
When combined with massage oil, the cups can be slid around the back while drawing up the skin.

The details of tui na’s techniques and uses were originally documented in The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine,¹⁵ which was written about 2,500 years ago.ĭepending on the condition being treated, the cups will be left in place from 5 to 10 minutes. The name for this method of TCM comes from two of the actions of the therapy, tui meaning “to push” and na meaning “to lift and squeeze.” Tui na, a combination of massage, acupressure, and other forms of body manipulation, is a form of Asian bodywork therapy that has been used in China for centuries. Unlike a traditional heating lamp, the TDP lamp features a plate coated with a mineral formation consisting of 33 elements.¹⁴ 3. The TDP lamp has become a new fixture in many practices because it is as effective as moxa but does not cause respiratory difficulties in sensitive patients. Historically, this therapy had been used to treat menstrual pain.¹³Ī substitute for moxibustion may be the Teding Diancibo Pu (TDP) lamp, another method of using warming therapy. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red. Indirect moxibustion is the more popular form of care.
YIN AND YANG THEORY OF HEALTH SKIN
The patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin using this technique. In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. There are 2 types of moxibustion, direct and indirect. Acupressure, the application of pressure to key points with the fingers, and auricular acupuncture, the application of small needles, vicaria seeds, pellets, or ear tacks to specific points of the ear, may serve as alternatives for patients with needle phobia. They generally are inserted no more than a half-inch to an inch depending on the type of treatment being delivered. Unlike other needles, acupuncture needles are solid and hair-thin. Many patients express concerns about acupuncture due to their needle phobia. There is promising scientific evidence to support the use of acupuncture for chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis and headaches, and limited support for neck pain.¹⁰ Acupuncture also tends to provide a short-term, clinically relevant effect when compared with a control or when acupuncture is added to another intervention in the treatment of chronic low back pain.¹¹ Acupuncture generally is safe when administered using clean needles, either disposable or sterilized.¹² This allows for the normal flow of Qi associated with neural transmission throughout the body and restores health to the mind and body.Īt times, electroacupuncture, the process in which an electrical current is applied to the needles once they are inserted, may be used to further stimulate the respective acupuncture points and often can be used to replace manipulation of needles.⁹ Electroacupuncture has been found to be especially effective in treating neuromuscular disorders. Acupuncture is believed to keep the balance between Yin (associated with the parasympathetic nervous system) and the Yang (associated with the sympathetic nervous system). In TCM, there are as many as 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, which are connected by 12 main meridians.⁸ These meridians conduct Qi between the surface of the body and its internal organs. During an inquiry, the practitioner will ask 10 questions about the regularity, severity, or other characteristics of hot/cold symptoms, perspiration, the head/face, pain, urine/stool, thirst/appetite, sleep, the chest/abdomen, and gynecologic symptoms, if appropriate.⁵Īcupuncture is the practice of inserting and manipulating needles into the superficial skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscles of the body at particular acupuncture points. Olfaction refers to attending to body odor or breath.

Often, patients are instructed not to brush their tongue prior to an appointment so as to not render the findings obscure.Īuscultation refers to listening for particular sounds the patient makes, such as his/her voice, respiration, and cough. A TCM practitioner’s analysis of the tongue will include its size, shape, tension, color, and coating (For your patients, see Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture). Inspection not only focuses on the patient’s physical appearance and behavior, but during inspection the practitioner also pays particular attention to the tongue.

TCM practitioners use 5 basic methods of diagnosis in their assessments: inspection (looking), auscultation (listening), olfaction (smelling), inquiry (asking), and palpation (touching).⁴ TCM addresses a wide variety of health needs besides pain and migraines, including immune enhancement/disease prevention, chemical dependency, anxiety, depression, health maintenance and wellness, and rehabilitation.
