Nicole Keane is an artist, teacher and manual therapist who has practiced advanced myofascial, visceral and neural manual therapy since 2002. She recently released a curriculum (http://www.elementaladvancedmt.com/courses) that blends science-based knowledge and clinical observation she has gathered within her career, together with an evolved look at the transformational processes of nature, observed throughout the five elements. Information regarding five-element nutrition, trauma-informed manual therapy, as well as her 2021 book, The Tao of the Polyvagal Theory: A Five Element Perspective for a Future of Healing the Spirit and Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System, can be found at: https://elementaladvanced.com/the-tao-of-the-polyvagal-theory/.
One of the longest nerves in the body is known as the vagus nerve (VN). The VN is the 10th pair of cranial nerves that originates at the brain stem in the medulla oblongata. This nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a part of the ANS. Research suggests ear acupuncture can activate the VN.
Migraines are unilateral, throbbing headaches, often with concurrent nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. Approximately 10% of the global population suffers from migraines, with women more than three times as likely as men to experience them. Medication remains a mainstay treatment option, making nondrug alternatives critical to safer practices. New research suggests auricular acupuncture may be one such alternative.
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How much training in gua sha did you get in acupuncture school? If it was not much more than an introduction, now is the time to revisit this powerful healing modality. I’ve found gua sha to be one of my go-to skills to address myofascial dysfunction, all sorts of pain, limited range of motion, and even to promote general well-being. Let’s discuss the keys to effective gua sha treatment, which I hope will get more acupuncturists using it in the clinic.