In the Spirit of Full Disclosure…
As we continue to march towards this brave new world that is increasingly ringing out the human experience to turn into AI prompts. I want to take a moment or two to level with you guys.
A marketing team I was in talks with suggested I used AI to quickly create blogs to upload to the website. I was a bit apprehensive, but decided to give it the old college try. So I entered my idea of the 3 tiered pyramid of acupuncture, I got back a blog back in seconds. At first I was amazed at fast it took this digital sentience to come up with a blog that explained my 3 tiered theory. Then I decided to read through it. It was some what accurate, but I noticed that it took a lot of liberties. I edited and I uploaded. The businessman in me was impressed with the whole situation: I can pump out blogs weekly without it affecting my schedule. The acupuncturist in me was disappointed: I let a computer do the thinking and writing for me instead of taking the time out to write down my thoughts directly and offer them to you, my audience.
That being said, I wanted to take a moment out to address you guys directly. I am making a promise to you all today. Moving forward, I promise to not use AI in when addressing my patients and audience. Everything I put will be hand typed by myself or my providers. That being said, if you notice some typos or grammatical errors please know that in most cases they were left in intentionally. I like to think of it as a HUMAN watermark that tells the reader its not AI. The secondary use of this is to allow the voice of the practitioner come through. Now, this is not to say that we will be encouraged to include typos and the like, but to give us some space to be able to reconnect with the written word. That being said, we WILL encourage you guys to correct us (nicely please) if and when you find a grammatical error.
Now, very quickly, what in the fluff is the 3 tiered acupuncture pyramid?
The Tiered Pyramid of Acupuncture
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The base of the pyramid I call the Earth Level:
What is good for: The Earth realm deals with structural aspects. Orthopedic issues, pain management, sports injuries, and arthritic pain. At this level, we also address any neurological issues such as radiculopathy, or pinched nerves, and herniated discs of the spine. Sciatica and piriformis syndrome are also address at this level
How does it work: At this level we deal with a lot of local points. Meaning if you have low back pain, we needle the low back. Here we use a lot of what the uninitiated call “motor points”, “trigger points”, and “dry needling”. (Lets be real, dry needling is to acupuncture, what General Tsar Chicken is to Chinese Food). Another technique used a this level is E-Stim acupuncture, Cupping, and GuaSha.
What to expect after: It is not uncommon to feel some muscle soreness for a day or two after you visit, specially if there were any knots released or if we used some electrical stimulation on the muscle points. Cupping therapy and GuaSha can lead some marks after a session. If this is the case, its advised to keep the cupping marks covered. The same vacuum effect that pulls up the skin, fascia, and muscles ALSO leaves the pores open. This can make you susceptible to catching a cold. If you notice a decrease in pain levels after your first visit, DO NOT attempt to break any PR’s in the gym on the same day as your treatment. Its strongly recommended to spend the rest of the day after your treatment recovering.
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The middle of the pyramid I call the Human Level:
This level focuses on internal cases, such as digestive issues, feminine health (GYN cases), infertility, Bell’s Palsy, Seasonal Allergies, and more. Here we use distal points (below the knees and elbows), back shu transporting points, and front mu alarm points.
The middle of the pyramid I call the Human Level:
What is good for: The Human realm deals with internal cases. At this level, we work on cases such as digestive issues, GYN and Infertility cases, Hot flashes, Night Sweats, insomnia, seasonal allergies, Headaches/Migraines, and more. Personally, I have had success in treating Gall Stones, Bell’s Palsy, and the side effects of GLP-1 medication (I am currently working on a blog on this specific topic).
How does it work: At this level we work with distal points (below the elbows and knees), we also use Front Mu points, and Back Shu points. The point selection at this level is different than at the earth level. In this type of treatment, the responses are more systemic than muscular. For instance, you may feel a sense of relaxation, or experience a sense of something flowing through you limbs, or you may even experience some borborygmus (stomach rumbling) while on the table.
What to expect after: It is not uncommon to experience what I like to call the “Acu-coma” or “Acu-high”, which is a sensation of deep relaxation. Depending on the treatment, you make experience a need to pee after getting up from the table, or you may begin to deflate after (passing gas). If the focus on the treatment was constipation, you won’t get off the table running to the toilet. However, you may notice that the next time you need to uhh poop, it will be easier.
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The top of the pyramid I call the Heaven Level:
What is good for: The realm of Heaven deals with Mental health issues. Here, treatment are more focus on calming what we call the Shen. In the classics, the Shen is essential the soul; the emperor. The soul come down with a purpose and situates itself in the Heart. The emperor is joined by a handful of ghosts that help the it achieve its purpose here on earth. Lets demystify some of the terminology. The soul is the conscience, the mind; the voice or viewer in the mind that we call “I”. The ghosts, are the external aspects the make us physical. The physical body, the unconscious intelligence that keeps the heart pumping without us thinking about it. The unmoved mover that makes sure that we do not die because we forget to breathe. The “ghost” that receives food and water, processes it, and excretes what is not useful without use consciously digestion food step by step. At this level, treatment plans tend to be ongoing as opposed to a set time phrase.
How does it work: There is a lot of overlap between the Humane treatments and Heaven Treatments. Using the same distal Shu Connecting points below the elbows and knees, and the back Shu points. However, the outer shutters points are used instead of the inner shu. “Inner shu, outer shu. Whats the difference chris?” Thats a great question, thanks for asking! In the 5 Phases (element) theory, there are emotional correlation with organs. Metal = grief; Water = fear, Wood = Anger, Fire = Mania, Earth = Anxiety. The inner shu points deal with the internal organ aspect of the 5 Phases, and the outer Shu address the emotional aspects.
What to expect after: Right after your appointment, you may experience a deep sense of relaxation. It not uncommon to experience an emotional release during or after your visit. Depending on the goal of the treatment, you may feel a little drossy, or energized after your visit. Another effect patient can experience is some introspection. Acupuncture will not change of fix you life problems, but it encourages you to see them from a different perspective.
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Unlike the the Earth Level treatments, the Human and Heaven treatments work a bit different. I akin each point to a letter. Meaning if you press your hand on the keyboard, you get “asfiduhfg”. But if you begin to string along specific letters a long in a specific order, you get a word. That word = 1 treatment. You string “words” along, and you get a sentence (treatment plan).
Wrapping things up, moving forward I ask that you give us a little leeway in regards to spelling and grammatical errors since we are officially boycotting AI. and if you’re interested in learning more or to see which tier of the acupuncture pyramid works best for you, feel free to reach out and schedule your first appointment.
