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Hi Armin,
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this! The tooth pain/sensitivity went on for 2-3 weeks. It’s really been very strange. The last I felt it was this past Saturday while jogging – I noticed a buzzing sensation in my front upper teeth, but it didn’t progress beyond that. It was mildly chilly outside (high 50s) but I felt like it was a reaction to the exertion more than the temperature.
I did try taking my pulses during the big flare, but it felt like all the sinews were showing and I wasn’t sure what to do with that, which is why I tried the Luo.
I’ve really been having some random stuff since the shut down – this thing with the teeth, I had a couple weird moles randomly erupt, and last night I started having a crazy itchy skin reaction on my arms and legs when I tried to go to sleep. I checked my pulses and again, wasn’t sure about the presentation – it seemed like taiyang and yangming pulses, skin was super red along UB, KI, SP, SI, HT, LR, LI so I tried just needling the confluent and well points for UB and LI so I could get the arms and legs together and I liked the connection to the skin through the LI and the super acuteness of UB. I didn’t want to do too much because anything I touched became super itchy. The only thing that worked has been to elevate my legs and taking benadryl (yuck). It seems to flare every 90 mins or so, last one being about an hour ago.
I got some herbal advice from a friend and took XCHU + GZT which helped greatly; my symptoms are mostly gone. Which means I probably should have looked at sinews. I would love it if someone could help me to understand this presentation – would the teeth correspond to Stomach Sinew?
Hi Armin,
I have found those areas as well, but I am so so new to these techniques (I will be taking my first sinew class this weekend) that I don’t have a lot to offer more than to say that I have been thinking the same that you have – that I tried releasing an area that didn’t really need anything. I have been moving on from those areas since Ann keeps saying not to over think the treatments (not possible for me yet).
Do you also get spots where it grabs so intensely that you have a difficult time pulling the needle out? I have this happen with almost each attempted sinew tx at some point and I always find myself thinking how that spot REALLY needed the release. I usually check in with the patient to make sure that my tugging on the needle isn’t painful and they haven’t yet said that it is.
Lois – Thank you for the interesting description of the low soggy places – I will have to look for these now!
Liz
haha, the fancy italics made the post really stand out 🙂
Thank you for the suggestion re: tonifying the jueyin, I will definitely try that when I see her this Friday!
Last time I saw her, her mother asked me if I knew any meditation or other internal work that her daughter could work on to try and get the connection through the inflamed part of her spinal cord. During her treatment I asked her to start trying to breathe energy from the top of her head down her spine, and then to alternately try breathing from the dantian down to the perineum and then up her spine – as starting points.
Does anyone have other suggestions for internal work for her? She will be 16 in 6 weeks (we have the same birthday 😉 ) so her interest is snarky on the outside, but hopefully open on the inside.
Thank you, everyone, for your insights. I’ve been processing a lot as a result.
I am also very new to these kind of 8 extra treatments and pulse reading and am trying to let the pulse tell me which vessel to choose, so I know that process has a way to go before I don’t second guess myself at times.
Regarding the 3 month protocol or not – I realized that my concern about this is completely rooted in her emotional instability. I reached out a few times since that Ann Chat and she finally responded so I’m feeling better knowing she’s okay.
Lois – thank you for your perspective on the dissonant feelings, it is very helpful!
The intuition piece of being a practitioner is a huge challenge for me. I understand from multiple sources that I need to commit to meditation of some type so I can start to work with this information better. I’ve only realized I have it in the last couple of years. It’s a relief to have this community, thanks!
Progress has been steady in some areas and slow in other areas. For the last few sessions, I switched to tonifying the LU and occasionally the LI channels based on atrophy in her left hand and inhibition of movement.
This morning Du came up on the right side – first time an 8 Extra has appeared in her pulse. I chose 3rd and 4th trajectories based on the lack of sensation she has from below T3, her spasms, alternating weakness and rigidity in her limbs.
