How did this come to pass?

In my practice of Japanese acupuncture I am invariably accompanied by a student/assistant during treatment.

There are three good reasons.

1. Most important being that the patient benefits from the students/assistants focus and intention.

2. The student/assistant has a wonderful opportunity to observe an experienced practitioner in action, learn the medicine in a clinical setting and most importantly witness the clinical outcomes.

3. As a senior practitioner it gives me a wonderful opportunity to pass on some of the invaluable clinical experience accumulated over more than 25 years of practice.

Sylvia, my Chilean student/assistant and now practitioner has worked in my clinic a lot over the past 3 years and as a result of a visit to her family in Santiago she found herself in a position to help some victims of the devastating Chilean earthquake earlier this year.

Following is the how, why and when she was able to do so, hope you enjoy!

To start I wish you a warm welcome  from Rainbow Bay on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Sunset and Play at Rainbow Bay, Australia

Sunset, Rainbow Bay, Australia

More Play at Rainbow Bay

I have one ear on the US Masters golf championship that is currently coming to life on my television.

I cannot help but marvel at the incredible skill of these competitors.

Having played a lot of golf in my life I can truly appreciate the incredibly refined skill that these talented athletes have at their disposal.

Skills that are continually honed by much focused practice and competition in elite tournaments of which the US Masters along with the British Open rank supreme.

The mental acumen and emotional balance required to compete successfully at this level must be extraordinary.

In Japanese acupuncture we pride ourselves on continually developing and refining our clinical skills whilst expanding our understanding of the diagnostic protocols that have proven to be clinically effective for over 3000 years.

‘Perhaps practicing refined Japanese acupuncture can be likened to playing professional golf, in that the more focused the practice, the more often the practice, the more specific the treatment, the more relaxed the practitioner and patient, the more likely a successful clinical outcome.’

This is very different to bunging in a needle with gay abandon and little understanding of the incredibly intricate energetic network into which we are plugging, the human being!

Sylvia’s story about her work with victims of the Chilean earthquake is especially uplifting for me and confirms a strongly held belief that teaching can go hand-in-hand with clinical practice not only to the benefit of those present during treatment but as students/assistants create their own practices they have a significant head start in their understanding and application of Japanese Acupuncture to the ultimate benefit of the patients.

Here is Sylvia’s story:

Dear Alan,

It was so good too see you this Tuesday, I love going to Clinic!!

Well as you know I went to Chile this last December, unfortunately or fortunately depending on one’s perspective I had to live the big experience of a huge Earthquake!

The massive amount of energy coming out of the earth moved our lives into introspective questions of what really matters in this life.

3 days after the earthquake, having had huge repercussions (after shocks) every single day, my good friend of Maria Cecilia Huerta and I have the fantastic idea to help people with FREE JAPANESE ACUPUNCTURE!!!

Cecilia found a location down in the Gym area of her building, so we set up one massage table and 3 mattresses on the ground.

Everything was looking great but we were in need of patients.

Thanks to the lovely public relations of my friend Cecilia we treated 15 people a day for 3 days.

The majority of the treatments where to do with sleeping disorders, feeling extremely scared, panic attacks, muscle aches, headaches and stomach disorders.

My colleagues will be happy to learn that I was assisted by my young cousin in much the same manner as we help Alan in Clinic.

Everyone loved their Japanese Acupuncture treatment and to a man, woman and child said they felt so much better.

I used lots of Tonetskyu (rice grain moxa) for people with sleeping disorders and in the majority of cases we did both front and back treatments.

Root treatments changed depending upon the patient’s primary deficiency and related excess/es, lots of Liver def. and excess in the Pericardium and Stomach meridians.

The main thing is that all the people we treated with Japanese Acupuncture loved it!!!

I’m so happy that I could help with my small knowledge and I know that will grow with the years beside Alan in clinic.

Thanks Alan for being the medium as I prayed for your presence to be with me through those days, also big thanks to these beautiful studies from the classics.

My experience in Santiago in February this year proved to me and the recipients that Japanese Acupuncture is not only magic, there is logic behind the medicine and thousands of years of clinic experience to help us became better practitioners.

