Susan combines many approaches and strategies to treatment. These include:
Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM) is a style of acupuncture developed by Dr. Mark Seem, the founder and Director of the Tri-State College of Acupuncture.
It is a method of treatment that builds strongly on the French and Japanese meridian styles of acupuncture, using palpation of the meridian pathways on the body to detect a patient's pattern of obstruction. APM emphasizes patterns of constriction on the physical body and then utilizes both local (near the symptomatic area) and distant acupuncture points on the body to release these constrictions. Once constriction is freed, the flow of blood and qi can move freely in the body's fascia and organs. This relieves pain and restores health. APM incorporates many needle techniques to release constriction. In particular, trigger point release techniques are widely used in this style of acupuncture. In addition, traditional Chinese acupuncture is incorporated into every APM treatment.
Trigger Points are areas of hyperirritability and constriction in the soft tissue of the body. These small contracted areas or tight bands in the muscle are responsible for a large percentage of pain problems. Trigger points can restrict range of motion, weaken muscles and if left untreated, can cause structural changes or damage in the body's joints, tendons, muscles or bones. Sometimes felt as acute pain and at other times dormant or latent, trigger points can cause pain at distant sites on the body, far from the source of constriction. For example, pain in the low back can sometimes be caused by trigger points on the muscles overlying the abdomen.
Interestingly, a majority of acupuncture points coincide with trigger point sites.
The use of acupuncture to release trigger points is a very effective method of relieving certain types of pain. Needles are skillfully inserted into a trigger point with the intention of releasing the constricted band or knot on the body. Often patients will feel instantaneous relief with the release of trigger points.
Trigger points can sometimes be the source of severe headaches, menstrual cramps, diarrhea, chest pain and other types of pain or dysfunction often thought to be associated with internal organ problems. Naturally, patients with these kinds of conditions must first be examined by a doctor to clears them of a more serious condition.
For more information about trigger points, consult the authoritive text on trigger points, Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual, Volumes 1 & 2 by Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons.
Gua means to scrape or scratch. Sha is the term used to describe blood and fluid stagnation at the surface of the body, between the skin and the muscles. When the surface of the skin is gently scraped with a smooth edge, sha is released, eliciting a reddish, elevated, millet-like skin rash. Gua Sha is a technique that intentionally raises sha or petechiae on the body in order to move stuck blood, promoting normal circulation to the muscles, tissues and organs directly beneath the surface treated.
Tui Na, which dates back to 1700 B C, is a form of Asian massage. It most closely resembles conventional western medical massage. One of Tui Na's advantages over simple massage is its ability to focus on specific problems, especially chronic pain associated with the muscles, joints, and skeletal system. It is especially effective for joint pain (such as arthritis), sciatica, muscle spasms, and pain in the back, neck, and shoulders. It also helps chronic conditions such as insomnia, constipation, asthma, high blood pressure, headaches, and the tension associated with stress. Tui Na greatly enhances an acupuncture treatment.
Tui Na does not simply work on the fascia, muscles, bones and joints. It works with the energy of the body at a deeper level. As with other styles of Asian bodywork, Tui Na is not only administered to correct problems, but to prevent them by keeping the body's qi in balance.
Cupping is a technique that has been used for thousands of years in Asia and is also used in other cultural traditions. Cupping is especially useful in the treatment of problems of local qi, or blood stagnation in the channels, and is often used in tandem with acupuncture. The cups that are used are generally made of glass.
In this technique, glass cups are placed on a specific area of the body - for example, a painful hip or back. A manual suction mechanism is then used to create a vacuum under the cup, anchoring the cup to the body and pulling the skin and fascia upward into the cup. The resulting pressure encourages the flow of qi and blood in the area beneath the cup, and the local stagnation begins to clear.
Moxibustion is a technique that involves the burning of the herb mugwort or moxa, on or over areas of the skin to promote healing. Often used in tandem with acupuncture, moxa strengthens the blood, stimulate the flow of qi , and helps to maintain general health. The burning of moxa expels cold and warms the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi .
Susan Batkin, M.S., Licensed Acupuncturist
Meridian Acupuncture Center
To make an appointment contact:
130 5th Avenue, Suite 913, New York, NY 10011 • 646.373.9920
email: sbatkin@earthlink.net