After a 5 year hiatus, I'm back! Its been a very busy 5 years, with 2 young children and a busy acupuncture practice. And you know, a global pandemic. I honestly did not have the time or energy to sit down and write. But I'm feeling a shift, and thought I had some useful things to say. Which hopefully you will find interesting...
As other acupuncturists can attest, sometimes we see similar patterns presenting in different patients at the same time. For example, sometimes we treat lots of insomnia or colds and flus, but sometimes its more specific, like everyone comes in with right shoulder pain, or lymphedema (both recently true for me). I always find it interesting when there is a commonality amongst patients. This week it is anxiety with a heaviness in their chest and/or frequent sighing. While this certainly is an unpleasant symptom, it gives me the chance to use of my favorite acupuncture points-- Ren 17. This point is called Shanzhong, or Chest Center. Not only is this point useful for the anxiety and breathing related issues listed above, it is also able to help clear phlegm congestion, so its doubly useful this time of year with cold, flus and Covid lingering. This point is connected with the pericardium, so I'm finding it interesting that so many people are in need of this point recently. The Pericardium protects the heart. Perhaps as we resurface out the global pandemic, and all of the fear and anxiety that comes with that, we need a little extra protection for our hearts.
Photo from A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman