"StephenS" Profile

For many people spinal cord injury (SCI) can be a completely life changing injury. An estimated 17,000 people each year sustain new spinal cord injuries (1) and there isn’t much that Western medicine has to offer for treatment options. There...

A recent study from the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience looked at the effect of acupuncture and the functional connectivity of the bilateral primary motor cortices in individuals that had ischemic stroke. A group of normal (i.e. no stroke) subjects…...

As a former brain scientist I’m well aware of the importance of brain functions and inter-brain connectivity and how that relates to overall physical and mental health. While the function of individual brain areas is important, the way different areas…...

One of the most common questions we get is what Chinese herbal formula is used to treat “insert any condition/symptom/western diagnosis”. There is a common assumption that herbal formulas are chosen and then used in the same way Western pharmaceuticals…...

Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, herbal, and food therapy, can help with several aspects that are important to successful weight loss. Acupuncture will not melt off fat and in many cases will have little to no effect if other factors, particularly…...

Do NOT use a TENS unit to do electro acupuncture unless the unit was specifically designed to do both. The output voltage and amperage of a TENS unit is likely to be much higher - by an order of magnitude...

Keep in mind that in the context of TCM the western medical factors which are kept as separate conditions (here the thyroidism, menopause, and anxiety) are often not in fact different conditions but rather different symptoms from a single pattern...

The treatment protocol would depend on all the other signs and symptoms the patient is presenting with. A trembling sensation could be caused from a variety of factors that range from deficiency to excess patterns so without knowing more I...

While I can’t go so far as to say acupuncture will cure it I can say acupuncture can certainly help possibly to the point of completely eliminating your symptoms. Depending on how long this has been going on for would...

Just explain to them your situation, including why you sought treatment initially and how you’ve felt since the treatment and they should be able to help you. In the mean time you should be fine to continue with light to...

To some extent it would depend on what you were being treated for in the first place. Were you tight from exercise or some activity you were doing or was it something else. Did you have any tingling before the...

A mild tingling sensation can last for a few days and would be considered a normal response. It is extremely unlikely that you have nerve damage.

Acute hearing loss is probably not going to be from a kidney deficiency. It would more likely be due to a blockage of the GB channel. I’d recommend you find a local acupuncturist to work with. Acupuncture possibly combined with...

If you’re not having any abdominal bloating or diarrhea or loose stools raw fruits and veggies should be fine. If you are having any of those just cook your veggies and scale back a little bit on the fruits. Apples...

So while I can’t really comment on your case without knowing more details I can say that as a general rule of thumb you can expect roughly one month of treatment per year of whatever condition you’re seeking treatment for....

First I’d suggest that if you are not already familiar with the culture there that you should look into it. Something that might sound funny or interesting in one culture may be insulting in another so that’s something you’ll want...

Just to give you some context while 8 months admittedly can seem like a long time especially with your age as a factor you might have simply needed to stick with the acupuncture a little longer. I’ve worked with patients...

That’s been answered in a previous posting.

I’m not the best person to ask for ear points if that’s specifically what kind of treatment you want to do. The laser should be good. I’m not an expert but broadly speaking the red laser is to tonify, the...

It would be highly unlikely that acupuncture itself (when done by a fully trained and licensed acupuncturist) would account for any of your experiences. I personally think 45 minutes of electric stimulation is a little long but again even at...

Treatment would depend on more variables. Is it acquired or congenial for example. The severity of the swelling would be another. What, if any symptoms has it caused. Are there other health issues/disease going on as well? For the laser...

This has been addressed in a previous posting. In short, yes acupuncture and TCM can help with fatigue. Whether it would be an ongoing treatment or a cure would depend on a number of factors such as diet, lifestyle, stress,...

In terms of patterns everyone is of course different but I would say I’ve found some combination of heart yin deficiency, heart fire, liver qi stagnation, and liver-gallbladder damp heat can all present to one degree or another. In terms...

To some extent it would depend on how you define a real breakthrough. I have worked with people with bipolar disorder before and for the most part have been able to get them to an overall much more stable condition....

Please see this post for your answer.

Liver fire usually manifests as more irritability and propensity for anger. Think of explosive abusive alcoholic as a stereotype of liver fire. Heart fire would be a more likely cause for anxiety and panic. And certainly diet will be a...

Acupuncture is very effective in treating anxiety ranging from mild to crippling severity. I would recommend finding a practitioner in your area for treatment. They might incorporate herbal therapy as well. In addition a number of studies have shown that...

It might help to understand that TCM is a framework developed from a functional perspective with little to no regard whatsoever to actual physiology and anatomy as defined by western science. For example the mind is thought to reside in...

If you stopped drinking caffeine, depending on how regularly you were drinking it and how well or not your body tolerates it that alone could account for the headache. At the least it could be part of the equation in...

Just to clarify yin deficiency, like almost everything else actually, has a scale to it. A very mild yin deficiency may produce no symptoms at all whereas a very severe yin deficiency can lead to extreme sensations of heat such...

There is no single answer. There are many different types of qi gong and meditations that involve storing and/or manipulating qi. Depending on the style of taiji you’re learning your teacher and the lineage might have a specific method that...

The malar flush is a pretty strait forward explanation: yang (heat) rises and the chest and head are at the top. The hands and feet are furthest away from the interior they are more likely to be affected by a...

The points would depend on what specific signs and symptoms you have and would factor in your overall health not just what is related to PCOD (more commonly referred to as PCOS in the US). The link Chad posted lists...

I’d recommend that you go to another practitioner. Self treatment with acupuncture is really unlikely to yield the same results that you would expect from going to a fully trained practitioner. I would suggest seeing someone at least once just...

As @Chad_Dupuis mentioned acupuncture can be very effective in managing PCOD. I also recommend removing dairy, chicken, and any artificial sweeteners from your diet.