Matthew Bauer began studying Taoist history, philosophy, and spirituality under Taoist Master Hua-Ching Ni in 1978 and became a Licensed Acupuncturist in 1986. In addition to managing a successful practice, Matthew worked with various acupuncture organizations, as a consultant to the insurance industry, and as an expert witness for the California Acupuncture Board and in private cases. His book "The Healing Power of Acupressure and Acupuncture" explores the roots of acupuncture and Chinese medicine theory including how the point/meridian system came to be organized. His latest book "Making Acupuncture Pay" is the cornerstone of Matthew's efforts to help acupuncturists build successful practices. For more information please see his websites at www.MakingAcupuncturePay.com or www.MatthewDBauer.com or email Matthew at wlmailhtml:acu.guy@verizon.net.
Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) affects more than 15% of the U.S. population but evades most practitioners’ radar. Just five years ago, it wasn’t even on my radar, despite already having 20 years of experience as a clinician at that time. The more I dug (similar to leaky gut and post-COVID syndrome), the more I found my patients were suffering from this disorder.
Research supports the effectiveness of selecting the distal acupuncture points for the treatment of microtrauma and for relieving pain, particularly in cases of chronic shoulder pain. But to make the treatment results long-lasting, clinical experience and research suggest that instead of treating the most painful structure first, we identify the inhibited driver, restore reliable recruitment, confirm it with immediate re-testing, and only then address the painful area as a branch of a deeper pattern.
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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.