Even when speaking in our mother tongue we often misunderstand each other. Due to our biases, perspectives, and background it is easy to overlay our story on just about any situation. Add in that we are dealing with translation between language and culture; it gets even trickier. In today’s conversation we explore the use of “upper, middle and lower” class herbs. This does not mean that upper is better; it means each medicinal has an affinity for more formed or less formed aspects of a person. “...
Sep 18, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 50
In this encore episode with a guest interviewer. Njemile Carol Jones pulls out her old radio day skills and sits down with Lorraine Wilcox for a conversation on what has caught her attention over the years, and the various projects in which she is currently involved. Njemile and Lorraine knew each other from back in the day when they both worked at NPR. Since then they've both traveled their own paths into Chinese medicine. Listen in for a delightful discussion on what happens when you follow yo...
Sep 12, 2018•1 hr 6 min
Needle technique is more than knowing how to insert a needle and count the turns in a particular direction. It requires more than the memorization of some protocols, or the rote following of a recipe of steps. In this conversation we explore needle technique as a part of understanding how to feel into the tissues of the body. We discuss the creation of a treatment that relies not on someone else’s outline, but from your own understanding of first principles. Listen in for a discussion of using o...
Sep 11, 2018•58 min•Ep. 49
In acupuncture school we learn about the 10 questions. But really, the questions are endless. And we are given the image of the scholar/doctor who doesn't say much, just looks at the tongue, takes the pulse and then has everything she needs to treat the patient. But that image does not fit the clinical reality in which most of us find ourselves. Learning to ask the right kinds of questions. Learning to listen into the places that are silent, or hidden, these are skills that require the honing of...
Sep 04, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 48
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a complex of metabolic and hormonal imbalances. It not only causes menstrual irregularities, but also effects fertility, secondary sex characteristics, and can be related to elevated cholesterol and blood sugar levels as a woman ages. While conventional biomedicine can control some of the symptoms of this disorder, there isn't much it offers in terms of getting to the root of the issue. Chinese medicine on the other hand offers a wealth of possibilities that can he...
Aug 28, 2018•57 min•Ep. 47
You know how sometimes patients have these weird symptoms that they think have nothing to do with who they are? Well, us acupuncturists are not immune to running up against our own uninhabited edges, especially when it comes to marketing and business. In this conversation we get down into the essence of our work, and why it's important to know what we do beyond the story we tell ourselves or the tools of the trade upon which we rely. Do you cringe when the word "marketing" shows up? Then listen ...
Aug 25, 2018•1 hr 1 min
We know that the language and perspective of Chinese and east Asian medicine gives us a whole different glimpse into physiology, health, illness and healing. And if you’ve learned a foreign tongue, then you’ve had experience how language shapes thought, perspective and possibility. The systems or currents of medicine we practice, that too gives a framework, a perspective, that helps us to orient and make sense of a patient’s experience and then how we might be able to help them. For many culture...
Aug 21, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 46
This "part two" conversation with Toby Daly came about because I've been trying to learn the Saam system of acupuncture as he detailed it a recent Journal of Chinese Medicine article. In that process I've had some surprising good results, as well as a few cases that I really took in the wrong direction. Toby points out, when you get it wrong, it's really wrong and you'll know pretty quickly. Unless you're still fairly new at it and not yet tuned into the warning signs of trouble. This discussion...
Aug 14, 2018•1 hr 6 min
Learning the basics of promoting or controlling the flow of qi through the Five Phases is an elemental part of every acupuncturist's training . We learn how the antique points can be used to nudge a response or invite a different kind of resonance into a patient's life. The Korean Saam acupuncture tradition has been passed down through a lineage of monk/practitioners. It not only uses "wu xing" elemental qi transfer, but additionally blends it together with the the six confirmations, yin/yang or...
Aug 12, 2018•56 min•Ep. 45
Beyond the conflicts around scope of practice, the theories and practice of dry needling and intra-muscular therapies give us a deeper look into how acupuncture works on ahshi or trigger points from a bio-medicine physiological perspective. Practitioners of this rebranded form of acupuncture have a modern biomedicine perspective on how trigger points, as well as how localized qi and blood stagnation, come about and can be resolved. It's a language that can useful. Our guest in the episode is a h...
Aug 07, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 44
Chinese is not that easy, and the 文言文wen yan wen the classical Chinese, that stuff is a whole other order of magnitude in challenge to the modern Western mind. And yet if we are going to practice this medicine with deep roots into a long gone time and culture, we need access to the stepping stones that have been handed down to us over centuries through books and writing. Translating language is one thing. But translating culture, bringing something of the mind and perception from another time, t...
Jul 31, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 43
Forty five years is a long time to have a practice. Especially when you consider that the average American marriage isn't even half that number, and in this day and age people change jobs like they change their hair style. How do you stay interested in something for decades? How do you change with the times? Work through the areas that you don't yet know, and let the practice itself give you insight into how you work? If you've read more than a few books on Chinese medicine, the fingerprints of ...
Jul 24, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 42
The words "qi and blood stasis" frequently work their way into our diagnosis of a patient's situation. But getting blood stasis from the realm of theory and into our perceptual vocabulary takes some practice. And this can be quite helpful especially when working with cases that don't resolve the way we think they should. In this conversation we look into how the long term effects of blood stasis can cause problems 5, 10, 20 years down the road that become baffling as the usual stuff just doesn't...
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 41
There are currents in our medicine that say we should be very cautious around the heart, in fact, it’s best not to treat it directly. And even in our modern world, treating cardiac issues is something I suspect most of us would feel some uncertainty and anxiousness about as we don’t really get that kind of training here in the West. It is easy when thinking about cardiology to think about ischemic heart events, but most of a cardiologist’s practice is about managing the various risk factors so a...
