Emma Snowsill, Olympic Gold Medalist

Just about everyone has heard that acupuncture is good for pain, headaches, lower back problems etc.

But few, including many of my colleagues in Acupuncture and Allied Modalities realize how potent skillfully applied acupuncture can be in promoting better health and in the case of Olympic Gold Medalist Emma Snowsill, a way of recapturing her competitive mojo.

I am a clinician, a teacher, student, a creator of networks and a representative of this ancient profession to which I am privileged to belong.

After 25 years in practice I retain a deep respect and passion for the art of acupuncture and enjoy nothing more than seeing clients benefit from treatment.

As a practitioner of this extraordinary healing art I am driven by the conviction of massive clinical experience and willingly acknowledge that the strength of this medicine lies in the sensitivity of our hands, our powers of observation, the awareness of our senses, each vital to our ability to assimilate and collate this information, translate it into a meaningful diagnosis and most importantly, perform the most effective treatment possible.

Emma Snowsill is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in triathlon, a short time ago she competed in her comeback race after an extended mystery illness that saw her incapacitated and bedridden for many months last year.

The story of her recovery is a little too long to recount here, however earlier this week Emma returned from Korea with a nasty tummy bug in tow that caused her to suffer from violent vomiting and diarrhea.

She was still suffering from strong diarrhea when she consulted me on Wednesday morning, she felt significantly better after treatment and woke up the following day diarrhea free and easy?

This Sunday morning after her follow-up treatment for the big daddy tummy bug I had the pleasure of interviewing Emma about how she rebuilt her health culminating in her comeback race in Korea last weekend.

No prizes for guessing the role Japanese Acupuncture played in her recovery.

After many months of being seriously unwell, barely able to walk, bedridden for much of the time, totally unable to train, she finished an extremely credible 6th in a field of the 50 best triathletes in the world!

Emma also discussed her recovery from that big daddy of tummy bugs and how she has managed to get back to full training less than a week after being what she described as, ‘the most violently sick ever!’

I video taped the interview and it should make for very interesting viewing and you will get to meet the real Emma, an extremely humble human being and an extraordinarily talented athlete.

We conducted this interview on my balcony overlooking the Coral Sea, here is the link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tv9z-ekNbY, hope you enjoy.
All the best,
Alan

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted more than 40 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

]]> http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/emma-snowsill-olympic-gold-medalist-talks-about-japanese-acupuncture-and-better-health/feed 1 http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-healing-potential http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-healing-potential#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:45:06 +0000 Alan http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/?p=2361 One of the greatest challenges facing me as a practitioner of Japanese acupuncture is effectively communicating it’s clinical diversity and power.

I believe the best way to do that is to inform you about some of the clinical case histories and challenges confronting those seeking treatment to rectify their specific disharmony, illness, pain or as often occurs in the case of elite sports people, optimize their performance potential.

Here are just a few examples of this potential, I trust these scenario’s will assist you in understanding some of the potential benefits of Japanese acupuncture.

Following is an excerpt from an e-mail kindly sent to me by a patient who has experienced significant health benefits from ongoing treatment.

This patient is a marine biologist who has recently traveled to San Francisco to spend a few months working with her colleagues stateside.

Hi Alan,
How are you? I hope you’ve been out in the water? I’m surfed out trying to get as many surf’s in as possible before heading to San Fran and hasn’t it been beautiful!

I just wanted to say thanks so much for your treatments, they have helped me enormously and I will miss coming in to see you over the next few months. The last treatment was fantastic – it seemed to clear away the nerve tingling and I felt a lot stronger. I wasn’t sleeping as well though but that’s probably to be expected with all the excitement around going overseas.

I’d love to continue acupuncture in San Francisco so if you do have some contacts for me I would really appreciate it. It has helped me beyond words so I’d love to keep it up and I will be sure to come see you again when I get back. I think half of the treatment is your presence and zest for life!

Hope you have a fantastic next couple of months and I’ll look forward to seeing you again when I get back!

As a practitioner this is a very satisfying and welcome communication indeed.

The correspondent works in a very demanding and results orientated field, often experiencing high levels of stress in an effort to meet externally imposed deadlines.

An entirely different perspective arises in discussing the clinical outcome for a patient who was diagnosed as suffering from a molar pregnancy, a condition whereby miscarriage is a 90% certainty.

