.
After her first acupuncture treatment, she was very pleased with the result. She came back for five more treatments with satisfying relieve. Since she could only make less frequently than the weekly treatments as the sinusitis program recommended, she was provided with an alternative of Chinese herb in conjunction with the acupuncture treatments.
The Chinese herbal formula recommended consists of 15 to 20 different herbs in varying dosages. They came in powdered form. The taste was not so good and it was somehow worse than black coffee. She was instructed to take 4 to 5 spoonful (measure by an enclosed plastic spoon) each time, 2 times a day. (Click for information on taking herb: Taking Herb)
Since Dee is sensitive to different types of perfume, she was instructed to take 2 to 3 spoonfuls to start gradually building up to the regular 4 to 5 spoonfuls dosage. She has been very happy with the formula. Each time she was to refill the formula, she would send in an update of her most recent conditions in email and then to pick up her modified formula. Dee has been taking the herbal formula whenever she needs it to relieve her symptoms. In the mean time, she follows the recommended Netti pot saline solution to rinse her nose as needed. She has been refilling her formula bottle once in two to three months ever since.
Upon palpation he showed a lumpy and sore immune reflection areas behind his chin near his ears, and pressure pain at the area near his arm pit right below his clavicular bone. His left abdominal region was tight. When being plapated, Bobby frowned. His bladder channel exhibited palpation pain at heart shu, diaphragm shu and lung shu. He breathed with a wheezing sound only upon inhalation and not on exhalation.
Master Dong's Extra Points indicated that Lingu - Taibai be needled. These points are located at the web of Bobby's index finger and thumb. Needles stayed for fifteen minutes.
Since Bobby exhibited an oketsu sign and immune issues, Kiiko Matsumoto Acupuncture style treatments were initiated. Application of a Q-tip on the bridge of his nose at the Bi-Tong and Bi-Yan spots gave him a sore feeling. Needles were applied at those points as well as on top of his forehead and sides of his nostrials.
After ten minutes of front treatments, Bobby was asked to roll over on his stomach. Then his back treatments began. On the bladder channel, lung shu, heart shu, and diaghram shu were needled and rounds of shread moxa were applied until Bobby's skin turned pink.
A month of weekly treatments allowed Bobby to stay away from his sinusitis meds and the dosage of his inhaler was reduced significantly. By the end of the 4th treatments, Bobby stopped coughing completely.
Twenty-nine year old Caroline complained of frequent asthma attacks for five years. Five years ago she found a job in a basement office, which was located near a swamp. The office had smelly rugs and the room was filled with "stuffy" air. Caroline mentioned that her asthma attacks began a few weeks after she started to work there. A year later, she quit the job in the hope that asthma would go away but with no luck. When she first came to our clinic seeking acupuncture treatments, she was using an inhaler alomost every day. She had no other health complaints.
Caroline's asthma was of an inhalation type. She had a long inhalation time accompanied with wheezing and a normal exhalation. When her ankle was pressed, he inhalation improved. Pressing her elbow helped her inhalation. Four points around umbilicus were used to treat the allergic component of the asthma she had exhibited. Sore and gummy points at her back were also used.
This treatment gave Caroline relief for only two or three days. She was treated once a week for three weeks and each time the asthma attacks came back after two or three days of relief.
On her 4th visit, Caroline's abdomen was palpated much more thoroughly and a lump at the left to her naval was discovered. It wasn't very painful and was missed during her previous treatments. Liver treatment was then applied. It reduced some of the deep pressure pain at the abdomen. After the treatment, an interdermal needle was left in one of her ankles and arms. Two more similar treatments later, she was clear of her symptoms.
It was clear that without the root treatment done in the latter part of her treatments, her underlying condition could not have gotten better.
Twenty Seven year old Phillip came to the clinic complaining of seasonal allergy and asthma, stuffy nose with itchy eyes. He also had difficulty in inhalation. Other than the use of an inhaler every morning, Phillip doesn't use any other medication. He is generally healthy without any significant medical history.
Points around his naval, upon palpation, showed tightness. His right SCM mucles also showed tightness. Behind the SCM muscles, some swollen and congested lymphatic glands could be palpated on both sides of the neck. The mid point on his hair line above his forehead also showed soreness upon palpation. All points along his spine, especially C7 and T7 were sensitive upon palpation. His pulse was fast with 85 beats per minute. His stomach qi was without movement.
Acupuncture treatments included twenty minutes on his arms, front, and feet, and another twenty minutes on his back with thread moxa. The application of moxa was repeated until Phillip could feel the heat.
Six more treatments later, Phillip could feel his conditions were 90% better.
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