Patient 28: Treatment (Earth)

Patient:  Female, age 34

Element:  Earth

Number of prior treatments: One

Reason for treatment:   Three miscarriages, at between 3 and 12 weeks, in the past two years.

Treatment given:

1                    CV/GV (Ren Mai/Du Mai) block:  CV 1, CV 24, GV1, GV 28.   To be expected after the trauma of the birth of her second child two years ago.  Very protracted labour, very little help from nursing staff in the labour ward because they were under severe pressure, finally required forceps delivery, with resultant need for stitches which took some time to heal.  Birth traumas very often lead to a CV/GV block, even if there has been no surgery. A CV/GV block is also often the cause of infertility, particularly if there has been a previous Caesarian operation (literally a cut across the CV meridian), or any kind of sexual trauma.  In this patient’s case the CV/GV block meant that all her officials, including of course both CV and GV, have sufficient energy to allow an egg to fertilize but insufficient energy to keep the baby in the womb.  In cases of infertility, the officials have insufficient energy for fertilization in the first place.

2                    St 42, Sp 3

At the end of treatment:   She could feel an immediate change after the CV/GV block.  “I feel lighter”.  Better colour, and happier as she left.   

Time of next treatment:  One week.      

Proposals for next treatment:    Continue working on Earth.  She is starting to re-evaluate her life, particularly her relationship with her mother, and is beginning to understand that treatment could also help her deal with quite traumatic family problems in her childhood.  Since she has always been able to conceive very quickly, I am very optimistic that her next pregnancy will proceed smoothly.

Patient 27: Treatment (Earth)

See also treatments for Patients 5 & 18 (blogs 24 Oct 10 & 17 Jan 11) for this patient’s previous treatments

Patient:  Female, age 50

Element:  Earth

Number of years coming for treatment:  10 years

Number of prior treatments: Comes three or four times a year.

Problems today:   Feels a bit chesty, and a little tired from some freelance work she is doing which involves speaking a lot.  Says she feels much easier since her last treatment in January.  She has done what I suggested, which is to eat a substantial, breakfast, and says that her problems with trying to stick to a diet to lose the extra weight she has put on have lessened because her large breakfast is so filling that she no longer feels so hungry during the rest of the day.  She had a very long sleep the night after the treatment, and woke feeling much more refreshed.  Still occasionally feels a bit depressed as if under a cloud, but this feeling has lifted a great deal since the last treatment.

  

Treatment given:

1                    XI1 20 :  I love this point for its name and its position (Encircling Glory, high up on either side of the rib cage, as though it is enfolding the patient in its arms).  This patient lives on her own and is quite lonely, so I feel this point will give her something special.

2                    XI 4:  Earth Granary, on the side of the mouth.  I think this will be a good way of helping her in the speaking she has to do for her job.  I have seen one of my patients stop talking as soon as I have needled this point, lying quiet for a little and then starting talking again but in a much quieter way, as if the point has helped them digest their thoughts properly.

3                    St 36, Sp 3

At the end of treatment:   Her colour looked fresher.  She noticed that she had not felt the needles as acutely as at the last treatment.  

Time of next treatment:  About 6 weeks from now.  We have agreed that she will benefit from regular treatments at this kind of interval in future to prevent the depressive feelings which had built up over the winter.

Proposals for next treatment:   I will not think about this until I see what she needs.  With a patient who has come for so long and is now coming so regularly very little treatment needs to be given – just a little boost to her Earth element and she will be fine, so perhaps something as simple as source or tonification points

Patient 23: Treatment (Earth)

Patient:           Female, age 36

Element:         Earth

Number of years coming for treatment:  11

Number of prior treatments:  Comes once or twice a year now

Problems today:   Nasty flu bug, with blocked sinuses, headaches, aching joints, painful earache and sore throat.  Very tired.  Been on antibiotics for 5 weeks to try and clear the blocked ears.

Treatment given:   

1                    Co – St block, Co 20 – St 1

2                    Bl 38 (43)

3                    AEPs (Bl 20 and 21)

4                    St 42, Sp 3

At the end of treatment:   Colour changed to a healthier colour after the block was cleared.  She had been very white when she came in, probably due to the block on the Metal element.  Her natural warm-yellow colour started to come back as treatment progressed.  Her pulses had been very low all round, but picked up surprisingly quickly, particularly after Bl 38 (43).  Was very perky as she left

Time of next treatment:  She will phone for another treatment in about 2 weeks if she still feels low in energy, but she usually revives very quickly after one treatment.  People who have had many years of treatment usually need very little to set them on their way again.