Without going into details, after several treatments she is now very happily 23 weeks pregnant with an apparently healthy baby on the way according to her medical specialist.

In yet another case, the patient presented with an extremely painful and expansive episode of the shingles.

Whilst no miracle cure was at hand, there can be little doubt that regular Japanese acupuncture treatment aided in his full recovery from this debilitating condition in a relatively short amount of time.

A number of the physiotherapists with whom I practice at the Queensland Sports Medicine Center have sought treatment recently for difficulties in maintaining an extremely busy work schedule and focused fitness training as a result of impeded immune function.

Basically the more intense the training regime and the busier they were at work, the more often they were suffering from colds, flu’s and accompanying lethargy.

It is of no surprise to me that their condition appears to improve relative to the regularity of their treatment?

I often work in conjunction with the physiotherapists in an effort to bring about a more rapid and complete recovery of our patients.

One example of such cooperation is the work we have been doing to assist an ex-Australian cricketing legend prepare for the forthcoming IPL cricketing tournament in India.

Amongst other aspects of treatment, I believe Japanese acupuncture has been extremely beneficial in defusing much of the physical stress related to his increased training regime and the mental anguish associated with a making a decision regarding his involvement as a result of the security status of the tournament and concerns for his personal safety.

As well as recharging his energetic battery, Japanese acupuncture treatment also provided an extremely welcome refuge from the myriad of questions and potential outcomes that assuaged his mind during this most difficult of decision-making scenarios.

Last but not least, Emma Snowsill is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in the sport of Triathlon, an event that includes a 1500m swim, 40k bike ride and a 10k run.

Against the best female tri athletes on the planet, that implies insanely fit individuals with extra ordinary motors sharpened to a cutting edge by the hardness of competition and intense training, all striving to be at the absolute peak of their game for the ultimate reward for a competitive athlete, Emma won her gold medal in emphatic fashion at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

March 2010 and Emma has been struggling with persistent immune related problems for several months, including a diabolically compromised energetic status and repetitive breakdowns in her health resulting in continual colds and flu’s, a situation that saw her training regime severely compromised.

Over the last few months she has been receiving regular Japanese acupuncture treatment and her condition has improved markedly, to a point where she has recently been able to resume full training.

I believe regular weekly treatments have helped Emma  accelerate her training regime whilst maintaining a robust immune status.

By way of explanation, Emma missed a treatment a couple of weeks ago, whilst continuing to accelerate her training regime she flew to Melbourne where she was subjected to a radical climate change, the end result was that she attended clinic last Wednesday suffering from a sore throat, streaming sinuses, increased lethargy and she was justifiably concerned that her health was about to crash again.

In short, after three treatments Emma left for Abu Dhabi today to attend the http://www.laureus.com/awards/ in good health, no runny nose, sore throat greatly improved and energetically much stronger.

I’m sure you’ll agree this is a  preferable option when one is partaking in international travel and will see her able to enjoy this landmark event to the fullest.

As a practitioner of Japanese acupuncture the reality is that a majority of people through no fault of their own are totally ignorant of the diversity and power of this ancient healing modality.

Whilst most people are aware that acupuncture has the potential to help with neck, back, shoulder, knee, hip and ankle injuries and pain, headaches etc, most have little or no idea of its clinical diversity in the hands of an experienced and competent practitioner.

Alan

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted more than 40 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at : http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

In response to a question posted on the http://worldacupuncture.com forum I am re running this blogpost in an effort to distinguish the difference in the application of Japanese Acupuncture and TCM.

Although each of these styles has merit, Japanese Acupuncture is unique in it’s ability to promote well-being in patients such Sarica, the subject of the video in this blogpost.

I believe the results speak for themselves and maintain that heavy duty needling could deflate a patient in such a tenuous energetic position.

25 years of clinical experience definitely confirms for me that judicious Japanese acupuncture can provide huge impetus towards better health in people of all ages.

There are many examples and in some cases video on this blog of positive clinical outcomes for children of all ages and adults of all shapes and sizes.

http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/category/clinical/pre-and-post-natal

http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/category/infant-acupuncture

According to Traditional East Asian medical physiology and philosophy, from conception to birth the child or children require an enormous amount of energy and nourishment from the mother to go from being a twinkle in the eye to a fully mature fetus.

In Traditional East Asian medicine the energetic impetus for this growth is provided by what we call the mothers Kidney energy and in some instances, depending upon her constitution, lifestyle and general health this scenario can cause a significant energetic imbalances in new mums.