Jul 10, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 40
Fifteen plus years ago when I was living in Beijing and studying medicine and language I was gifted with a copy of Dr. Huang's Ten Key Formula Families in Chinese Medicine. At the time it was an astonishing read, as I'd never been exposed to his ideas about constitutional type and how certain people have an affinity for a particular herb or formula family. It changed how I thought about herbal medicine. And I've been fortunate to have now known Dr. Huang for many years, and had an opportunity to...
Jul 03, 2018•46 min•Ep. 39
在這片podcast我們外國的中醫師和黃煌教授談經方的魅力。
Jul 03, 2018•34 min•Ep. 39
In this solo episode I review the past six months of Qiological and give you a preview on the next six months. Also I'll talking in some depth about the Practice of Business, why SEO is a process, not a product and some thoughts on what makes for an effective website. Finally, I have some news to share with you about being more involved with Qiological. I used to think that business was a necessary evil, but have come around to realizing its a powerful opportunity. And I have my family to thank ...
Jun 26, 2018•59 min•Ep. 38
We are trained to know a lot about a person from looking and touching. And while we have our “10 questions” or other interviewing checklists, there is a lot that comes from the interview and relationship with the patient that can help us to better understand them and hopefully be of service to them as well. In this conversation we take a look into how the connection we cultivate with our patients can help not only to inform our clinical thinking and treatment, but become an essential part of the...
Jun 19, 2018•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 37
No one gets through Chinese medicine school without some exposure to the Shang Han Lun, and if you're lucky, the Jin Gui Yao Lue as well. But there is a big difference between reading the classics, and understanding how to apply them in our clinical work. What's more, throughout the ages there have been various 專家 (zhuan jia) experts, who have deeply engaged these texts and distilled out a unique perspective that is both rooted the classics and informed by their particular clinical experience. T...
Jun 12, 2018•59 min•Ep. 36
Pressure, vibration, puncture, and heat, we know there are a variety of ways to stimulate an acupuncture point. In this episode we explore the clinical use of light, in the form of low-power lasers. And especially for those of you that don’t really understand electricity, the physics of light, or the difference between an LED and the coherent light of a laser, this conversation will be especially helpful as we go over basics that will help you to better understand these devices and how you can u...
Jun 06, 2018•41 min•Ep. 35
Physiology does not forget. Our experience in life effects and shapes our body, our habits and perception. We develop ways to compensate for the difficulties wrought from traumas and unmetabolized experience in life, but when stressed those compensations don't work so well. That's when symptoms and long held patterns of dysfunction show up asking for our attention. In this episode we discuss how the work of Wilhelm Reich is helpful when considering the treatment of emotional trauma, along with p...
May 29, 2018•59 min•Ep. 34
Sciatica is a common complaint that brings people into the acupuncturist’s office. And it’s often treated well with acupuncture. But there are times when a situation that seems straightforward is anything but. When you start to think about how sciatic pain can be an issue of the dai mai, and how the dai mai is involved not only in the structural aspects of pelvic function, but also in the functional flow and health of the 12 main channels, it’s easy to see how what at first glance appears simple...
May 22, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 33
Widely known for his pioneering work in sports acupuncture, the guest of this episode joins us for a conversation that reminds us of the deep and varied integration between the layers of being we call body, mind and spirit. Additionally we touch on how the trajectory of years and practice can bring us full circle back to basic fundamentals, and that our successes can easily transform into new challenges to overcome.
May 22, 2018•50 min•Ep. 32
We learn not just from our teachers and our patients, but also from our colleagues. One of the real benefits of attending a conference is the opportunities for learning that can't help but arise from the conversations we find ourselves part of. Here's a few of the many voices that I've learned from this weekend.
May 21, 2018•38 min•Ep. 32
Our panel of experienced practitioners discuss the ways they've broken into treating professional athletes, and answer the audience's questions on gearing up to help the pros.
May 21, 2018•47 min•Ep. 32
What gets you started at the beginning of your career is not what keeps you going in the middle part of your career. And as we move into later stages of life and practice, the questions change yet again. Listen in to this conversation between some seasoned practitioners considering the trajectory of practice across the span of decades.
May 20, 2018•27 min•Ep. 32
It's not uncommon today for top level athletes to use acupuncture as part of their health care, to enhance performance and treat injuries. And even though you didn't hear about acupuncture in the 1984 Olympics, it was there. Our guest in this episode has been working with sports acupuncture for almost 40 years. Listen in to this conversation that touches on topics that range from the importance of precise needle location to the value of stillness in your acupuncture practice....
May 20, 2018•55 min•Ep. 32
Lots of strange and curious patterns get chalked up to wind and phlegm in Chinese medicine. In this episode we take at look at the "curious organ" of the brain, as our guest of this episode gives us a glimpse into the power and usefulness of understanding modern functional neurology as a way to better understand and treat the effects and often hidden pathologies of concussion and traumatic brain injury.
May 20, 2018•44 min•Ep. 32
In this episode we discuss anatomy, orthopedic assessment, the treatment of joints, sinew pathways, and ligaments. Our guest takes a deep look, both literally and figuratively at the anatomy and clinical use of the jing-jin, the “sinew” or “myofascial” pathways. Especially as they relate to joint stability or dysfunction. Listen in for a conversation around the clinical power of the sinew channels and why brushing up on your anatomy will help you get better clinical results and improve your conf...
May 19, 2018•58 min•Ep. 32
Chad Bong is one of the organizers of the Sports Acupuncture Alliance's conference. He's a busy guy, but we managed to grab a few minutes to talk about acupuncture, community and the inspiration and effort behind this conference.
May 19, 2018•25 min•Ep. 32
