1 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:04,300 - Welcome, everyone, to Wednesday Nite @ the Lab. 2 00:00:04,300 --> 00:00:05,466 I'm Tom Zinnen. 3 00:00:05,466 --> 00:00:07,600 I work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 4 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:09,133 Biotechnology Center. 5 00:00:09,133 --> 00:00:12,566 I also work for the Division of Extension Wisconsin 4-H. 6 00:00:12,566 --> 00:00:15,566 And on behalf of those folks and our other co-organizers, 7 00:00:15,566 --> 00:00:19,200 PBS Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, 8 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,033 and the UW-Madison Science Alliance, 9 00:00:22,033 --> 00:00:24,733 thanks again for coming to Wednesday Nite @ the Lab. 10 00:00:24,733 --> 00:00:28,600 We do this every Wednesday night, 50 times a year. 11 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,166 Tonight it's my pleasure to introduce to you Lindsey Snyder. 12 00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:34,866 She's a veterinary anesthesiologist here 13 00:00:34,866 --> 00:00:37,400 with the School of Veterinary Medicine. 14 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,833 She was born and raised on the Kansas side of Kansas City, 15 00:00:41,833 --> 00:00:43,766 and then she went to Kansas State University 16 00:00:43,766 --> 00:00:45,633 for her undergraduate degree 17 00:00:45,633 --> 00:00:49,433 and stayed there to get her doctor in veterinary medicine. 18 00:00:49,433 --> 00:00:53,800 Then she went to Los Angeles for a year-long internship, 19 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,566 and then went to Ohio State University 20 00:00:56,566 --> 00:00:59,900 to do her residency in veterinary anesthesia 21 00:00:59,900 --> 00:01:01,566 and analgesia. 22 00:01:01,566 --> 00:01:03,166 While she was at Ohio State, 23 00:01:03,166 --> 00:01:06,166 she also earned her master's degree. 24 00:01:06,166 --> 00:01:10,966 Here at UW-Madison, she teaches, practices, 25 00:01:10,966 --> 00:01:14,766 and does research at the Department of Surgical Sciences 26 00:01:14,766 --> 00:01:16,900 in the School of Veterinary Medicine. 27 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:18,533 Tonight, she's gonna speak with us 28 00:01:18,533 --> 00:01:21,366 about acupuncture in animals. 29 00:01:21,366 --> 00:01:24,333 Would you please join me in welcoming Lindsey Snyder 30 00:01:24,333 --> 00:01:26,266 to Wednesday Nite @ the Lab? 31 00:01:27,933 --> 00:01:30,000 - Thank you so much, Tom. 32 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,466 I'm happy to be with you tonight 33 00:01:31,466 --> 00:01:34,933 to talk about acupuncture in animals. 34 00:01:34,933 --> 00:01:38,533 And I should first tell you how I came 35 00:01:38,533 --> 00:01:41,433 to study acupuncture and animals. 36 00:01:41,433 --> 00:01:45,033 And I am a veterinary anesthesiologist, 37 00:01:45,033 --> 00:01:49,566 and I did my residency at Ohio State University. 38 00:01:49,566 --> 00:01:54,066 And when I arrived, we also did master's projects. 39 00:01:54,066 --> 00:01:56,033 So I got my master's at the same time 40 00:01:56,033 --> 00:01:57,866 that I was doing my residency, 41 00:01:57,866 --> 00:02:01,600 and I showed up, and they had a project ready 42 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,033 and waiting for me. 43 00:02:03,033 --> 00:02:06,133 And that project was looking at acupuncture, 44 00:02:06,133 --> 00:02:08,133 electroacupuncture, 45 00:02:08,133 --> 00:02:11,766 and a transcutaneous electrical current, 46 00:02:11,766 --> 00:02:15,566 which just means a current going across the brain, 47 00:02:15,566 --> 00:02:19,766 external to the skull, 48 00:02:19,766 --> 00:02:22,766 so this current going through the brain. 49 00:02:22,766 --> 00:02:25,800 So looking at these three methods 50 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,733 and looking at the requirements 51 00:02:29,733 --> 00:02:32,766 of inhalation anesthetics in dogs. 52 00:02:32,766 --> 00:02:34,900 So what we are looking at 53 00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:38,400 is would acupuncture, electroacupuncture, 54 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,900 and this electrical current, 55 00:02:41,900 --> 00:02:47,633 would they decrease the gas anesthetic requirements of dogs? 56 00:02:47,633 --> 00:02:49,866 And this is kind of a universal method 57 00:02:49,866 --> 00:02:55,200 for determining if something causes analgesia in a patient. 