In Traditional East Asian medical physiology the Kidneys provide the energetic basis upon which all metabolic and physiological functions depend.

In addition once the child is born a majority of mothers provide the sole nourishment, keeping production up to speed is the responsibility of Spleen/Pancreas meridian/organs.

Hence when there is an imbalance as a result of a combination of any of the above factors the affect can be extremely diverse and widespread.

Often appearing to be totally unrelated from an orthodox Western medical perspective, the symptoms are often intimately related when viewed from an Traditional East Asian medical perspective

In my experience most mums presenting with post natal health difficulties suffer from a significant imbalance in either or both of these functions, an imbalance reflected by various symptoms .

Including:

Post Natal Depression of varying degrees and severity.

Exhaustion.

Irrational fits of anger and an extremely short fuse.

Lactation difficulties, both quality and quantity.

And the list goes on‚

Regarding the suitability of   Japanese Acupuncture for infants and children, my experience has shown that our medicine can provide an extremely effective adjunct to orthodox medical care, in many cases providing essential relief where orthodox medical applications are hamstrung in their ability to do so without the use of powerful and sometimes unsuitable medication.

I am not saying that acupuncture can replace pharmaceuticals only that in many instances there is huge potential to reduce dosage and dependence.

I believe all questions are most appropriately answered via clinical outcomes.

The ability to walk the talk not just talk the talk is of the utmost importance.

Certainly any modality that can reduce our culture’s dependence upon long-term medication for behavioral problems has to be a positive!

Below is a video of a significant portion of a Japanese Acupuncture Treatment for Post Natal Depression and Spinal Surgery.

Watch Acupuncture for Post-Natal Depression in Educational |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Many thanks to Tatania Rubio who specializes in treatment for pregnancy, childbirth and infant acupuncture, for making her clinic space available for this treatment and some excellent camera work!

I recommended Sarica pursue a consistent and committed daily to thrice weekly treatment regime tonifying Ki.3 – Liv.3- GB.40 plus 7 – 9 cones of Tonetskyu or Rice Grain Moxa on ST.36 for the next 6 months.

Below is an email I recently received from Sarica.

I love her dedication and also the power of Japanesel acupuncture to significantly help folk in her situation.

hi there, alan,
so good to hear from you…you’ve been big on my mind, as i’m deep
with appreciation for your help, care and guidance, so i appreciate
your checking in on me. i’ve been faithful with the self-treatment,
including the moxa, and the biggest thing i’ve noticed is that my
brain and spirit are returning. i’d really been struggling with
fighting negativity, and that has improved tremendously. also, my
energy is more sustained, though i’m not pushing too hard with
exercise–just doing about half of what i think i can, and that keeps
me from feeling shaky and overdrawn afterward. finally, i feel like
i have a lot more control over my frustration and anger–i’m not
owned by it as i was, and that is improving my relations with and for
the kids day by day. honestly, i can’t thank you enough .
how are you? so looking forward to seeing you again–that was too
short! and i do hope to practice with you next time around…
you take care, now!
love,
Sarica

Warning!!! Not every Post Natal Depression patient presents with Liver Yang Deficiency Syndrome in the same way that not every Liver Yang Deficiency Patient presents with Post Natal Depression.

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted more than 40 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at  http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

]]> http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-and-tcm/feed 0 http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-may-assist-recovery-from-of-glandular-fever http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-may-assist-recovery-from-of-glandular-fever#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:59:44 +0000 Alan http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/?p=2062 Cameron presented in clinic about 4 weeks ago having been medically diagnosed as suffering from acute glandular fever.

He was experiencing overwhelming lethargy, aching limbs, diabolically disturbed  sleep pattern and severe headaches.

This condition can derail an athletes career for anywhere between 3 to 12 months or more in some instances.

Orthodox medicine usually recommends rest, very good advice, and appropriate medication, depending upon the severity of symptoms.

What can be an inconvenience for some becomes a career threatening speed bump for others.

Over the past 10 years I have treated a number of people diagnosed with this debilitating condition.

My clinical experience indicates that glandular fever may be a precursor to chronic fatigue syndrome, an all too familiar scenario for many elite athletes.

