I recently taught a class on the potential for integrating flower essences with acupuncture and was asked an interesting question. The class became particularly interested in the Bach profile of mustard, a specific remedy for “deep gloom and depression that descends for no apparent reason out of a clear blue sky.” Dr. Bach’s own description is as follows:
“Those who are liable to times of gloom or even despair, as though a cold dark cloud overshadowed them and hid the light and the joy of life. It may not be possible to give any reason or explanation for such attacks. Under these conditions it is almost impossible to appear happy or cheerful.”
The class found this specific emotional atmosphere fascinating and asked how I would treat such a specific condition with acupuncture. This is an interesting question, as cases of sudden mood changes wherein a patient presents with no symptoms of predictable patterns related to organ disorders, meridian disorders, or seasonal disorders and simply presents with sudden unexplainable gloom or depression are extremely common in my clinic.
In such cases, even looking back over patient medical history or constitutional evaluation provides no specific clues to why such emotional changes have occurred. I am aware that some practitioners use “Window of the Sky / Window of Heaven” points for sudden disturbances of shen. This is a relatively contemporary acupuncture theory and I have not used these points frequently.
Using the Ghost Points
I find the “ghost points” developed by Sun Si-Miao and the diagnostic view of these points to be particularly effective in situations of sudden emotional disturbances that are described as “coming out of nowhere,” “descending upon me like dark clouds with no explanation” and “not my usual self and I do not understand why.” I use the following ghost points extensively with high success in these particular clinical encounters: Du 23, Sp 1, Pc 7, and Du 26.
Du 23 has the actions of benefiting the nose / eyes, eliminating wind, benefiting the head / face, dispelling swelling, and calming the spirit. I typically needle Du 24 and Du 23 together, threading one needle for both points and directing the needle toward Du 20.
This is a particularly powerful two-point, one-needle combination as Du 24 (“Courtyard of the Spirit”) has the actions of benefiting the brain / head, eliminating wind, benefiting the eyes / nose, and calming the spirit. Often this single needle covering two points can provide a dramatic clinical improvement.
Sp 1, besides being a Sun Si-Miao ghost point, is also a jing well point, which are particularly indicated for acute and sudden-onset disorders. Sp 1 has the actions of regulating the spleen, unbinding the chest, stopping bleeding, restoring consciousness, and calming the heart / spirit.
I find this point particularly effective if the patient experiencing sudden onset of gloom / depression and also experiencing sudden sleep issues due to the unexplainable condition. Jing well points do not have to be painful; and I also use a tuning fork for five minutes on the points before gently inserting the needle. Patients often experience an almost instantaneous sensation of qi in the head area and typically a resulting sense of calm.
Pc 7 is a Sun Si-Miao ghost point, source point and shu-stream / yuan source / earth point of the Pericardium Channel. I find yuan source points extremely effective for grounding the sense of self in patients and guiding the jing to return to the source of the lower dan tian.
Pc 7 also has the actions of clearing heat from the heart, harmonizing the stomach / intestines, unbinding the chest, cooling the blood, and calming the spirit. I choose this ghost point in acute cases of emotional turbulence when patients also complain of poor appetite and heavy sensations in the chest upon the descent of gloom / depression.
Du 26 is perhaps the most famous point to restore consciousness and re-establish the yin-yang balance within the body. I frequently use this point for sudden sensations of unexplainable emotional gloom / sadness. As with the jing well points, I use a tuning fork for five minutes prior to gentle needling.
Du 26 has the actions of restoring consciousness, benefiting the face / nose, expelling wind, benefiting the spine and acute lumbar strain, and strongly calming the spirit. This point of course is an essential choice if the patient is experiencing the sudden descent of doom and gloom and also experiencing a re-emergence of back pain issues due to the acute stress.
Often the simple point combination of Du 26 and the threading of Du 24 to Du 23 provides significant shifts in the sudden onset of emotional storms.
Fertility acupuncture sometimes gets presented as a narrow protocol: a handful of reproductive points applied uniformly across patients. What this case reinforced for me: The most powerful work happens when we read the whole picture. The hormone data, the constitutional tendency, the sleep, the digestion, and the menstrual pattern, so we can treat the environment the ovaries live inside.
For those of you unfamiliar with alpha-gal syndrome, it’s been in the news recently for causing Americans to be allergic to meat. It is an acquired allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal, a carbohydrate found in mammalian meat and many mammal-derived products. A new case series on auricular acupuncture is so intriguing points toward a viable treatment strategy rather than lifelong dietary restriction alone.
The motivation behind our practice of medicine is important, impacting not just our experience but also the experiences of those we treat. It is perhaps for this reason that the aspiration to help not just some, but all beings heal, has historically been an important part of the medical tradition. To explain this, we need to consider how medicine is interwoven with other social domains.