The purpose of regular bodywork is to ensure that the body’s vital energy moves in its proper direction, that there is
enough of it so that things do not pool up and become stagnant, or overflow and cause ‘flooding.’ How much and
what type of bodywork to get may seem confusing, but there are some general concepts to keep in mind that may be
helpful when exploring this for the first time.
Structural Integrity
Fans of Star Trek (my favorite analogy) will have heard about ‘structural integrity’ in terms of the ship staying in one
piece. Our physical body is similar to the Enterprise – it is the vessel for our travels though time and space. In this
case, I define structural problems as musculoskeletal (and joints). The large muscle groups support the alignment of
the body: the quadriceps, periformis, psoas, and hamstrings support the alignment of the pelvis, the erector spinae on
either side of the spinal column help maintain the spine in its proper curvature, shoulder and cervical muscles connect
in the neck region. While it may be obvious that sprain/strain, insufficient exercise, injury and trauma will cause
these muscle groups to move out of balance (resulting in inflammation and pain), you may not understand that it also
takes qi or vital energy to hold bones and muscles in their proper alignment, not just strength and flexibility. It is
how someone with a TCM diagnosis of kidney deficiency may have mild low back pain as a symptom. The vital energy
of the kidneys (separate from Kidney organ function) help to strengthen that area of the body. It is also why someone
with an excess of liver qi may experience sharp pain down the sides of the legs – the energetics of this organ influence
this region of the body. Because a long-term deficiency or excess can result in a structural problem even in the
absence of an injury, regular bodywork is essential to maintaining structural integrity.
In my private practice, I use acupuncture and oriental medicine to regulate qi flow, since it is wonderful for relieving
the pain of stagnation whether it caused by excess or deficiency (usually things are a mixture of both). We build up
the body when there is not enough “water” moving through the stream, and drain areas when there is too much.
Generally, my patients with chronic back pain often require a structural adjustment from a chiropractor followed by
deep tissue massage or acupuncture to breakup the scar tissue or muscle tension that moved the vertebrae out to
begin with. The muscles of the body have memory – and it takes time and physical manipulation to coax them back
into proper alignment, and relieve the pain of inflammation.
How quickly someone responds to treatment is a mixture of things:
• How long have you had the condition?
• How severe is the problem?
• How healthy were you to begin with? Do you have an underlying internal condition that hampers your recovery?
• Are you willing to take supportive measures such as yoga and strength training to prevent recurrences?
For patients who are particularly deficient from chronic endocrine disorder such as hypothyroid or diabetes, immuno-
compromised, or undergoing multiple drug regimens, it will take longer to experience physical relief because the body
is often too weak to hold itself together properly for any length of time. It is why you may feel really good for a day or
two after a treatment, only to find the body returning to the old pattern a few days later. Rest assured it is a good
sign - your body is responding to treatment. The muscles have just not healed enough to stay in their proper position.
A good rule of thumb is to allow one month of regular treatment (regular meaning 2x per week) for every month you
have had the condition. Multiple modalities, such as massage with acupuncture and chiropractic will generally yield
faster results that are more complete, because you are addressing several aspects at the same time – bones
(chiropractic), muscles (deep tissue massage), pain/ inflammation/ weakness and atrophy (acupuncture and oriental
medicine) .
Wholistic Acupuncture Facelifts!
Incredible before and after
photos.
Fertility and Acupuncture
How acupuncture and Oriental
medicine can help you conceive
naturally.
medicine, but will interest his patients in
the care of the human body, in diet, and in
the cause and prevention of disease."
Thomas Edison