Regarding her lack of sensation internally – with the bladder and bowel sensation and control – would you see that as an extension of the LR/PC paralysis, as directly connected to the LI/UB channels, or as a completely separate mechanism altogether?
Thanks!
Hi Armin
Thanks for the confirmation regarding the hand issues! I treated Yangming the time before this past treatment – for the weight bearing and because it showed in the pulse.
So the extreme deficiency of Yang Qi is potentially causing the stagnation and heat showing in the tongue.. I can get behind that. I see her again on 12/30 so hopefully she’ll be well rested and ready to release some sinews!
She is still progressing consistently, which is fantastic to watch. We’ve gotten 120″ of snow since November, so she has been sit skiing (putting her father to shame in a race) in addition to all of her PT and OT.
I saw her again yesterday – she is now able to independently move all of her limbs! Her left side continues to be on a slower trajectory. Her biggest struggle now is weight bearing. Since the last treatment she is now able to pull herself to standing and support herself – her leg strength is improving! She is still unable to try and walk without supporting herself – although she is now able to do so using crutches!
Her left hand is struggling to fully extend – especially the index and thumb, and to fully flex – especially the pinky finger. Is the flexion Taiyin? It’s just the movement, not trying to hold anything in her hand.
Interestingly, I did not feel any sinew pulses this time, I also did not note any other notable pulses, such as 8 extra, but her KI Yang was not strong and she was very cold to the touch. Her fluids seemed weak/thin and Lung was not dispersing, so I thought I’d work on the deficiencies and see what happened with the pulse. I also looked at her tongue this time since the pulse was different and it was very purple – especially the center, with bright red edges all around, no coating. Her body felt very tense and rigid but none of the pulses were showing that tension.
I started with moxa on Du 14 and 4, put cups on Jianzhen and Naoshu (sorry, don’t know the numbers) and GB29, per Ann’s suggestion and needled Ganshu (UB18), Weishi (UB21) and Feishu (UB13). Her pulses still felt deficient so I had her flip and I decided to just address the stagnation showing in the tongue. After that her L chi was finally showing a sinew pulse but time was up.
Does this shift in the pulse mean the pattern is moving internally or that she is getting tired, for lack of a better term?
Will do. Would you advise seeking a template from another practitioner or from my insurance company, or is making a simple on that says just what you referenced above sufficient?
Thank you, Ann, I just needed to put it out there so I could stop wondering. It’s nice to have the confirmation 🙂
I saw her this morning and here’s the update: she has seen her chiropractor twice since I last saw her. The chiro works with the neurofascial system instead of doing high velocity manipulation. This has helped her by improving finger extension, tenderness and spasm in her left hand and arm, plus has seemed to help with speed up her recovery body-wide. In addition to now having much more mobility in her left arm (still isn’t quite 100%), she is now able to extend her knees voluntarily when sitting or lying down and is able to pull her leg in (knee to chest). These movements continue to be stronger on her right than left. She still has little to no sensation below her chest. She can bear weight with assistance as long as her legs are locked, additionally she is able to keep her hips in position now – a couple of weeks ago her hips would fall back and make her fall. Now, the situation is that if she tries to take a step, she collapses.
In regards to the bladder and bowels, she is the same. She doesn’t feel any urge to either urinate or have a BM, but is able to feel that’s she’s going when it happens. She is also able to “choose” to go on a toilet if she’s placed on one, but again, will not know that she needs to go.
MG – I did not notice any pulses at 15 beans or see any luos at KI4.
I read the section on sinew pulses in the black book prior to her visit and noticed that there was wiry/tightness in the right chi (0-6 beans) and left chi (3-6 beans) and diagnosed this as PC, LR, ST sinews, because she has inflammation in her spinal cord, I also added the KI sinew. She is also most cold to the touch in the KI/LR primary channel areas. I could not feel the Lungs or Liver dispersing, she seemed to have enough body fluids, and her KI Yang pulse was not strong.
I moxaed Mingmen (Du 4) and Feishu (UB13), needled Geshu (UB17) Huato points and moxaed (according to the red book), this did release the Liver and helped the KI Yang, but the Lungs were stubborn – I tried doing the flying technique on Lieque, and it took quite a few tries to get the Lungs to disperse.