Thanks for your time, to hear this story, and I hope that everyone is smiling!!!
Lots of love,

Sylvia

Alan Jansson, Sylvia Flores Larrain and Adam McIntosh

Sylvia’s story is yet another reason why I love what I do with a passion!

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

Robyn has been dependent upon nausea medication for some time, so I was delighted to find out that she had been able to go some days without medication and experience no nausea at all.

The pitting edema that had been present in Robyn’s lower legs was still greatly improved and she was able to have a big weekend with her children and grandchildren, some of whom had returned from overseas to spend time with her.

This successful clinical outcome encouraged me to continue with a Spleen root treatment with some minor variations.

Although she was tired upon my arrival as a result of extending herself, Robyn was delighted to be feeling much better, relatively pain free, more energetic, pretty well nausea free, able to spend some quality time with her loved ones and laugh.

The ascites that Robyn self drains has contributed to a prolapsed bowel and she was subsequently experiencing great difficulty in passing a motion.

She is taking medication to minimal positive effect.

Treatment:

Root Rx :

Tonify Pe.7 – Sp.3, Shunt St.44 – Liv.3 – GB.34

Back Shu Points.

Bl13 – 17 – 18 – 20 – 23 – 40 – 57

Follow up treatment 4 days later:

Ascites increasing, regulated by self draining, nausea ebbing and flowing but still improved, bowels working relative to the level of ascites.

Pulse: strident

Rx:

Tonify: Pe.7 – Sp.3 – Ki.2 – 7

Shunt: Pe4 -  St.44 – Liv.3 – GB.41

Back Shu Points.

Bl13 – 17 – 18 – 20 – 23 – 40 – 57

Next treatment is this morning, last treatment it was patently obvious that Robyn’s Kidney complex was under extreme pressure.

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

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

3 of these patients were diagnosed as Liver yang deficiency syndrome, that is where the Ying and Yang aspects of the liver meridian and organ are exhausted.

In this scenario the patient feels overwhelmed and they have great difficulty in dealing with many of the day-to-day details that they might normally taken in stride.

In addition in many cases they have a poor appetite, cannot think straight and although they are absolutely exhausted, many of these patients have great difficulty in relaxing and in some situations  suffer from various degrees of insomnia.

In the past week on3 separate occasions patients have returned after the previous treatment complaining of overwhelming fatigue and exhaustion immediately  after treatment.

I’m sure you’ll agree that this is not an ideal scenario, my clinical ideal being that patients feel relaxed and invigorated after each treatment.

One of the patients is a medical practitioner with a very delicate constitution, without going into great detail she has been diagnosed amongst other things with multiple sclerosis.

Another has been in constant pain after complicated surgery on her lower back and in the instance of patient has an ongoing history clearly demonstrating blood deficient.

In all instances these patients are relatively new clients, undergoing Japanese acupuncture treatment for a month or less.

The anomaly in each of these situations is that the patients had experienced significant beneficial results from previous treatments and it is a unique experience for me that three patients should feel exhausted immediately after treatment in the space of one week.

In each instance I re diagnosed the patient to confirm that my original diagnosis was still correct.

After an exhaustive examination I was satisfied that my diagnosis of liver yang deficiency was correct, this could only mean one thing, I had over zealously treated all of them.

The root treatment for each of these individuals was the same, Kidney 3, Liver 3 and Gall Bladder 40, in one instance with the addition of Spleen 1.

The back shu points were very similar in all instances and rice grain moxibustion was applied to the point Governing vessel through.

What this meant to me was that in my endeavor to assist them I had fallen into the trap of more is better.

In the case of liver yang deficiency syndrome this is most definitely not what we or the patient want!

So I bit the bullet and utilized the same treatment in all cases, however in each instance I shortened the treatment time by at least 10 minutes meaning that each of the patients lay prone with the back shu points in position for no more than 15 minutes and I increased my awareness of depth of needling, focusing on more intention and less depth.

Whilst chastened by the fact that all three patients had responded so poorly to my previous treatments I was determined to rectify the situation immediately.