58 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,266 And I went into it thinking, 59 00:02:57,266 --> 00:02:59,466 "I don't really wanna do this project 60 00:02:59,466 --> 00:03:02,266 because I don't really believe in acupuncture." 61 00:03:02,266 --> 00:03:04,400 And what I did 62 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,966 was I proved that all three of these methods 63 00:03:08,966 --> 00:03:14,800 did, in fact, decrease the need of general anesthesia in dogs, 64 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,866 but I also proved to myself 65 00:03:18,866 --> 00:03:22,433 that acupuncture does have significant effects 66 00:03:22,433 --> 00:03:24,433 in animals and humans. 67 00:03:26,366 --> 00:03:31,033 This paper based on my research was published in 2005, 68 00:03:31,033 --> 00:03:34,766 and at the time, it was one of the first papers 69 00:03:34,766 --> 00:03:38,733 that really had an objective method 70 00:03:38,733 --> 00:03:44,133 for evaluating acupuncture's effects in an animal 71 00:03:44,133 --> 00:03:46,300 that had no placebo effect. 72 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,533 And so it was sort of revolutionary at the time, 73 00:03:49,533 --> 00:03:54,933 and again, the academic community really liked it, 74 00:03:54,933 --> 00:03:57,333 and it made a believer of me, 75 00:03:57,333 --> 00:03:59,600 who went into it very much skeptical. 76 00:04:00,933 --> 00:04:03,233 So I've learned quite a bit about acupuncture 77 00:04:03,233 --> 00:04:08,233 throughout my time as being a veterinarian, 78 00:04:08,233 --> 00:04:09,733 not only through my master's, 79 00:04:09,733 --> 00:04:12,333 but then I went on and got further training. 80 00:04:12,333 --> 00:04:15,200 So what is acupuncture? 81 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,533 Acupuncture itself is, by definition, 82 00:04:18,533 --> 00:04:21,666 it is the stimulating of specific anatomic points 83 00:04:21,666 --> 00:04:24,166 in the body to produce therapeutic 84 00:04:24,166 --> 00:04:26,500 or analgesic effects. 85 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:28,466 So what does that mean? 86 00:04:28,466 --> 00:04:33,466 We can not only produce pain management 87 00:04:33,466 --> 00:04:39,266 so that analgesia, where we can decrease pain in a patient, 88 00:04:39,266 --> 00:04:41,700 but we can also get therapeutic effects 89 00:04:42,700 --> 00:04:48,033 like regulating how the GI system is working. 90 00:04:48,033 --> 00:04:50,066 So something like that. 91 00:04:50,066 --> 00:04:51,600 Traditionally speaking, 92 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,433 when someone talks about acupuncture, 93 00:04:54,433 --> 00:04:58,400 they typically think of the traditional method 94 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,000 of acupuncture, which is using fine gauge needles 95 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,400 to puncture the skin in these specific anatomic points. 96 00:05:08,933 --> 00:05:12,933 Interestingly, we can use many different methods 97 00:05:12,933 --> 00:05:15,700 to actually produce these effects. 98 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:20,666 So we can use heat, pressure, aqua, or a liquid of some sort, 99 00:05:20,666 --> 00:05:23,233 even electroacupuncture, 100 00:05:23,233 --> 00:05:25,800 using a low-level electrical current. 101 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,700 So if we look at some of these, we can use heat. 102 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:37,733 So if we start sort of clockwise in the top left corner, 103 00:05:37,733 --> 00:05:42,733 that's actually using an herb called mugwort. 104 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:46,133 Mugwort burns very, very hot. 105 00:05:46,133 --> 00:05:52,633 And so just even placing this herb over an acupoint 106 00:05:52,633 --> 00:05:56,300 can produce an effect in this acupuncture point, 107 00:05:56,300 --> 00:05:59,166 this specific anatomic point. 108 00:05:59,166 --> 00:06:01,400 We can also use pressure. 