Patient 13: Treatment (Fire) (Inner Fire)

Patient:  Female, age 40

Element:  Fire (Inner Fire)

Number of years coming for treatment:  2 months

Number of prior treatments: 4

Problems today: Is feeling so much better since starting treatment, and wants to keep her balance as she moves out of London to a new home and a new job.

Treatment given:

1                    AEPs (Bl 27, Bl 15)

2                    SI 7, Ht 5

At the end of treatment:  Smiled more. 

Time of next treatment:  Whenever she returns to London.

Proposals for next treatments:   GV 12, SI 14, SI 15, Windows of the Sky (SI 16, SI 17)

Patient 12: Treatment (Fire)(Outer Fire)

Patient:  Female, age 63

Element:  Fire (Outer Fire)

Number of years coming for treatment:  6

Number of prior treatments: Comes very infrequently now.  Last time 18 months ago.

Problems today: “I just feel out of kilter.”  She is not sleeping well.  Is worried about two of her three children who are finding it difficult finding a job after university.  Has bloated feeling in stomach, and, unusually for her, is constipated.

Treatment given:

1                    Co-St block, Co 20, St 1

2                    CV 12

3                    Th 4, HP 7

At the end of treatment:  She said she felt much better as soon as I had needled the block.  Pinker colour.  Looked less strained

Time of next treatment:  Whenever she feels she needs an appointment.

Proposals for next treatment:   AEPs?

Patient 11: Treatment (Metal)

Patient:  Male, age 50

Element:  Metal

Number of years coming for treatment: 10

Number of prior treatments: Comes two or three times a year

Problems today:  Has come for his autumn seasonal treatment.  It is slightly late for this, I think, but he does not think it is yet winter.  I always ask patients what season they think we are in, as there is a wide discrepancy in people’s judgement of this.   It is important to do a seasonal treatment in the season in which the patient thinks he/she is, as that reflects his/her relationship to the element concerned.

Apart from this, he is trying to work his way forward in his job, and is worried financially.  

Treatment given:

1                    Co-St block, Co 20, St 1

2                    Bl 37 (42) (of special relevance for the Metal element since it is at the level of the AEP of the Lung)

3                    Co 1, Lu 8 (Autumn seasonal treatment)

At the end of treatment:  His colour looked less muddy white, and had changed to a clearer colour.  He seemed much easier in himself, and said that he felt good “as I always do after treatment”.  More animated.

Time of next treatment:  I told him he should not leave it as long as he had this time (this had been 6 months), so he will ring for treatment in March/April. 

Proposals for next treatment:   Windows of the Sky (Co 16, Lu 3), Lu 1?

Patient 10: Treatment (Fire)(Outer Fire)`

Patient:  Female, age 35

Element:  Fire (Outer Fire)

Number of years coming for treatment: 14

Number of prior treatments: Comes every 2 months or so for treatment

Original problems:  These are so far in the past, and have changed so much over the years, that treatment is now mostly directed at keeping her in balance.  She has made many life-changing moves over the past three years, such as accepting promotion in her job, moving to a small house of her own and daring to confront her mother.  What she most needs now is support whilst undergoing these changes.

Change since start of treatment:  Over the years I have seen her develop much more self-confidence, particularly in relation to a very stressed relationship with her mother.

Problems today:  Has had various complicated family problems to deal with, which did not overwhelm her, as they may have done in the past, but have wobbled her.

 

Treatment given:

1                    Windows of the Sky (TH 16, HP 2)

2                    HP 7, TH 4

3                    TH 3, HP 9 (tonification points, Wood to Fire)

At the end of treatment:  Her colour had changed to a better pink, she seemed more relaxed, and talked more quietly.

Time of next treatment:  She knows exactly when she needs a treatment, and will phone for the next one, probably in the New Year.

Proposals for next treatment:   AEPs?

Patient 9: Treatment (Wood)

Patient:  Female, age 29

Element:  Wood

Number of years coming for treatment:  2

Number of prior treatments: 9, last treatment in spring

Original problems:  Lack of focus in her work, problems with periods, often misses out a month or two.

Change since start of treatment:  Work is going very smoothly now, and she really enjoys it.  Periods still a problem.  She hasn’t had a period since June. 