Proposals for next treatment:   This would depend on why she feels she needs

another treatment.

Patient 20: Treatment (Earth)

Patient 20:  Treatment (Earth)

Patient:  Male, age 62

Element:  Earth

Number of years coming for treatment:  3 years

Number of prior treatments:  Phones for a treatment whenever he feels his energy dropping.

Main complaint:  Originally came for treatment for chronic ashma.  That has now disappeared completely, and is never mentioned by the patient.  Over the years has had problems with a hyperactive thyroid, but that is under control through medication (and presumably also through acupuncture treatment, though it is never possible to say which has proved the more successful if a patient is receiving two different forms of therapy)

Problems today:   Sudden onset of extreme fatigue which he cannot attribute to any particular cause.  Everything going well both in his work and at home with his family.  Can become dizzy when he sits up.

Treatment given:   

1                    I rechecked AE, since he had not come for about 6 months.  There was none.

2                    St 8 (Head Tied) because it was where he put his hand when describing the dizziness.

3                    St 4 (Earth Granary):  he works very much in his head, churning thoughts around all the time.  I have found that Earth patients will abruptly stop talking when I needle this point, as though they are at last able to swallow their thoughts.

4                    St 36, Sp 3:  I like to use Leg Three Miles as a strengthening point, giving the knee (and the Stomach) the strength to get moving.  I use Sp 3 with it, as a companion point, because both are Earth points within the Earth element.

At the end of treatment:  Colour had changed, cheeks looked rounder and he looked generally softer

Time of next treatment:  He will phone when he feels he needs another treatment.  I suggested it would be good to come as we turn into spring.

Proposals for next treatment:  There are so many points on the Earth element from which to choose.  If I think he is still somewhat unsettled, I may think of points like St 19 Not at Ease (at the same horizontal level as CV 14, and I therefore associate it with taking something of what CV 14 offers), or Sp 20 Encircling Glory (which I see as acting as a kind of embrace for Earth, as it lies on either side of the chest).  And I love the names of both points, a good enough reason for choosing a point, if all else fails, since we will be adding our delight in what the names evoke in us to the power of our needling.

Patient 14: Treatment (Earth)

Patient:  Male, age 65

Element:  Earth

Number of years coming for treatment:  15 years

Number of prior treatments: At least 4 a year

Problems today: Is concerned about how the troubles in the economy will affect his business, which is to do with renting out shop space.  Has recently moved, after a year or two deciding where to move to, but this seems to have gone well.  He is happier where he is now, and particularly happy because his wife is enjoying being nearer her family now.  No particular physical problems today.  "Just do the usual", he says.  Always talks a great deal, in a kind of an unending rush until he is treated, when he can suddenly fall silent as the Earth element has sufficient good energy to digest his thoughts and swallow.

Treatment given:

1                    St 25, Sp 15 (I see these as providing balance around the centre)

2                    Sp – Ht block discovered after the above (Sp 21 – Ht 1)

3                    St 41, Sp 2 (tonification points)

At the end of treatment:  Much less talking, better yellow colour, seemed more at ease 

Time of next treatment:  Appointment made for end-February to get him through the winter

Proposals for next treatments:   AEPs, CV 12 or GV 12

Patient 5: Treatment (Earth)

Patient: Female, age 50

Element:  Earth 

Number of years coming for treatment: 10

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

Main problem today:   Nothing really.  Just wants a top-up and to feel good for an acting job she will be doing in a few weeks.  She is a bit worried about her weight, which is still more than it should be, although it is staying steady at the moment.  Would like to lose a few pounds, but can’t seem to shift weight, even though eats carefully.  Looked well.  Very strong sweet, rather sickly smell.

Treatment given:

1                     CV 12 (no moxa as has slightly too high BP)

2                     Sp 20 (I love the name of this point, Encircling Glory, and I always feel it is like enfolding a patient in Spleen’s arms)

3                     St 40, Sp 4

At the end of treatment:  As usual, better yellow colour, smell slightly less improved.  She looked happy as she left.

 

Time of next treatment:  Will phone for an appointment again in January.

Proposals for next treatment:  Perhaps AEPs (back shu points), St 9 (Window of the ky) might also be good as a way of helping her see forward into the New Year.