A few who have responded positively to Traditional Japanese Acupuncture treatment for a compromised immune system include Olympic gold, silver and bronze medal swimmer, Daniel Kowalski, Current Brisbane Lions AFL star, Daniel Merrett for sequela of glandular fever and Australian Rules football legend, Alastair Lynch.

To this end Daniel M. has maintained a regular treatment schedule for a number of years and up until a recent hamstring injury late in the 2009 season he had not missed a game since cementing his position in the team.

Back to Cameron………………..
An elite 1500 m swimmer, he must train intensively to fulfill his undoubted potential.

The ability of  elite athletes to break through the pain barrier , hit the wall and drive straight through it is a vital part of the regime required to achieve ultimate success in the sporting arena.

The downside is that an athlete is often unaware that,  in some extreme circumstances they are compromising their immune systems, a scenario that all too frequently occurs as a result of an incredibly intense physical and mental training regime  robbing their systems of the vital energy required to maintain solid immunity against viral infection.

Glandular fever can leave the athlete exhausted and bewildered, their performance in the sporting arena is seriously compromised and until correctly diagnosed, this insidious malady leaves them wondering as to why their form has dropped off so severely.

This was indeed the case for Cameron when he found it just about impossible to swim at the Australia national championships in August, let alone compete successfully.

In severe cases glandular fever can derail an athletes training and competitive schedule for many months and for us mere mortals this condition can deleteriously affect our work and lifestyle for similar or even longer periods.

Diagnosis:
In Cameron’s case diagnosis was pretty well clear cut.

Spleen Yin deficiency Liver excess fever syndrome fitted the bill admirably.
In addition to an excessive amount of heat present in the liver there was also a significant amount of deficient heat present in the Yang Ming meridians.

The pathology for this condition is described beautifully by Masakazu Ikeda sensei in chapter 8 of his outstanding textbook  ‘The Practice of Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion’.

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Japanese-Acupuncture-Moxibustion-Principles/dp/0939616432

Treatment:
Tonify Spleen Yin; Tonify Pe.7 – Sp.3
Disperse Liver; Disperse Liv.2
Cool Yangming Meridians;  Shunt St.44 or 43, LI.3 or 11
Back Shu points as appropriate; Bl 13 or 14, 18, 20, 23, plus Bl.40 to assist moving the heat out of the body.
If the headaches are severe, the addition of appropriate GB points may be beneficial.
I have found GB.41 to be quite useful in these circumstances.

Cameron agreed to undergo a course of treatment to support his recovery and we established a base of three treatments per week.

At the end of the 2nd week of treatment we had been able to completely eliminate Cameron’s headaches.

Emboldened by this occurrence, I eliminated the dispersion of Liv. 2 from his Saturday morning treatment only to have him come back in again on the following Tuesday revealing the headaches had returned on the Sunday.
He did have a late-night following his treatment, I believe this was a factor in his relapse.
Regardless, I immediately resorted to my previous strategy of dispersing the wood point of the Liver, Liv. 2.

Cameron has not had a headache since!

I ceased to disperse Liver 2 only after he had been headache free for 10 days, unwilling to take the risk of their recurrence affecting his recovery.

Over the last two weeks he has gradually increased his training regime, ever mindful of how his body is responding.
That translates into taking it very, very easy for the first 3 to 4 training sessions, gradually increasing the load.

The athlete must be hyper aware of their level of fatigue and their recovery from these sessions must be monitored closely.

Cameron was feeling well last Thursday after a couple of stronger training sessions earlier in the week and we agreed that he should put ‘pedal to the metal’ during his Friday training session and return  for follow-up treatment on Saturday morning, which it showing no obvious ill effects.

Cameron’s recovery appears to be  on track and I will continue to monitor his progress with great interest and respect.

The point of the matter, excuse the pun, is the speed of Cameron’s recovery, a little over one month into his course of treatment and he is very close to resuming full-time training.

A satisfactory outcome, you might ask?
Considering the severity of Cameron’s symptoms when first diagnosed, I think so.

However his ability to maintain a powerful training regime and translate that into competitive results is the bottom line.

In the meantime Cameron will maintain regular weekly or twice-weekly treatments if necessary to assist his recovery  thus enhancing his sporting performance.

Video of the complete treatment is being edited now and will be available shortly. To view this and many other clinically relevant videos  join us at http://www.worldacupuncture.com

Our video library is expanding by the week and I believe that the audiovisual presentation for learning Japanese acupuncture is complementary to and in some cases a superior method of teaching/learning than text only.

