Other Modalities i.e. “The Acupuncturist’s Toolkit”
Chinese Medicine is more than just the placement of needles. There are a variety of different modalities that I also use within my practice. Below is a list of the most often used and what they’re all about.
Cupping
Cupping is a practice of using glass or plastic cups that are adhered to the body (most often on the back). The suction from the cups is achieved by either holding a flame inside of a glass cup (the flame consumes oxygen and creates a negative pressure) or using a pump with plastic cups. The suction pulls up skin and superficial fascia into the cup. This creates micro circulation to the area causing an increase of blood flow, the movement of stuck or stagnant fluids or the break-up of adhesions. Sometimes the suction from the cups causes small pink to red to purple-ish marks on the skin where the cups were adhered. This is normal (and called petechiae) and part of the therapeutic process. They disappear within 2-10 days. The “micro trauma” alerts the body of where to do the mending and the work. Among conditions commonly treated by cupping are respiratory problems, headaches, pain, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, swelling and infertility. The Cleveland Clinic has a nice summary here.
Gua Sha
Arya Neilson, an advanced practitioner versed in the ways of gua sha (also known as “scraping”, and similar to the technique called Graston), defines this ancient modality as “as instrument-assisted unidirectional press-stroking of a lubricated area of the body surface to intentionally create transitory therapeutic petechiae called ‘sha’ representing extravasation of blood in the subcutis”. That petechia is where the therapeutic action happens. Modern research shows that gua sha has anti-inflammatory properties and effects on the immune system. Like cupping, gua sha often produces petechiae which will disappear within 2-10 days. Gua sha is often used on conditions such as: pain, stiffness, nausea, migraines, symptoms of menopause such as anxiety, insomnia and hot flashes among others. Healthline has a nice little round up of gua sha here.
Electro Acupunture
Eletro Acupuncture (EA, also sometimes just called e-stim) is the practice of attaching a micro electric current to the needle in order to have sustained stimulation to the needles. Physical therapists often use e-stim by adhering pads to the surface of the skin; however EA attaches the current to the acupuncture needles, and can precisely aim at a target tissue, sometimes at a deeper level than just the skin. The stimulation of EA can have an effect on the local tissues as well as a global effect on entire systems of the body. Conditions often treated with EA are pain, especially chronic pain, muscle spasms, and neurological problems to name a few.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion, or moxa, is a modality that adds heat to the body by burning dried mugwort on acupuncture points. Moxa can be applied numerous different ways: it can be burned in a ball directly on the needle top, it can be burned in proximity to the skin in the form of a moxa stick (which looks like a cigar), it can be burned on a platform on the skin (platforms often used: ginger slice, salt), it can be burned directly on a smear of shinko cream that acts as a barrier between the moxa and the skin, or it can be in the form of a stick-on moxa cone that has a build-in (pre-packaged) based. Whatever form of moxa you get, it adds heat to the body, which is useful in many “cold” conditions to warm the body, increase blood flow, and reduce pain. Finally, by burning moxa on the side of the little toe it can aid in helping “turn” a breech baby. No kidding!
Trigger Point Needling a.k.a. Dry Needling
This is less of a modality and more of a needle technique. Trigger points are based on Dr. Janet Travell’s study of these phenomena in the body. A trigger point is a hyper-irritable spot in a muscle that causes a predictable and reproducible pain pattern. Trigger point needling places acupuncture needles in these spots to stop and “release” the contraction, thereby allowing the muscle to reestablish its normal length and return to normal blood and nutrient flow. Many other practitioners are now using “dry needling” in their practices, which is essentially the practice of needling a tight, tender or inhibited muscle. (It is “dry” vs. “wet”, which uses a saline solution that is injected into the muscle.) While “dry needling” can have some benefit on its own, an acupuncturist will incorporate trigger point needling into a more holistic treatment that factors in other aspects such as your constitution, myofascial chains involved, or other functional points that fold into a complete treatment plan. If you are interested in “dry needling” I suggest you find an acupuncturist—since acupuncturists has thousands of hours of training working with needles—that is versed in working with a trigger point style needling.
Everything else…
Other parts of my practice include: some myofascial techniques, which work with tension in the fascia, postural assessments, as well as the prescription of some exercises that help coax the body out of postural imbalances. I am currently working towards a Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certificate (C.SMA) through a program by Matt Callison—one of the leading sport acupuncturists in the country. As I work through the program I will be adding more pieces into my practice which include: western orthopedic tests, muscle testing, postural assessments, sports specific treatments, and postural and corrective exercises.