Autoimmune Talk (AIM)

I gave a talk at the Colorado Counseling Association about autoimmune diseases. I wrote and presented the talk with my colleague, Katie Mason. It was a wonderful experience. 

Katie and I collaborate with nutritionist, Robin Hutchinson on a program designed specifically for people diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. The program called, AIM Autoimmune Mastery can be found at: autoimmuneaim.com 

I am developing a CEU webinar about autoimmune diseases for acupuncturists. I will have more information about the webinar in the next few weeks. 

Katie, Robin and I are doing presentations at a variety of locations about this work. If you know a group or organization that would be interested in having us speak, let me know! 

☯ This Simple Truth is at the Heart of all Good Medicine

Sir William Osler (1849-1919) was one of four physicians who founded Johns Hopkins Hospital. His medical career was simply brilliant. He created the first medical speciality training residency program and has been referred to as "The Father of Modern Medicine." 

He wrote extensively about the act of practicing medicine. The statement above stresses the importance of seeing the individual in every patient we encounter. This simple truth is at the heart of all good medicine – both western and eastern. 

☯ My Favorite Email Tool (Great for Acupuncture Practices)

Writing and answering email is part of running a successful acupuncture practice. It can be overwhelming and maddening at times. There are amazing tools out there which can make the whole process much easier and effective.

One of my favorite tools is Boomerang for Gmail. I think everyone should know about it. I want to share how useful this tool is with other practitioners. 

Boomerang is an add-on for gmail which offers a number of powerful functions. These features can give working acupuncturist invaluable tools for practice management. 

Scheduling Email 

Boomerang adds an extra button when composing email titled, “Send Later”

This button gives you the option to send email in the future. You can choose the day and time the email is sent. 

Scheduling email is powerful and can be used to: 

• Check in on a client after a scheduled medical test
• Remind a client when an herbal product will need refilling
• Wish happy birthday or congratulations on a graduation 

No Reply - Boomerang it!

One of the most challenging things to track is email conversations in which there is no reply. It is easy lose track of critical conversations with clients, vendors, or networking opportunities when the other party does not reply when you expect. 

Boomerang offers a simple check box to solve this problem. Composing any email and marking it to be “Boomeranged” - returns the email to your inbox if there is no response in a given time. The email returns to your inbox reminding you of the unfinished conversation.

I have found this simple reminder of unfinished conversations incredibly helpful. It has reminded me of countless details and conversations I otherwise would have lost track of in the course of a busy day.

Clean Your Inbox with Reminder Email

Boomerang also offers the feature to take an existing email in your inbox, remove it, and resend it to yourself at time you specify. This acts as a reminder and gets the clutter out of your inbox. 

The most obvious use of this feature is with bills. You can receive a bill due on the 30th of the month and have it resent to yourself a few days before it needs to be paid. However I use it in my practice to remind me of conversations and recent happenings with clients. 

If a client emails me saying, “I have to reschedule because I was invited to meet the governor at the art museum.” I can resend this email to myself the day of the new appointment – reminding me to ask about meeting the governor. 

Invaluable

I have been using Boomerang for years now. It is simply invaluable.

The website http://www.boomeranggmail.com/ makes it super easy to set up in your browser. They also offer YouTube videos explaining how to use each function.

There is a free version of Boomerang and a tiered pricing for more expanded service.

Given that you can try it for free, check it out. 

☯ The Modern Day Crisis of St 31

☯ "Nothing is Lost" - Fascia and Acupuncture Channels

I have been teaching anatomy and acupuncture point location for years. It has made me think a great deal about how acupuncture is related to the physical structure of the body. The deeper you dive into anatomy, the more relationships you see between acupuncture and the physical structure of the body. 

A good place to begin is with fascia. Fascia is a type of connective tissue primarily made up of collagen. It spreads through the body providing form and stabilization for muscles and organs. This complex structure holds the body together, providing unity, and interconnectedness. 

Fascia located in one area – can affect tissue located in another more distant area. This "one area affects another area" quality is similar to what is seen in many types of bodywork, including acupuncture.

There is growing research providing evidence that connective tissue fascia is important to health. I want to tackle each aspect research into fascia, piece by piece, in this blog.

Thomas Myers

A great place to start is with the work of Thomas Myers. Mr. Myers has a lifetime of studying the structure of the body and the fascial network. He is the author and creator of Anatomy Trains, a comprehensive study of fascia. 

Part of the work Mr. Myers has done with Anatomy Trains is extensive dissections of the body — not muscle by muscle — but along lines of tension within the fascia.

Myers explains his work as follows: 

“…all our muscles have been analyzed as if they were separate units within the body. This idea...is so pervasive, that it is hard to think in any other way. But in fact all the muscle tissue is embedded within the single, ubiquitous fascial webbing of the extracellular matrix (ECM).” 

“The Anatomy Trains concept maps out these [connections] within the body — following the grain of muscle and fascia to see what links with what."

His dissection results are amazing, beautiful, and important for acupuncturists. 

When the body is dissected along "lines of tension and pull" we can see patterns incredibly similar to acupuncture channels. In this published article we can clearly see similarities to the Urinary Bladder Channel, the Stomach Channel and the Gallbladder Channel.

The more refined images of fascial dissections show the familiar branching we are accustomed to within acupuncture. The primary acupuncture channels, which branch into smaller more delicate channels, share a similar structure to what is seen with fascia. 

Note: the image above is based on this photo from Anatomytrains.com

What Does It Mean?

To see and realize the channels have a physical and tangible underpinning is powerful — powerful for working acupuncturists, students of acupuncture, and clients alike.

I have found when talking to potential clients who are skeptical of acupuncture, explaining the fascial connections in the body helps them see how acupuncture can be a helpful treatment option. Likewise, when discussing my clinical work with a medical doctor, nurse or physical therapist, this fascia discussion gives me solid footing.

Do these findings about fascia explain everything about acupuncture? Not at all. Qi. Blood. Shen. Yin. Yang. All of these remain powerful and independent concepts separate from fascia and the patterns they produce. 

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has lost nothing acknowledging the existence of chemical compounds. In the same manner, nothing is lost by embracing the similarities between fascial connections and the channels of acupuncture. The fascial patterns outlined by Mr. Myers are wonderful, powerful tools which can be used by acupuncturists and acupuncture students alike.