For the keen student, nothing can replace mentoring/assisting/observing in a more experienced practitioners clinic but for many their ability to do so is compromised by family, financial, personal and geographical reasons.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and will be able to use my experience for the  benefit of  your patients .

Take advantage of the 50 odd videos in our  library already, learn as we learn and become part of a worldwide community dedicated to understanding more about traditional Japanese acupuncture and most importantly how to apply our understanding where it matters most, in clinic.

Join us at  http://www.world acupuncture.com today and enjoy your learning more.

A few Images from Rainbow Bay for your viewing pleasure

Friendly neighbours

Looking South Towards Byron Bay from Hastings Point

FIRE!

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at  http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

Dear……..,

Thought you might be interested to hear that I am receiving a number of reports about physio’s advertising acupuncture as distinct from dry needling.

Also, you might be interested in this article.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/acupuncture-gets-trial-in-casualty-20090625-cya5.html

I wonder who is doing the quality control on the treatment ?

It seems the simplistic, prescriptive, point based nature of TCM and lack of skills training is going to bite us on the backside.

All the Best,
Alan

A response from my student follows.

I reckon the best thing that we can do to ensure the survival of Traditional Acupuncture is to:

a) not compromise our diagnostic/treatment structure
b) keep impeccable notes
c) actively seek out relationships with medical practitioners
d) keep helping people get better

A response from a senior colleague follows.

They can do what they like at present and can set their own standard as Chinese medicine is not currently a protected profession.

Even when it is I still think we will not be able to stop them

We just have to continue to be who we are and let people/client know just how dangerous we are as a profession and that is why we are going to be registered.

Sorry I can not be any more helpful.

Do you have any comments on how we might best handle this scenario?

Also directly below is the link to an excellent short news video on pediatric acupuncture from the states, courtesy of  Vitalis Skiauteris in New Zealand.

http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/06/acupuncture-use-for-pain-relief-at.html

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.Worldacupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

There is no question in my mind that the most vital aspect of effective Traditional Japanese Acupuncture treatment is what we know it has the root treatment, the fundamental driver of successful treatment outcomes.

I recently experienced a classic demonstration of the importance of the correct root treatment when working with one of the elite Australian Rules football players that I regularly treat in my Brisbane clinic.

Roger had injured his ankle and had been undergoing treatment (physiotherapy and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture) for this injury.

The medical hierarchy of the club decided that it was in his best interests to receive a local cortisone injection to reduce some residual inflammation in a troublesome Achilles tendon whilst he was incapacitated with his ankle injury.

After the cortisone injection Roger experienced an extremely restless night’s sleep, night sweats, sore throat and severe malaise the following morning.

Influenced by the current flu conscious environment I erred in my diagnosis, incorrectly concluding that Roger’s fundamental deficiency lay in the Spleen meridian and proceeded to administer a Spleen deficiency root treatment (Pe 7 – Sp3) throughout the following week.

The Spleen meridian plays an important role in boosting the immune system and I was extremely concerned that his internal defense mechanisms were performing at an optimal level.

After three treatments there was precious little improvement in his condition and it became obvious to me that I was barking up the wrong tree.

As a result I put aside all my preconceptions, wiped the slate clean and went through the diagnostic process thoroughly and without prejudice.

In a classic dah moment I realized that I had misdiagnosed his condition and rather than Spleen deficiency the fundamental imbalance lay the Kidney meridian.

In hindsight it was quite obvious that rather than suffering from flu or as we know in Traditional Acupuncture an exogenous pathogenic invasion, he was suffering from cortisone induced kidney deficiency.

One of the unique qualities of the diagnostic paradigms of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture is the ability to logically navigate our way between root treatments when confronted by unsuccessful clinical outcomes.

Roger responded immediately to Kidney root treatment (Lu 5 – Ki7), letting us know at the end of the session that he felt much better already.

Two days later and he reported that all the symptoms had improved out of sight and he was once again full of beans and raring to go.

There was still much work to be done on his injured ankle but he was able to fully embrace all aspects of a non-weight-bearing training regime in an effort to maintain his base fitness levels.

The bottom line is that regardless of my inadequacies as a clinician by using the guidelines provided by Traditional Japanese Acupuncture I was eventually able to achieve a successful clinical outcome for Roger, detect and correct my misdiagnosis,  expand my understanding and clinical expertise.

