Qiological Podcast

Needles are an essential aspect of our practices that most of us don’t know much about, other than we have some brands or types we like to use. What goes into a needle and how needle technology over the years has changed is a bit of a mystery to many of us. So I’m delighted to have Matt Pike here with me. He’s been involved with the sourcing and manufacture of acupuncture needles for a long time.We are going to get into the backstory on this essential tool that we use everyday in the work we do. And we’re going to talk a little about a new needled being introduced here at the conference that has been specially designed and  manufactured for sports and orthopedic acupuncture. 

As practitioners we all work with a mix of theory, clinical sensibilities developed through years of practice, and the immediate moment of encounter with our patients. What we feel with our hands can deeply help to inform our treatments and ground our mental models into the physicality of the present moment. Our colleagues on the shiatsu side of the house have a bit of an advantage in connecting and working with the channels and points in a sensate way, as they spend much more of their time in physical contact with their patients. Listen in to this conversation with a shiatsu practitioner whose practice has been steeped in decades of clinical work as we explore the differences between intention and attention, working with the sensing of the hands along with the ideas of the mind, and the important difference between maps and compasses.  Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

In this episode we discuss the Jing Fang, the classic formulas, as they are being used by Dr. Huang Huang in the modern clinic, along a look at how some of our oldest medicine helps to throw new light on the importance of the digestive system and human biome.Listen in for a wide ranging discussion that covers the challenges and rewards of studying in China. How some simple formulas from the Shang Han Lun are not so simple once you begin to dig into them, and what it is like to do a Ph.D. in China.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Children are full of yang qi and respond quickly to the methods of East Asian medicine. There is a lot of good you can do in using our methods to treat kids, especially in treating some conditions that conventional medicine can only offer symptomatic relief.Our guest in this episode got started with treating children by working through some health issues with her own kids.Listen as we discuss the common issues that children present with in the clinic, how to enlist the help of parents, how to help children feel comfortable with needles, and a few things about treating kids that you won’t find in books. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

One of the great things about podcasts is that it’s not difficult to find one that lines up with your particular interest. Chinese medicine practitioners are fortunate to have podcasts like Heavenly Qi that allow us to listen in to conversations that go deep into the workings of our medicine and bring you the perspective of experienced clinicians.This conversation in this episode is with the creators of the Heavenly Qi podcast where we explore how this new medium allows us to learn from other practitioner’s and some ways in which this new on-demand technology might change  the ways we can provide learning and continuing education. Storytelling has always been an essential element in how people learn and share information. Listen in for the story of how Heavenly Qi got started and where podcasting fits into within our long tradition of discussing medicine. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Research can be a problematic area for practitioners of East Asian medicine.  While many acupuncturists are keen to share research with patients that paints acupuncture in a positive light, especially for marketing purposes, there are not many of us that are generating that research. And there is the issue of double-blind studies, which are the gold standard in conventional medical research, but difficult to apply to East Asian medicine, as the practitioner is an integral part of the treatment.This episode is a conversation with a full on Western style Ph.D. researcher who also is a dedicated practitioner of East Asian medicine. She has some unique views on how to apply research methods to our particular methods.Students of doctorate programs will find this episode especially helpful, as it will give you tools and perspectives to engage researching your area of interest and contributing to our profession.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Many of us were exposed to guasha in our schooling, but it was more like a footnote than anything else. Over in Asia guasha is a well-used aspect of the folk medicine. Hardly a grandma or auntie that doesn’t know how to raise a rash with a soup spoon. But most docs over there don’t use it. So it is understandable how in teaching “medicine” here in the west we’d get the minimal exposure we do.In this episode we sit down with the “Guasha Queens” and learn why this simple technique should be part of your pain relief toolkit. Additionally we learn how it can be helpful for a variety of internal health conditions such as digestion, various inflammatory conditions, respiratory illness and even psycho-emotive issues.This is an aspect of our medicine that we really should own and use, as it’s simple, safe and effective. Listen in as we discuss how to raise a rash and make your patients love you.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

There are many ways to attend to our patients in clinic. We can work through mental models that we’ve acquired from our schooling, study, and clinical experience. We can also use our innate human ability to touch, palpate and sense. In this episode we discuss the importance of down-regulating our nervous system. Along with the use of palpation and sensing references to anchor our ideas about what might be going on for a patient, and to track the progress of the treatment as it unfolds.Additionally we touch in on the use the eight extraordinary vessels and their relation to internal cultivation, take a look at the relatively new emergence of using the divergent channels, and discuss the difference between intending and attending during the treatment process. Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Plenty of people seek out acupuncture in particular as they have heard a few needles in the ear will break their cigarette habit, or cause their appetite and cravings to completely transform. We’ve all heard stories of someone’s cousin who got needled once and never smoked again or they lost a lot of weight. But how many of these people have you seen get these results in your clinic?Often patients seek out Chinese medicine for weight loss, weight control or smoking cessation. Many of us don’t have training in dealing with addictions and it can be a challenge for the practitioner to know how to approach someone who suffers from a troublesome life habit, is not sure if they really want to change it or not, and furthermore has a lot of experience with failing to live up to the image of the life they want. Do they need to be pushed, like in the now popular boot camp, gently supported, encouraged and educated or perhaps they need something else?In this episode we discuss some ways of opening up this kind of difficult conversation with our patients. And bringing some reality to the situation, which can be helpful in changing expectations and a patient’s experience of themselves in our Internet world that constantly promises quick fixes Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview. 

Using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are helpful modalities in the treatment of veterans who have served our country and suffer from injuries and the aftermath of trauma. But, treating veterans is not as simple as treating what we see in the clinical setting. There are aspects of military life that are invisible to the average civilian. And while acupuncture increasingly is being used by the military and the veteran’s administration, it has its own flavor and protocols. In this episode we speak with an acupuncturist, who is also a veteran. We get a look not only at the current opportunities for how acupuncture is used to treat the soldiers and veterans of our nation, but also glimpse into the challenges involved in working within the military.Listen in as we explore how acupuncture and Chinese medicine are used in the treatment of military personnel and veterans. And learn about the various credentials and certifications that will allow you to work within the system and help those who have served our country.Head on over to the show notes page for more information about this episode and for links to the resources discussed in the interview.