It is with relief that I can report that in all three cases the patients felt significant improvement in their energetic well-being, mental acuity and emotional outlook immediately after treatment.

Phew, the trials and tribulations of refining my skill and awareness in the practice of Traditional Japanese acupuncture remain constant and challenging and it is with a sense of gratitude to Masakazu Ikeda sensei that I write this report.

His guidance through many workshops and visits to Japan has helped me immeasurably to deal with situations such as the one I’ve just outlined.

His ability to recognize when the patients require the most gentle of touches in addition to his highly refined clinical skills have set the bar very high indeed.

Had I not had the privilege of witnessing and in some instances experiencing the benefit of his acupuncture intelligence, I have no doubt at all that all of the patients mentioned would be languishing in the squalor of overwhelming lethargy and fatigue at a time when the demands on each and every one of us are so great.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest and commitment in refining and developing your critical acumen and skills in the practice of Traditional Acupuncture.

I wish you and yours a peaceful, joyous Christmas and great prosperity for the New Year.

Kind Regards,

Alan

A few images of me pursuing a recreational past time that puts a smile on my face follows.

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

Stephen Brown demonstrates the Art of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture to a Captive Audience

The Walkabout Creek function center deep in the hills in pristine eucalyptus forest country northwest of Brisbane, a magical location discovered by eminent traditional acupuncturist/herbalist, East Asian medicine educator and now successful workshop convener, Greg Bantick was a superb venue for this groundbreaking Japanese Acupuncture workshop.

In conjunction with John Thompson, veteran Brisbane Traditional Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine practitioner, long time convener and supporter of Japanese acupuncture workshops in Australia, they persuaded the translator of Shudo Denmei’s beautiful books, Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy and Finding Effective Acupuncture Points

Mr. Stephen Brown presented a beautifully integrated Japanese Acupuncture workshop, effectively communicating with and demonstrating to a captivated audience including undergraduate students with absolutely no experience of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture and experienced practitioners of this highly refined East Asian medical art.

His eloquent treatments were absolute testimony to the fact that Stephen Brown walks the talk!

Using his vast shiatsu/bodywork experience in conjunction with Traditional Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion skills honed by more than 25 years of clinical practice, Stephen inspired us with beautifully crafted treatment demonstrations.

His obvious Japanese Acupuncture and moxibustion skills were complemented by extraordinary palpation skills, acute sensory awareness, tactile finesse and energetic empathy.

Stephen Brown gathering meditative poise whilst administering Japanese Acupuncture treatment

BIG gratitude to Stephen ‘The Liberator‘  Brown for taking the time and making the effort to come on down under to share his invaluable clinical acumen and unique insights into the practice of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture!

Some of the very happy attendees at Stephen Brown's 'Explorations in Meridian Therapy' Workshop

To Greg Bantick and John Thompson for putting their shoulder to the wheel and their heads on the block to make this watershed event in Traditional Japanese Acupuncture education down under a reality, our heartfelt thanks

Their effort and commitment to the development of our skill and understanding in the East Asian medical art/sciences of Traditional Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is truly inspirational.

All the best in life and practice,

Alan Jansson

PS.

World Acupuncture uncovered some  unique perspectives about Traditional Acupuncture when we talked with these eminent practitioner/educators in 3 state of the art interviews.

Stephen Brown, Greg Bantick and John Thompson, with a cumulative clinic experience of over 75 years discussed their clinical background, unique perspectives on the current state of Traditional Acupuncture, East Asian Medicine and the future potential of our ancient medicine in the West.

As a subscriber to the world acupuncture updates, you will know as soon as we have the video of the interviews up and running online.

Don’t miss out!

If you have yet to subscribe to our free update service on http://www.worldacupunctureblog.com or http://worldacupuncture.com just go to the top right hand corner of either site and spend 30 seconds filling in the briefest of forms and you will be notified of all relevant updates.

Members of http://worldacupuncture.com will be able to view some of the outstanding highlights of Stephen’s workshop in the not-too-distant future.