I am, you might say, wiser for the experience and extremely grateful that I was able to utilize the logical diagnostic protocols of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture to expand my capacity to deliver the goods in clinic.

All the best,
Alan

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.Worldacupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

I hope this post finds you well and happy.

I definitely feel better after 2 1/2 hrs of surfing in the most delightful conditions, below you will find the beginnings of my explanation of the above question.

This post is a copy of a recent newsletter sent to my patients, please feel free to use any part of this explanation to help your patients develop their understanding of the practice of Traditional Acupuncture.

How Does Acupuncture Work?
During my 25 years in practice countless people have asked me how acupuncture works and you may also have pondered upon this question, before, during or after your acupuncture treatment.
There is no short answer, over 3500 years of recorded history and millions of successful treatment outcomes only serve to emphasize the clinical efficacy and diversity of this ancient healing modality and it reinforces the difficulty translating the underlying factors responsible for Traditional Acupuncture’s incredible longevity.

With access to ancient classical medical texts, some written 2500 years before the birth of Christ, millions of recorded case histories and an extraordinary vault of knowledge based on the accumulated healing expertise gleaned from millions of successful treatments, acupuncture must be close to being the most historically proven medical modality on the planet today!

Millions of case histories have been recorded in the ancient Chinese language known as Kanji.

I believe it is imperative that the translator has a wealth of clinical experience enabling them to interpret and subsequently translate in an accurate and clinically relevant manner.

A 1000 or so years ago emissaries from Japan travelled to China to study their far more sophisticated medical and legal systems, some decades later they returned to Japan taking with them Chinese experts in the fields of medicine and law.

Much like Latin provided the basis for the Western legal and medical languages, Kanji is the language upon which the Japanese medical and legal systems are based.

As a result, accurate and clinically relevant translation of this knowledge is restricted to a few highly specialized individuals, especially in Japan.

Masakazu Ikeda sensei has written in the vicinity of 20 textbooks, authored hundreds of journal articles and presented hundreds of workshops concerning the practice of this highly specialized medical art called Traditional Acupuncture.

He has also been in practice for mere 40 years!

How does acupuncture work?
The answer to this question will always be governed by the experience and awareness of the person doing the explaining.

Since the person attempting to provide an answer to this frequently asked question in this instance is yours truly, please allow me to provide you with some pertinent and relevant historical details of my career and how my first visit to Japan irrevocably changed my understanding of how Traditional Acupuncture works where it matters, in clinic.

In 1996, at the behest my friend and colleague Edward Obaidey, a gentleman fluent in all things Japanese and I visited Masakazu Ikeda sensei, a modern master of  Traditional Acupuncture at his clinic in Imabari, Japan.

Edward’s ability to accurately translate combined with Ikeda sensei’s immense clinical experience and linguistic competency created unique access to the ancient classical texts and their clinical application.

After 13 years of practicing what I believed to be Traditional Acupuncture I experienced a truly rude awakening regarding the crude level of skill and extremely basic understanding that I possessed.

I realized I was still playing in the sandpit with a bucket and spade and this master practitioner was the head of faculty at the global University.

I was stunned by Ikeda sensei’s amazing clinical skills, his hands and fingers seemed to dance across the patient’s body, his meditative focus throughout treatment was truly magnetic.

Sensei’s ability to translate his formidable knowledge and understanding of the ancient medical art of Acupuncture into clinical excellence was truly inspirational.

What I learned in his clinic in the dead of the Japanese winter became my virtual professional pole vault, my awareness of the clinical potential of Traditional Acupuncture was veritably exploded by the way in which this master practitioner went about his work.

I thought I was entered in the Traditional Acupuncture high jump and after 13 years in practice I found myself in the pole vault without a pole!

Talk about raising the bar!

In 1996, after receiving treatment from Ikeda sensei and closely observing his work with patients suffering from a virtual Pandora’s box of maladies I realized how far that proverbial bar had been raised as a result of my exposure to this master practitioner.

Ikeda sensei lived and breathed this often misunderstood healing art/science, to me he represented the very heart of Traditional Acupuncture and his devotion to the translation of the ancient doctrines into clinically relevant material provided me with an amazing opportunity to further my understanding and clinical application of Traditional Acupuncture.

His silken skills, effortless focus and immense knowledge were even more obvious upon my return to Japan earlier this year; the connection formed by his hands to the patient was incredibly malleable, osmotic in the extreme.

