By Angela Bell

De-mystifying AcupunctureA simple explanation

Imagine five patients see their Primary Care Physician with the

following chronic symptoms:

• Abdominal pain or cramping• Feeling bloated• Excess gas• Diarrhea and/or constipation

A Classic Case of:Irritable Bowel Syndrome

All five patients would be given the same diagnosis...

and the same medication.

In Chinese Medicine, the acupuncturist makes a much more specific diagnosis AND

an individualized treatment protocol

Here’s how it works...

Acupuncturists begin by listening and recording symptoms...

For example, let’s take those same five patients...

Each of whom complains of:(Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

•Abdominal pain or cramping•Feeling bloated•Excess gas•Diarrhea and/or constipation

After a thorough health intake and examination, the acupuncturist discovers...

Patient #1 also suffers with:

•High stress•PMS (irritability)•Menstrual pain•Cold hands & feet

So, while it’s true that in Western Medicine terms, each of our five patients have

Irritable Bowel Syndrome...

Chinese Medicine knows that’s only half the story.

Acupuncturists take the IBS symptoms, evaluate them along side all bodily

symptoms and create a diagnosis more specific to the individual.

Here’s how it looks...

Classic Case of Liver Qi

Stagnation

• Abdominal pain or cramping

• Feeling bloated• Excess gas• Diarrhea and/or

constipation

• High stress• PMS

(irritability)• Menstrual

pain• Cold hands &

feet

IBS Symptoms Additional Symptoms

You see, Acupuncturists use Chinese Medicine to diagnosis and treat the “cause”

not the “symptoms”.

So it’s important they know every symptom a patient is experiencing.

Patient #1•High stress•PMS (irritability)•Menstrual pain•Cold hands & feet

~•Abd. pain•Bloating•Excess gas•Diarrhea/constipation

Patient #2•Fatigue•Hemorrhoids•Poor appetite•Tendency toward loose stools•Tendency to obesity

~•Abd. pain•Bloating•Excess gas•Diarrhea/constipation

Patient #3•Low backache•Dizziness•Tendency to be cold•decreased libido

~•Abd. pain•Bloating•Excess gas•Diarrhea/constipation

Patient #4•Feeling of heat•Thirst without desire to drink•Scanty dark urine•Diarrhea with blood/mucus

~•Abd. pain•Bloating•Excess gas•Diarrhea/constipation

Patient #5•Sudden abdominal pain•Feeling of cold•Cold sensation in the abdomen•Thick tongue coating

~•Abd. pain•Bloating•Excess gas•Diarrhea/constipation

From an acupuncturist’s perspective, each of our five patients actually

look quite different

Instead of one common diagnosis, Chinese Medicine see’s five, more specific,

diagnoses...

Patient #1•High stress•PMS (irritability)•Menstrual pain•Cold hands & feet

Patient #2•Fatigue•Hemorrhoids•Poor appetite•Tendency toward loose stools•Tendency to obesity

Patient #3•Low backache•Dizziness•Tendency to be cold•decreased libido

Patient #4•Feeling of heat•Thirst without desire to drink•Scanty dark urine•Diarrhea with blood/mucus

Patient #5•Sudden abdominal pain•Feeling of cold•Cold sensation in the abdomen•Thick tongue coating

Liver Qi Stagnation

Spleen Qi Deficiency

Cold in the Large Intestine

Kidney Yang Deficiency

Damp-Heat in the Large Intestine

Abdominal pain/cramping, feeling bloated, excess gas, diarrhea and/or constipation

plus

Chinese Medicine diagnoses:

Once your diagnosis is identified...

a highly specific, individualized treatment protocol is implemented.

Just for you.

This protocol is aimed at treating the underlying root cause of all your symptoms.

Come in today and let me design your individual treatment plan.