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

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

She had been suffering from with this potentially dangerous condition since the previous Sunday, unable to keep fluids or solids on board she was becoming increasingly dehydrated in spite of her best efforts to compensate by ingesting extra quantities of these essential elements.

The situation was delicate to say the least, especially in light of her being in the latter stages of her pregnancy and being sleep deprived as a result of her constant diarrhea.

As a long standing patient she had experienced many successful outcomes for a vast variety of health issues in the previous 5 years, as such she had no reservations about the potential of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture to help her to recover.

Upon questioning it became increasingly obvious she was suffering from what we know in Traditional Japanese Acupuncture as Spleen Deficiency Yang Deficiency syndrome.

Using a silver needle with a very light superficial insertion I tonified the Spleen and Pericardium meridians via the points Sp.3 – Pe.7 in addition to tonifying the Stomach meridian via ST.36.

The insertion depth for all these points was no more than 1 mm and there was absolutely  no mechanical stimulation of the needles whatsoever.

This root treatment was followed by insertion of the back shu points Bl.14 – 18 – 23 – 58 and 9 cones of tonifying tonetskyu/rice grain moxibustion was applied to the points Bl.20 and GV.3 (Du.3).

After treatment was performed on my way back from clinic I was served a delicious meal and some fine wine before arriving home at 11pm.

Definitely a long day at the coal face.

Next day Jackie let me know that the diarrhea had completely stopped and she was left with slight nausea only.

I remain astounded regarding the efficacy of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture and it is experiences such as the above that continue to inspire me in my efforts to communicate this efficacy to those interested in continuing to refine their practice of acupuncture and assist their patients in an optimum fashion.

All the Best,

Alan

Sarica is a graduate of  PCOM (Pacific College of Oriental Medicine) in San Diego, has settled in Arizona, USA, been in practice for several years and is extremely keen to refine and develop her acupuncture repertoire.

Boynton Canyon, Sedona, Arizona

She originally posted her questions on the WorldAcupuncture Forum @ http://www.worldacupuncture.com/members/forum/openthread.cfm?forum=1&threadid=13

Please read what  Sarica has to say about her membership with worldacupuncture.com

Just wanted to send on a heartfelt thanks for the work on the site...being able to see and listen to the videos and lessons is a tremendously helpful endeavor…i get at least one in a day, and it really sets me right for seeing patients–gets me in the right frame of mind, helps me maintain focus and inspiration throughout my treatments.  i knew i’d get much from this, but i didn’t reckon how much, and it just means a lot to me.  so, thank you!
hugs from az.!
sarica

Here is her case history with my commentary, we will be going one step at a time,  if you would like to follow her progress and many other case histories, video’s and tutorials you are welcome to join us at http://worldacupuncture.com

50 yr Male Golfer

Unilateral epicondylitis for the last 7 or 8 weeks

2 treatments so far………..

• 50 yrs. male, thinnish build, big eyes, rather copious body hair,
• thinning head hair, even, calm voice.
• high cholesterol, hypertension, both handled with medication
• sinus allergies, Claritin medication
• calm, works 50+ hours a week
• cold hands and feet, craves spicy then sweet and salty
• wakes once in the night to urinate
• fatigue after a hard day , energy level otherwise is very good
• inflammation near UB43 on the right, outward rotation and with flexing his elbow on a horizontal plane, pain SI8 pain (dull, constant, sometimes shooting, and sore to the touch—feels like a bone bruise)
• pain radiates upward towards his occipital region
• ice and rest help the elbow pain
• played 18 holes after feeling relief from his first treatment, pain came back in a big way after golf.
• will pull back from golf until the end of September

First treatment

Pulse

LU weak, LIV tight ,

Abdomen

felt empty at LU1 bilaterally, tight right and left of the navel

RX.

• LU9 – SP5 root treatment
• SJ5 left – ah shi points on the SI/SJ/ LI channels right
• needle head moxa lateral to LI10 right
• added LIV8 and GB34 on the left when I didn’t find much change in the pulse
• Sawada-style direct moxa to tonify his energies
• back shu UB11, 15, 18, 20, 58 plus KI3
• needle head moxa at SI11 on the right

Summary

Constitutionally deficient in the LU, with deficient heat in the LIV

Alan J. Commentary

It sounds as though it is appropriate that this individual should have a weak lung pulse from his copious body hair, indicating a lung deficient constitution.