I was inexorably reminded that I had entered in the clinical equivalent of the pole vault, the bar infinitely higher than in the high jump and the sand pit I had been dwelling in was for emergency landings only.

How well acupuncture works is irrevocably linked to the awareness and skill of your practitioner.

Like a surgeon skillfully using a scalpel, the acupuncturist uses a needle during an energetic form of surgery and the most essential ingredient for a successful clinical outcome is the skill and sensitivity of their hands.

The success of your treatment relies not on the needle or scalpel, but in the hands of your practitioner!

In other words the potency and diversity of Traditional Acupuncture treatment is directly related to the skill and experience of your practitioner.

The ability to translate this immense body of knowledge through the awareness and understanding born from clinical experience, sensitivity and skill can make all the difference to consistently achieving successful clinical outcomes

I continue to practice daily in an effort to refine and develop my skill and understanding of Traditional Acupuncture, clear that elusive bar and do my best to translate my extreme good fortune into clinical competency to the ultimate benefit of my patients.

I believe it important to convey to you the relevance of a solid knowledge base and clinical experience prior to undertaking the immense and somewhat complex task of distilling this unique ancient medical system into an understandable diatribe for your consumption.

Traditional Japanese Acupuncture relies upon the recognition of an energetic network that covers the entire body known as meridians.

Next month I will explore how by using these meridians the skilled Traditional Acupuncturist can often assist people who have exhausted all other avenues of therapy in an effort to regain good health.

This short video recorded yesterday may help you to fully grasp the diversity and potency of Traditional Acupuncture. I hope you enjoy.

Watch How Traditional Acupuncture Works Part 001 in Educational & How-To |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.Worldacupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

Here are some very good reasons why you might choose Japanese Acupuncture, as a patient and/or student.

Two very different emails about the tradition of Acupuncture, one from a student and the other from a patient

Whilst I am very grateful to be the  subject of their words, it is Traditional  Acupuncture and my many teachers, colleagues, students and most importantly patients to which their thanks should be redirected.

I am deeply appreciative to be considered a senior practitioner of this extra ordinary ancient healing art and I am especially grateful to Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey for opening  the door to the Pandoras Box of  deft traditional acupuncture and moxibustion skills required to deliver potent, painless treatments and for making the ancient classical texts accessible and clinically relevant to me and many, many others.
The first of the letters is from my student Andrew, he of velly fast hand and agile mind and the second is from  Jeff, whom, like many others has been struggling to maintain a physical, mental and emotional balance in the final part of the first decade of this millennium.

First Email from honorable student:

Morning Alan,

Hope you’ve wet the skin in the surf already this morning and managed to evade (in true  ninja fashion) those troublesome rope traps.

‘Twas great to work with you again on Saturday and i’m really looking forward to the year ahead in clinic.

I’ll take this opportunity to say thank you.

Firstly, for quenching my great thirst for knowledge, experience and skills in acupuncture over the last 6 months.  I feel like I’ve gone from floating in the middle of an ocean in a dingy with one paddle to being the captain (well… maybe deck hand) of a Collins Class Submarine.  Thank you.

Secondly, and probable even more so, for demonstrating your own passion and enthusiasm for thish incredibly potent and delicate art we are learning. Seeing how much joy and excitement your work brings to your life was the final grain of sand that has sent me tumbling down the side of the mountain into a lifetime of dedication… there’s no looking back now.  Thank you.

In other words… Cheers Alan!

Arigato gozaimasu sensei.

Humble Student, Part time Ninja and Strewbie enthusiast

Andrew

Second Email from very honorable patient:

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the email!

2008 was a tough year with the economic climate biting into the luxury market that I work in.

On a personal side though it was a year of growth, being my first year as a married man, complete with all the wonderful changes it brought me.

In addition, after slight coercion from Hayley I made a move from Osteopathy to your world of acupuncture and I must say this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of 2008.

I have struggled with many back and neck issues for 3 to 4 years priorpain and playing golf with extreme discomfort. and I was sick of waking up and complaining of pain, surfing then complaining of

It has taken 6 months of your care and treatment but I can now say that I have an ever improving quality of life and much greater happiness.

Thank you!!!!!!

Hayley and I have committed a portion of our income to better health in 2009 and you will remain as a major source of support and interest as we both believe in your techniques and treatment.

