"How often do you, an acupuncturist, receive acupuncture from someone else?"
Results:
These results are based upon 194 responses. As this is a voluntary, non-scientific survey, caution should be used in generalizing the results. Here is a sample of the comments made by those who took the survey and how they voted:
Once or twice a month: It is important to keep up your own pulse readings and monitor your own health. I do this each week, or whenever I believe I am out of balance or "off-color." To this end, I recommend all patients to come in and have their pulses read and balanced every season for preventative care. This is acknowledged TCM practice. If we don't look after ourselves, how can we care for our patients?
More than once a week: When I need treatment, I will commit to a two-to-three times per week treatment schedule for three to six weeks.
Less than once a month: I get a treatment once a season or if I am sick. I get massage once every week or so, and practice tai chi chuan and ba gua. The latter two activities have been key in maintaining and increasing my health. I treat myself with herbs as necessary. I do my best to be as strong, vital and stagnation-free as I can. My patients seem to get better faster when I am.
Whether you accept it, avoid it or live somewhere in between, insurance coverage has become a defining issue for our profession. Patients increasingly expect to use their benefits, practitioners want to be compensated fairly for their time and expertise, and the system itself remains – at best – fragmented. The encouraging news is that coverage has expanded in meaningful ways. The challenging news is that reimbursement, across the board, remains inadequate.
While the formation of erythema and ecchymosis is an anticipated skin response to cupping therapy, the appearance of post-treatment vesicles remains less discussed in clinical literature. This article presents a case study of vesicle formation following cupping therapy, explores underlying pathophysiology, and offers management guidelines to support practitioners in addressing this phenomenon safely and effectively.
Facial movements are essential for communication, expression and function. But when these movements become involuntary, they can lead to conditions that are not only physically uncomfortable, but also socially and emotionally distressing. Today, we’re taking a closer look at three common facial motor disorders – blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm and facial tics – and how both Western medicine and TCM view and treat them.
