Acupuncture Services of Central NY

In traditional Chinese medicine, the decision making process is dependent on the strong energy of the Gallbladder. When the Gallbladder energy is weak, a person may have trouble making decisions.

In Chinese medicine theory every organ has a physical and a mental function in the human body. The organs are paired according to yin and yang theory. The Liver and the Gallbladder are a yin yang pair. The Liver influences our capacity to plan our life and find a sense of direction. The Gallbladder influences our courage and conviction to make decisions to carry out that plan. When the Liver and Gallbladder are in balance, mentally and spiritually we are focused and decisive about our purpose in life.

A person with a diagnosis of Gallbladder deficiency may appear nervous and timid. They may lack courage and initiative and may be easily startled. Physical symptoms may include dizziness, blurred vision, panic attacks and insomnia. Gallbladder deficiency may be congenital and actually describe the character or personality of an individual. Gallbladder deficiency may result from traumatic childhood experiences. And Gallbladder deficiency may also result from a severe deficiency of Blood. Although extreme cases may warrant psychotherapy treatment, Chinese medicine has a lot to offer people who may fall into this pattern of imbalance.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 04:40 AM | Decision Making, A Function of the Gallbladder

A collection of twelve very important acupuncture points called the Back Shu, or Back Transporting points are located on the Bladder meridian along the spine. There is a Back Transporting point for each of the six yin organs and each of the six yang organs. They are called “transporting” points because it is said that they transport “Qi” to the inner organs.

These acupuncture points are located on the inner Bladder meridian path, which is about an inch and a half from the mid-line of the spine. The Back Transporting points affect the organs directly and are especially important in the treatment of chronic diseases. Each of the points is named after the organ that it is associated with. For example, Bladder-13 connects with the Lung and is called Lung Shu. The Back Shu points also have the ability to affect the sense organ associated with the organ it is named for. For example, Bladder-18, the Back Shu point of the Liver is often used to treat eye diseases, because it is said that the Liver “opens to the eye”. Bladder-23, the Back Shu point of the Kidney can be used to treat tinnitus and other chronic ear problems related to Kidney deficiency.

The Back Shu points are acupuncture points where the Qi and Blood of a particular organ meet. These points not only treat diseases of their associated organs, they can also be diagnostic in nature. Sensitivity upon palpation indicates a pathology of that organ. A sharp pain elicited with pressure on the point indicates an excess condition and a dull ache with palpation indicates a deficient condition.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 04:13 AM | Back Shu Acupuncture Points

Kidney 1, named “Bubbling Spring”, is the first acupuncture point on the Kidney meridian. It is the only meridian point on the sole of the foot. Kidney 1 is a major energy vortex that has the ability to revitalize body, mind and spirit. This point can be activated with acupuncture, acupressure, herbal plasters, exercise and even floral essences.

Recently, I had an awe-inspiring personal experience with this point that I would like to share with you. A patient of mine is in the final stages of lung cancer, finding it difficult to breathe, talk or swallow. She was just hospitalized to remove fluid from her chest. And if all of that wasn't bad enough, her husband called me to tell me that she suffered a stroke when she arrived home. The stroke left the whole left side of her body paralyzed. He asked if I would consider trying acupuncture to restore movement on her left side. His thinking was that if she had this functionality, she might be able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. This would at least improve her quality of life for the time she had left.

I have to admit that I was skeptical that I could help a person who was this debilitated, but I agreed to come to their home. I inserted just two needles in her right hand – Master Tung's ling gu and da bai. These points have a long list of indications and hemiplegia is one of them. Then, instinctively, I started to do some gentle acupressure on her left leg starting with Kidney 1 which is also indicated for lower limb paralysis. It seemed a natural place to start to address her breathing difficulty and the fear and anxiety I knew she was experiencing from her cancer.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 04:52 AM | Kidney 1 Body, Mind, and Spirit Acupuncture Point

The rise in the incidence of autism is meteoric, and the results are devastating not only to the families whose children are affected, but also to their teachers and society in general. Western medicine still has no answer to the question of what causes autism in children or how to address the symptoms. So, when I learned of the promising results that Dr. Devi Nambudripad is having treating autistic children with her NAET allergy protocol, I felt compelled to pass that information along.

Dr. Nambudripad discovered NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique) in 1983. NAET blends elements from several medical disciplines including Western medicine, chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition and a strong emphasis on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) including meridian theory and acupressure. Based on the testimonials given by parents, teachers and physicians of autistic children whose symptoms either improved or disappeared completely with NAET treatments, I think Dr. Nambudripad may be the angel that autism has been looking for.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 08:16 AM | NAET: Allergies and Autism in Children

Several years ago, before I knew anything about acupuncture or acupressure, I was talked into taking a three day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. Within an hour of leaving port, the ship was pitching and rolling and I was confined to my cabin so nauseous that I knew this could end up being the longest three days of my life rather than the dream vacation I had hoped for. I recently came across this article written by Dr. Amaro in 1994 and thought I would share it with you. He describes eight very famous acupuncture points that can be stimulated by acupressure to relieve motion sickness and morning sickness. Most ships now have an acupuncturist on board. If you are traveling, bring this article with you. Any acupuncturist can show you the acupuncture points that Dr. Amaro talks about. Nei Guan, P6, on the inner wrist is the acupuncture point that is stimulated by the wrist bands that are now marketed for motion sickness. Don't let your chair be the only empty one on deck!

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 06:41 AM | Acupressure for Motion Sickness and Morning Sickness