Sandra Tracey our Chinese Medicine practitioner describes her recent time off attending a TCM conference. Enjoy!
In August, I took a break from the clinic and whilst away I attended the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMA) annual conference in Brisbane. I got to learn from some amazing local and international practitioners, and I am eager to share with you all I have learnt.
Key reflections from my time at the conference:
Nausea and balance
Dr Poney Chiang (I know, great name) has done the research[1] and the dissection showing that the acupuncture points on the scalp as positioned by the ancients of our tradition, all sit on top of vascular nerve endings. Poney’s research shows we can look at a particular point, for example one which sits above your ear whose traditional application is to treat nausea and balance[2], and see that this point influences the vestibulocochlear nerve which in turn affects the vestibular cortex and our sense of balance. Think about the symptoms of vertigo which can include dizziness and nausea and how treating this point might alleviate these symptoms.
Anatomy and pain
More and more we are seeing the research into anatomy providing us with evidence as to why acupuncture can help with pain and functionality. Acupuncture can act as a stimulus, a kind of reboot if you like. To use an analogy, if the hardware is sound and there is a problem with the software.
Effect on blood flow post acupuncture
The research showed, in addition to the direct impact of stimulating one of the cranial nerves, that there is an increase in the flow of blood and oxygen (and nutrition) to the brain after an acupuncture session. This has potential implications for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Perhaps we could look at regular acupuncture sessions as a potential preventative treatment?
Treatment of facial nerve and impact on senses
The Facial nerve has many branches, with one of its branches going to the back of the tongue and the taste buds. In Poney’s experience treating ‘long haulers’ as they call long COVID patients in the USA, he has been able to return their sense of taste and positively impact their sense of smell.
Tinnitus and acupuncture
Tinnitus can be a frustrating condition as anyone who has experienced it can attest. Needling TE 17 and Qianzheng directly influences the ossicles of the ear, those tiny muscles responsible for your hearing. By relaxing these muscles, we hopefully bring an end to or at least diminish the ringing sound.
My learnings and reflections from the conference were a great reminder of how we can combine eastern and western thinking to our advantage.
As I said I am looking forward to putting all this into practice in clinic. I am enjoying working with you towards better health and can’t wait to see you in clinic soon.
[1] Chiang P, Martins MR. The Anatomical Specificity Between Acupoints and the Facial Nerve: A Cadaveric Study. Med Acupunct. 2022 Dec 1;34(6):391-399. doi: 10.1089/acu.2022.0030. Epub 2022 Dec 12. PMID: 36644430; PMCID: PMC9805865.
[2] Deadman, P., Baker, K., & Al-Khafaji, M. (2016). A manual of acupuncture. Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications.