BOLTON ACUPUNCTURE - PAIN & REHABILITATION Christine Tassone, R.Ac
“If there is free flow, there is no pain;
If there is no free flow, there is pain.”
Chinese proverb
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pain is believed to be caused by only two possible things: a blockage of blood flow, called blood stagnation, or a blockage of energy flow, called Qi Stagnation. When the normal flow of blood or energy is blocked, discomfort or pain will be experienced, because you are actually feeling this blockage!
So, what type of blockage are you suffering from?
Blood Stagnation: Blood represents and nourishes the body’s structure/form. When blood stagnation occurs, it is ultimately a blockage of the flow of blood. This causes obstruction in the blood vessels and presents with sharp pains which stay in the same spot. Blood Stagnation may be caused by:
- ‣ Physical trauma/severe bruising
- ‣ Physical damage to the internal organs
- ‣ Too much Cold in the body, causing the blood to congeal
- ‣ A Deficiency of Qi fails to move the blood so it “pools” and stagnates.
Qi Stagnation: When Qi stagnation occurs, it is ultimately an inactivity of flow of energy which pools and collects, kind of like a traffic jam. Depending on which meridian (your energy “highway”) the stagnation occurs, impairment of movement and circulation in that specific meridian will be compromised. Many who experience Qi stagnation also tend to feel “stuck" emotionally. Although patients I treat for pain caused by Qi stagnation come for physical relief, many also enjoy the beneficial side effect of feeling “looser in thought” or “less stuck” emotionally after acupuncture treatment.
Whether you are suffering from a blockage of blood or Qi, by simply selecting the appropriate points on the body, acupuncture can act upon these blockages and, by using Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic techniques, address the root cause of this disruption of flow and, ultimately, remove the pain.