In many cases  athletic people born with a lung deficient constitution the propensity to becoming kidney deficient as they approach middle age is widespread.

It is for this reason in addition to his chronic sinusitis, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels that I believe you will find that he has become primarily kidney deficient.

This part of diagnosis is vital in achieving outstanding clinical outcomes.

I believe it is very possible that your patient has become lung deficient liver excess, a syndrome that naturally insinuates kidney deficiency.

To confirm this I suggest that you palpate his abdomen to establish patterns of tightness and discomfort on both his left and right sides.

The classical abdominal pattern for liver excess syndrome will show has extra ordinary tightness pain and discomfort on the right side of his abdomen, especially around the lower border of the rib cage, directly above the liver.

Please let me know the results as they will determine where to go from here.

The Liv.8 and GB.34 that you added after there was no discernible change in his pulse would have helped him considerably more than your original treatment of Lu.9 – Sp.5.

Your diagnosis of lung deficient with deficient heat in the liver is somewhat problematical.

However, according to the theoretical principles of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture it is possible that the heat from kidney deficiency has passed into the liver and created a liver excess blood stagnation syndrome especially along the medial border of the right scapulae.

If this is the case then the shunting of Liv.8 or in milder cases GB.34 along with the root treatment of Lu.5 – Ki.10 may be a better way to go.

CAUTION!

Before shunting the liver, you should be very sure that this is indeed a liver excess blood stagnation pattern.

To confirm this please perform an abdominal examination as previously suggested and get back to me with the results.

We can talk more about local treatment a bit later but I think you are on the right track with your moxa needle on places that you have outlined above.

Second treatment

Pulse

LIV and KI very weak

Abdomen

Pulsation REN 12.

More tired than the first treatment, happy to lie down and cool off, it has been very hot here,  Arizona, USA.

RX

• LU1, KI7 – LU5 root treatment
• LI channel on the right, using ah-shi from LI15 to LI4
• Direct moxa, Moxa needle or Rice-Grain? with the needles – lateral to LI10 right, tissue was very lax, deficient feeling, no heat or tension felt.
• Added KI 10 on the left.
• Back Shu UB11, 17, 20, 22, and 23 plus right side GB21 – anmian needle head moxa at SI11 and UB46,
• Needle or moxa-needle right side UB58, K3 and GB40 ?
• All the points listed retained with a 44 gauge, very shallowly which points?
• Tui na to invigorate on his upper right back and forearm.

Summary

His arm felt markedly better at the end of treatment.

I checked with him today, pain still there, and he’s going to start p.t immediately.

Alan J. Commentary

Please confirm the type of moxa and on what points that you used it on in this treatment.

Also can you confirm the use of Ki.3 – GB.40 and let me know the technique that you used on these points and why you used them?

Last but not least can you provide me with the metric diameter of a 44 gauge needle?

For instance the most common needle size that I use in treatment is .14  millimetre in diameter and for moxa needle .22  millimeter.

Stay posted there is more to come, we will follow her patients progress with great interest.

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

This week I presented two very different workshops, one for the
physiotherapists with whom I work in Brisbane, the other for a select
group of students.

The first  workshop, for the physiotherapists presented a unique challenge.

How to best communicate to my physiotherapy colleagues the unique and
skill-based nature of  Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, whilst not
arousing the ire of my Acupuncture colleagues for giving away the
so-called secrets of the practice of Traditional Acupuncture ?

The situation here in Australia regarding physiotherapists and the
practice of Acupuncture is ambiguous to say the least.

The popularization of dry needling amongst a variety of modalities,
especially physiotherapy in recent years is perceived by many
acupuncturists as a direct threat to our profession.

I believe that the profession’s inability or unwillingness to stand
up and be counted in the public eye as a beneficial and legitimate
healing modality has left the door wide open for every man and his dog
to lay claim to the practice of Acupuncture merely because they have a
needle in hand.