I did the sinew tx in the right order, adding moxa to the LR channel where cold. I did everything on the left side because that side is weaker. She had lots of involuntary movement during the treatment – like her body knew something was painful but she did not experience the pain at all. These movements were especially strong on the LR and KI channels. Her legs felt almost normal temp after the treatment but we did not notice any difference immediately after treatment. I told them it would be active for 3 days and to do the Epsom baths as directed in the red book.
I feel like asking about expectations is limiting, but to those of you who have more experience than I do – how much of a shift would you expect after a sinew treatment in a patient like this with paralysis? If I really knew my stuff about the pulses and all the techniques – like if I had given a “perfect” treatment and the patient was the same, let’s say – what’s the range? Would you expect incremental improvement or would you think there’s a real possibility that she’d be able to get up off the table and walk if her mind and body were ready for that?
Hi MG – Thanks for your interest – I really want to help this young lady have a shift! Thank you for your suggestions regarding the 8 Extras – I had not been considering them with her and will definitely do so asap.
I saw her again two weeks ago and was really trying to pay attention to her pulses so I could update here. I’m very new to the classical pulse taking techniques and am struggling not to be overwhelmed by all the new information. This latest reading was rather hastily done, not at all the slow quiet listening I was hoping for as I’d accidentally double booked myself and had to scramble. She is slowly able to move more, but is certainly unable to bear weight and has little ability to direct motion other than wiggling her legs. Her right arm continues to be strong and mostly, if not completely recovered. Her left arm and hand are recovering more slowly (she is right handed), similarly, her right leg is more mobile than her left. She is complaining mostly of lack of bladder and bowel control as that is the thing that is most impacting her quality of life and sense of independence and privacy. She alternates between retention of urine and bowels and occasional incontinence. Mostly there is retention. I wondered if this detail has any significance for sinew assessment with the Yin channels?
She continues to be cold to the touch – especially along the left leg Yin channels with the coldest area being the ankle. I tried using the small smokeless moxa I have to warm Mingmen (Du 4), Kidney shu, and along the areas where she was the coldest but was not able to engender much of a shift. I also did some general massage and cupping on her because her shoulders are tight from pushing herself along in the wheelchair. She has been very uncomfortable being touched (she tenses) – likely due to puberty and not receiving much touch from people outside her family – but her limbs were much more noticeably warm after the quick massage than they were after the moxa. I also forgot to mention she has some significant scoliosis.
In regards to her pulses, the most noticeable thing for me was that for the most part, her pulses are scattered – if I’m reading that what scattered means is that you feel a pulse, strong or weak, but there are no defined edges of the blood vessel. I felt this at all positions last time and have since first seeing her. Her right cun position would consolidate and disperse some during this last visit whereas there was no noticeable dispersion at the hospital. I noticed some tightness/wiryness in the right chi, not right at the surface of 1-3 beans but maybe at 3 beans or slightly deeper, certainly not into the 6-9 bean range – no longer certain if this is PC or not as I am wholly confused on how you know which system to pay attention to when connecting (really looking forward to that pulse class in Chicago, 2020). Her left cun pulse felt okay to me, and I also felt some of that tight/wiry sense in the guan and chi positions on the left, around the same depth as on the right. Other than that I did not note anything.
I did not attempt another sinew treatment because I have been feeling like there is something I must not be understanding since the last two have not accomplished anything obvious. I wanted to know from the community here how I would know if there was something else I should be doing or whether the fact that there is paralysis/difficulty moving disqualifies treatments other than sinew. I understand that has to come from the pulse and I’ve been trying hard to read the pulse book and adjust but it’s a lot of information and so different from what I was taught in school so my confidence is poor and it’s tough to keep everything in mind and not take 45 mins just on the pulse, haha! I really identify with Henry from the Chats – I get too mental about it.
Sorry this is so long, thanks to everyone for their thoughts.
