Total Acupuncture Clinic

Case 1

Infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome

Female,  35 years old

This patient had been trying to conceive for about 3 years without any success. She is overweight, has low energy, an irregular period, mostly delayed for 2 to 3 months, sometimes even 4 to 5 months. Her blood test suggested that she does not ovulate.

For this patient, the treatment focused on soothing the Liver energy, strengthening the spleen and kidney  energy. She came for acupuncture once a week for 3 months.The Points in the lower abdomen  Ren4, Ren3, Zigong are the key acupuncture points. She also took Chinese herbal medicine regularly. The  modification of  "Xiao yao San" was the principle formula.  

She got pregnant after 3 months of treatment. She gave birth to a health boy after 9 months of pregnancy.

Case3

Infertility, recurrent miscarriage

Female,  37 years old

This patient had been trying to have children for the last 2 years but without any success. She had 2 miscarriages within the last  year which both occurred around  6 weeks of pregnancy. The reasons were unknown.

During  both former early pregnancies she felt very tired, had cramps in the lower abdomen and pain in the lower back and sacrum area.  She also had insomnia and  heart burn.Her tongue was pale with tooth marks. Her  pulse was thin and the Kidney pulse position was deep and weak which suggested  that she had low Kidney energy and blood deficiency.      

She received acupuncture treatments 1-2 times per week and took Chinese Herbal medicine for 3 months to get herself ready for her third  pregnancy .  She developed similar but milder symptoms during the 3rd  pregnancy.  The Acupuncture treatment focused on releasing  her stress and helping her  relax. The Herbal formula “Shou Tai Wan” modification was used to strengthen the kidney  energy to hold the fetus until she reached  10th weeks.  By then her symptoms were mostly gone and the ultrasound showed the fetus heart beat was normal.   She gave birth to a healthy girl after 9 months.

Case 5

Migraine headache

Female, 49 years old

This patient had severe  migraine headache for more than 20 years. It had became worse the recent 2 years.  The headaches were triggered by weather change or stress and also got worse around her period.  The headache was in the left forehead and  temporal area. She also developed some pre-menopausal syndrome the recent  2 years.  Her tongue color was dark red and her pulse was wiry and tense. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnoses for her was Liver yang rising headache and energy blockage in the GB meridian.The treatment strategy is to tranquilize Liver and anchor Yang. The major acupuncture points for her were points on the head  to unblock the energy blockage , such as GB8, GB13, GB20, Taiyang, UB2. Also some points on her hands and feet to treat Liver Yang rising, such as  LI4, TW5, LV3, and SP6. Ear acupuncture was also used.

After 4 acupuncture treatments, her headache was gone. She came for maintenance treatments about once per week for another 2 months.  She hasn’t had migraine attack since then. She continues the acupuncture treatment once per month to maintain her energy balance. She found herself calmer, overall is healthier. It has been 1 year she hadn’t had any headache. 

Case 7  Overweight

Female, 23 years old

This patient came to lose weight.  She was 5 feet 3 inches high, weighted 168 pounds. Her appetite was normal but she eats sweet when she feels stress.  Her period was very irregular with PMS symptoms before each period. She felt tired and bloated in the afternoons. Her tongue was light red with thin white coating. Her pulse was soft.  Her diagnose was liver energy stagnation with spleen energy (digestive energy) deficiency causing dampness pathogen (fat) retention in her system, which caused the weight gain.   The treatment strategy was to sooth the Liver energy, strengthen the spleen energy (increase metabolism) and eliminate the excessive dampness pathogen out of her system.  A Chinese formula Xiao Yao San plus herbs such as He Ye, Shan Zha, Huang Qi, Ze Xie were used for 2 months. Also Acupuncture points on the abdomen with electrical stimulation once a week were used for 10 weeks. She lost 13 pounds after 10 weeks. Ear acupuncture (needleless) was also used. Her energy has been better and her period has been regular. Her stress is less and the craving for sweet is reduced.  She is still coming for treatment about once a month to maintain the energy balance.

If you are wondering if acupuncture might work for you or you want to ask for more information, please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.

Case2

Chronic lower back pain

Female, 29 years old

This patient came to the clinic because of lower back pain.  She sprained the left side of her lower back muscle 2 years ago. The pain was severe. She had been receiving anti-inflammatory drugs and regular chiropractic treatment for the last 2 years. The pain was  better but still affecting her daily activity. Sometimes it also caused sciatic pain down her left leg.  She also had insomnia and her energy was very low. Her tongue was pale and her pulse was thin and weak.

The principle treatment was to unblock the blockage in the UB meridian, increase the energy (Qi and blood) which nourishes the UB meridian and promote the healing of the muscle. The major points were UB17, UB20, UB23, UB25, UB54, UB30, UB40, LI4, and SP6. She also took one week of herbal formula “Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang” in the beginning of the treatment.

After 10 treatments, the pain was 90% better. After that, she came for a maintenance treatment once a week for another 4 weeks. The pain was gone and her energy and sleep have been much better too.

Case 4

Chronic hives

Male, 31 years old

This patient had chronic hives for about 2 years. The cause was unknown. He took  antihistamines everyday to control the skin rashes and itchiness. Other than the skin condition, he was generally healthy.

The treatment focused on regulating his immune system and strengthening the lungs energy.  He came for acupuncture treatment once a week . The major points are UB17, UB25, LI 11 and SP10. He also took  Chinese herbal medicines such as Xiao Feng San and Yu Ping Feng San.

After 8 treatments he was able to stop taking antihistamines and he hasn't had any new skin rashes and itchiness since then.

Case 6

Quitting smoking

Male, 54 years old

This patient came to the clinic to quit smoking. He had been smoking for 30 years. He smoked about 20 cigarettes per day. He had been trying to quit for about 3 months but not successful.  He had dry cough. In the morning he coughed out yellowish phlegm.His tongue was red with   yellow greasy coating.  This showed that the long term smoking has damaged his Lungs yin energy and retained toxin in his system. 

For this patient  the treatment focused on calming the mind, reducing the craving for smoking. The acupuncture also regulated the sympathetic/parasympathetic nerve system to reduce the symptoms followed by quitting smoking, such as uneasy or agitated feeling, lack of concentration, shaking, sweating, etc.

Acupuncture points for this patient include Du20, Yintang, Ht7, Sp6 and the special point "Tianmeixue" for quitting smoking. Points to detoxified the body were also added, such as Li11,Sp9. 

He stopped  smoking after 1 month and no relapse since then. His cough went away and his tongue coating was normal, indicted the toxin has been cleared out of his system.