In Australia the general public has precious little knowledge
regarding the clinical efficacy and flexibility of Traditional
Acupuncture.

A majority believing that Acupuncture might be effective in some cases
for the relief of musculoskeletal pain, headaches or perhaps a less
invasive way of inducing childbirth.

The full potential of Traditional Acupuncture is not so easily
recognized within our profession let alone by practitioners of Allied
modalities and the general public.

For over 20 years my ever evolving version of Traditional Acupuncture
(including Moxibustion) has been my sole form of treatment in clinic.

This has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion on the efficacy of
other allied healing modalities such as herbal medicine, chiropractic,
osteopathy, physiotherapy, vitamin and mineral supplementation,
massage, homeopathy etc, etc.

This singularity of clinical approach has much to do with my affinity
with the underlying philosophy and tactile inclination of Traditional
Acupuncture.

The depth of clinical expertise and knowledge available to me as a
practitioner of this extraordinary healing art/science is virtually
inexhaustible; I doubt there will ever come a time where I will feel I
have completed my studies or fully evolved as a practitioner.

The accumulated sensory information gleaned through a truly tactile approach to Acupuncture can be formidable; imperative to our growth as practitioners is the framework within which we place this information.

For instance, a physiotherapist whilst fundamentally using the same diagnostic instrument as practitioners of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture will translate the information received through their fingers in an entirely different manner to the Traditional Acupuncturist; as such any diagnostic conclusions they come to and all therapeutic action that they might take will be interpreted in an entirely different manner to that of a practitioner of Japanese Meridian Therapy/Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.

A practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture will naturally interpret this information based on their knowledge of meridian
pathways and the intricate energetic interactions between each of the
pathways, their associated organ and the interdependence between each
of these meridian/organ complexes.

This will obviously be a very different clinical picture to the one
that a physiotherapist might find.

A vast philosophical and therapeutic chasm exists between physiotherapy and Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, a chasm that is bridged in some way by our mutual reliance upon tactile sensitivity.

The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used by Traditional Japanese Acupuncture and dry needling are very, very different.

‘One is exclusively musculoskeletal in approach and mechanical in execution, the other, combines both musculoskeletal and energetic
perceptions and is primarily energetic in its execution.’

Both can achieve beneficial clinical outcomes.

Traditional Acupuncture, especially Traditional Japanese Acupuncture
has far more diverse therapeutic and diagnostic applications than purely muscular skeletal.

It is up to our profession to demonstrate and educate our colleagues in Allied modalities, the general public and indeed our fellow Acupuncturists regarding the clinical efficacy of meridian based Traditional Acupuncture.

I attempted to do this with some degree of success last week.

This one hour practically based presentation was all about demonstrating the clinical efficacy and diverse therapeutic skills of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture to my physiotherapy colleagues not about what they should or should not do!

Three courageous physiotherapists volunteered for treatment, none
suffering from any specific problem, all highly stressed!

Watched by several intrigued colleagues, each of my three volunteers
were treated differently as demanded by their individuality and I did
my best to explain the difference between the treatments.

This short video will show some of the needling skills employed during a Traditional Japanese Acupuncture treatment,

None of the volunteers experienced any pain or discomfort.
All attested to the efficacy and strength of treatment and how relaxed and revitalized they felt after their short 20 to 30 minute treatments.

The Acupuncture profession in Australia will go nowhere fighting physiotherapists about the validity of dry needling.

There is a vast difference between the therapeutic application of acupuncture needles in dry needling and meridian based Traditional
Acupuncture.

A very thick gauge needle versus an extremely thin gauge needle in
conjunction with a very mechanical application versus energetic
application of very fine needles are but two examples of the polar opposites from which these two modalities operate using similar instruments.

Although philosophically and theoretically more aligned with Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, practitioners of  the point-based practice of TCM Acupuncture with its dependence upon thicker gauge needles and their mechanical stimulation might have a much tougher time convincing other modalities that there are major discrepancies in the therapeutic application of Acupuncture and dry needling.

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