I believe I am at about 80% with regards to back and neck strength, however I also wish to improve my intestinal strength as I suffer quite a lot here when pressure or emotional concerns arise.

Hayley is my world and her health and happiness are my main priorities. I can only be at my best if I am completely strong throughout.

I am getting there and I thank you dearly for the role you play in my drive for greater strength internally and externally!

See you tomorrow!

Cheers

Jeff

PS.

Please peruse these select images of the Nelson Lakes and Karamea coastline, at the Northern end of the Southern most Shaky Isle.

If walls could tell stories?

Lake Rotoiti

Encourages many types of aquatic activity

Playing to the beat of a very different drum

Succinctly Succulent

Hard Yakka beckons

Lush

Granity

Granity Library

Perfect place for a picnic lunch

Ditto for Dinner

Apperitif

One second, one hundred sandflies, home sweet home !

Kohaihai Morning Mist

The odd Nikau palm

Last or first part of the world famous Heaphy Track

The end of the road

Follow this track for 4 days and you will get to the other end

West Coast magic

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.Worldacupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

Greetings from Rainbow Bay on a Magnificent Summer Sunday morning,

Even at 5am today (that is just light), the surf was crowded, whilst the waves are of significant of size and proportion, I find it somewhat difficult to enjoy the level of aggressive behavior required to snare and surf a wave when the surfers begin to resemble sardines and the ocean becomes a pit of frothing testosterone.

Hence I sit here before my monitor doing the two fingered tap on the keyboard.

I figure tomorrow may be a little smaller but it won’t be anywhere as near crowded and my turn will come a lot easier.

We had an extremely diverse morning in clinic yesterday treating folk with a great variety of health issues including;

Insomnia x 3

Pre-Natal Headache, Dizziness and Fatigue (28 Weeks)

Stress

Groin Injury

Debilitating Heel/Achilles Pain

Severe Nausea from Chemotherapy

High Blood Pressure, Chronic Severe Neck and Shoulder Pain

Sciatica, Low Back Pain, Chest Infection

Severely Prolapsed Lumbar Disc and subsequent Chronic Back Pain

Bone Bruising of the Knee, Exhaustion and Nausea

Sequelae of Whooping Cough including severe breathlessness

Low Back Groin and Neck Pain, High Blood Pressure

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fatigue

A fairly diverse range of complaints I am sure you will agree.

The highlight of the day would have to be the results of tests on Brad, suffering from Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and currently recovering from the 7th of his 12 scheduled Chemotherapy injections.

After a series of Japanese Acupuncture treatments the big fella returned results indicating full remission including the disappearance of some very large tumors, much to the astonishment of supervising medical personnel.

When Brad feels less diabolically nauseous and toxic he will be more than happy to relate his experience in video form.

When his course of chemotherapy is completed I will also present his entire case history in the hope that others may benefit from such insights.

In the meantime here are some more visual highlights of ‘Luminate 09′.

Hope you have an awesome Saturday/Sunday depending upon which part of the planet you inhabit.

Lotsa,

Alan

Didge……Caitlin, Sika and the Elements

Caitlin,  Rockin fo sho

Someone is Sure Enjoying the Music

Sika,  Blowin Up on the Didge

A Little later in the Evening n the Lights Came On

And On

Mirror Ball Getting Into the Action

I am Getting Into the Mirror Ball

Not to Labor the Point

Indeed !

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at http://www.WorldAcupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: http://www.WorldAcupuncture.com

]]> http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/japanese-acupuncture-non-hodgkins-lymphoma-and-chemotherapy/feed 1 http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/exploring-acupuncture-part-2 http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/exploring-acupuncture-part-2#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:47:55 +0000 Alan http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com/?p=982 G’Day,

This short video may help you to navigate your way through the 21st Century with less anxiety and stress.

I have posted this video mainly for the benefit of my patients but I hope that all readers might benefit.

This extremely simple breathing technique was taught to me some years ago by Qi Gong master Dr. Bisong Guo to whom I remain extremely grateful.

Practicing  this breathing technique will definitely help you to navigate through the craziness leading up to Christmas.

All the best,

Alan

Click on the player below to learn more about relaxation in the 21st Century

Watch Exploring Acupuncture_0002 in How to Videos |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture. For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted in the vicinity of 30 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at WorldAcupunctureblog.com

For more info, please visit: WorldAcupuncture.com