Thursday 27 August 2009

Wàn Gŭ (Wrist Bone)

Small Intestine 4
Wàn Gŭ (Wrist Bone)
Yuan source point
2 to 5 fen
3 to 7 moxa

In between the 5th metacarpal and the hamate bone.




As part of my blog I will be listing out points seemingly at random but mainly just to jog my memory. I will hesitate to list any information about their TCM use as a point sticking to their basic 五行 wuxing use.

Although I will be embarking on TCM based herbal methodology soon I am trying to separate the use of herbs to treat symptoms from the use of needling to perform energetic transfer.

Herbs for symptoms, needles for 5 element energetic balance.

This seems to be a good approach considering that herbs are diagnosed by pulse qualities and cross referenced to the tongue. Energetic transfer is planned by the relative strengths of each Official's pulse, not the pulse quality. I am not a subscriber to the 'Spirit of the Point' so much at the moment and I am very much a disbeliever in 'intention' changing the effect of the point. To me, the point does what the point does and by stimulating it you active that desired effect. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't have good intention when treating and needling, that is also necessary to be a good practitioner as your intention to do good will improve the way to handle the patient.

腕骨 isn't the most exciting point to start with but it's a nice simple start. Perhaps next time I'll remember it was the source point!

五行雲 Mission Statement

I feel in love with 5 element theory after starting a course in Classical 5 Elemental Acupuncture here in Warwick. I certainly don't pertain it to be the end all and be all of complimentary medicine but after seeing the signs of the effects of the elements in people I concluded the basic theory was sound. 

I'm now a third of the way into my degree and I've faced a crossroads. I'm a pragmatic person who struggles with some of the more spiritual parts of the theory, scepticism I have inherited from my father, but I have observed so many signs of 5 element resonance's in people I cannot turn a blind eye. 

I have a passion for all things Chinese, I speak one dialect well another not so well. I enjoy Chinese history, it's medicine and also it's food and tea. In short, I love the culture. It's just something I have never grown bored of and it seems like I never will.

My studies of acupuncture came about because it was the only really viable option to learn in my area. I was certainly more interested in dit da practice, no doubt influenced by my adopted uncle Chan Cheuk Sam of Hong Kong who was a dit da doctor. Two events have really caused me to consider a change of direction in my studies though. 

The first event was something that was said to me on attendance to an auricular acupuncture course held in London by Dragomir Lubamirov. 

"In China, herbal medicine is the big guns!"

This got me thinking. I had seen an awful lot of herbal medicine in Hong Kong and very very little acupuncture. Why was this? Was the herbal approach more powerful than acupuncture?

The second event was being in the Philippines and seeing the medical needs of people who can't always afford medicine or doctors. No doubt this might cause great debate but I didn't see my style of acupuncture being overly useful. People weren't seeking complimentary medicine to supplement the orthodox treatments available, they weren't getting orthodox medicine at all. Diagnosing someone's emotional imbalance seemed of little use when they had a stomach ulcer and had blood in the stool. Acute symptoms needed to be addressed before the chronic syndromes that are well catered for by 5 element acupuncture. 

"Let nature deal with symptoms." Was the response I had upon discussing this with a fellow student. But no doubt this very same student would rather go to see their GP when nature becomes a little too painful. 

So I have changed tactics. I am supplementing my medicinal studies with herbal theory. I'm hoping this will make me a well rounded practitioner that can deal with much beyond what 5 elemental acupuncture can deal with. I will still keep my 五行 hat on though by trying to correlate the herbal teachings with Classical 5 Element theory. 

This is my journey and you are welcome to follow.