Problems today:  Just wants her “autumn seasonal treatment”, she tells me.  She and her partner are thinking of trying for a family soon, and the problem with her periods worries her.  Feeling rather stiff in knees and ankles, and a sore neck for the past two days.  I thought carefully about whether I would find a CV/GV (Ren Mai/Du Mai) block, which is a likely cause for interrupted menstruation.

 

Treatment given:

1                    I could not feel any block on the pulses, therefore needled: AEPs (back shu) of Wood

2                    GB 20 (she liked the feel of this point, because it helped relax her tight neck muscles)

3                    CV (Ren Mai) 5:  She had a slightly colder Lower Jiao and very cold hands, and this is one of the alarm points of the Three Heater.  I think this will bring energy to the Lower Heater, and help towards re-activating her periods.

4                    GB 34, Li 4:  GB 34 is at the knee, and will undoubtedly help her stiff knees by giving energy to the Gall Bladder pathway.  Li 4 transfer energy from GB to Li, and is also an ankle point, to help the stiffness in her ankles.

At the end of treatment:  She said she felt a little less stiff, and I thought her colour was healthier.   

Time of next treatment:  She wanted to know whether she should come more frequently in the New Year to help conception.  I will see her in January, and then assess how often I need to see her.  If her periods are still so irregular, I will do the  CV/GV (Ren Mai/Du Mai) block.  It never hurts to do a block, even if we are not sure if one is there.  We should never rely only on our pulse-taking sensitivity if there is some reason why a block could be indicated, as here.

Proposals for next treatment:   CV/GV block, watch for other blocks.  Will be coming back from another long trip abroad, and this may affect her general health. 

Patient 8: Treatment (Water)

Patient:  Female, age 39

Element:  Water

Number of years coming for treatment: 1

Number of prior treatments: 10, last treatment 6 weeks ago

Original problems:  Very bloated stomach, bad period pains, lack of direction in life, uneasy relationship with extended family.  Parents both with new partners, and she now has to deal with a complex relationship to different step-brethren.  No partner of her own at the moment.  

Change since start of treatment:  Much more at ease with her family, able to develop better relationships outside the family, too.  Physical symptoms have all improved, and she no longer mentions them.

Problems today:  Nothing in particular.  She just likes to have regular treatments to maintain her balance.  She had been pleased to note how she seems to be detaching herself more from her family, rather than anxiously keeping in touch with all of them, as she did in the past.  She thinks she is ready for a new relationship now, but doesn’t feel in a particular hurry about it.

Treatment given:

1                    Ki 27 Store House:  I see this as a point which reaches down into the store of reserves housed in the Water element.  This patient needs to maintain this store so as not to drain herself.

2                    Bl 58 Fly and Scatter, followed by Ki 4.  I think she is still what could be described as somewhat “scatty”, with a tendency to lose her focus.  That’s why I chose Bl 58.  Ki 4 is the junction (luo) point, drawing Bladder energy to the Kidney to complete the treatment.

At the end of treatment:  She looked at peace and quieter.  I feel happy about her.

Time of next treatment:  Appointment made for early January to give her her winter seasonal treatment (if possible in horary time).

Proposals for next treatment:  Bl 66, Ki 10 (Water points on the Water element – winter treatment).

Patient 7: Treatment (Metal)

Patient: Male, age 35

Element:  Metal

Number of years coming for treatment: 4

Number of prior treatments: Comes for treatment about 5-6 times a year.

Main problem today:   Nothing in particular.  Just coming for his autumn seasonal treatment.

Treatment given:

1    Bl 37 (42) Soul Door:  this point is at the level of the AEP (back shu) point of the Lung, and I see this as giving it a special relationship to Metal. 
2    Co 1, Lu 8:  Metal element points within Metal, autumn seasonal treatment (the best treatment of the year for Metal patients). This point would be even better at Metal's horary time in the early morning as well as in autumn, but for practical reasons that is not possible.

At the end of treatment:  His eyes looked brighter, and his colour looked better.

Time of next treatment:  Whenever he feels that he needs it.  Like many Metal people, he is very aware of the level of his own energy, and when in balance will know exactly when a treatment is needed.

Proposals for next treatment:  AEPs (back shu) of Metal, Lu 10 (according to JR “the most spiritual point in the body”), or Windows of the Sky.