109 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,866 So you can see someone is pushing on their hand 110 00:06:03,866 --> 00:06:06,266 in a very sort of traditional spot 111 00:06:06,266 --> 00:06:09,500 that a lot of people see when they have a headache, 112 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:13,033 they're pushing on their hand in this spot, 113 00:06:13,033 --> 00:06:17,366 and that's using pressure to get an effect 114 00:06:17,366 --> 00:06:19,733 in this acupoint. 115 00:06:19,733 --> 00:06:21,000 What they're doing here 116 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,500 is actually stimulating a master point 117 00:06:24,500 --> 00:06:26,300 for the head and face. 118 00:06:27,500 --> 00:06:30,700 You can see, as we move along clockwise, 119 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:32,800 there's actually a needle with liquid. 120 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:37,466 And we can use liquid and inject that 121 00:06:37,466 --> 00:06:41,433 into an acupoint to get an effect. 122 00:06:41,433 --> 00:06:46,233 So we can use saline, we can use vitamin B12. 123 00:06:46,233 --> 00:06:51,233 We can even use the patient's own blood, called hemopuncture. 124 00:06:52,633 --> 00:06:56,800 We can even use really small amounts of a drug 125 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,300 and do what's called pharmacopuncture 126 00:07:00,300 --> 00:07:05,866 and deliver very small amounts of a drug into an acupoint. 127 00:07:05,866 --> 00:07:07,800 In the bottom right corner, you can see 128 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,700 that we've actually, in this, this was part 129 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:12,300 of my study dogs, 130 00:07:13,300 --> 00:07:18,133 and we actually attach very small clips 131 00:07:18,133 --> 00:07:21,500 onto acupuncture needles, 132 00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:26,500 and we're able to deliver a very low electrical current 133 00:07:26,500 --> 00:07:29,800 between two needles to develop 134 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:35,266 or enhance the effect of the acupuncture alone. 135 00:07:35,266 --> 00:07:39,466 So this is just another method of stimulating those needles. 136 00:07:39,466 --> 00:07:42,633 You can see in the bottom middle picture, 137 00:07:42,633 --> 00:07:44,966 they're using pressure with, 138 00:07:45,966 --> 00:07:49,833 those are actually motion sickness bands 139 00:07:49,833 --> 00:07:53,900 that are being used to put pressure 140 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:57,866 and use acupressure on points 141 00:07:57,866 --> 00:08:02,700 that are really beneficial for decreasing nausea. 142 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:04,466 And in the bottom right, you can see 143 00:08:04,466 --> 00:08:08,933 that they've actually used that same herb, mugwort, 144 00:08:08,933 --> 00:08:11,500 and actually put it in a cup 145 00:08:11,500 --> 00:08:15,133 attached to the acupuncture needle itself, 146 00:08:15,133 --> 00:08:18,900 and that warms the needle down into the acupoint. 147 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:21,900 So that is going to intensify the effects 148 00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:23,166 of the acupuncture. 149 00:08:24,166 --> 00:08:27,100 I personally don't use this method. 150 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:33,633 As you can see in the picture, it is a burning substance, 151 00:08:33,633 --> 00:08:37,000 and if anyone's ever been in a barn, 152 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,166 there's usually a lot of hay and a lot of straw, 153 00:08:40,166 --> 00:08:43,366 and it makes me a little bit nervous to do that. 154 00:08:43,366 --> 00:08:47,466 So each practitioner develops their methods 155 00:08:47,466 --> 00:08:51,033 for stimulating those acupuncture points. 156 00:08:52,666 --> 00:08:55,000 So something that's been interesting 157 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,000 in more recent years, 158 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:03,900 even more than, not even 20 years ago, 159 00:09:03,900 --> 00:09:08,366 you would not have found that places like Johns Hopkins 160 00:09:08,366 --> 00:09:11,033 were advertising acupuncture and its benefits 161 00:09:11,033 --> 00:09:12,966 on their websites. 162 00:09:12,966 --> 00:09:16,966 But now, not only the scientific community, 163 00:09:16,966 --> 00:09:22,866 but the medical community have really caught on 164 00:09:22,866 --> 00:09:25,600 to the beneficial aspects of acupuncture 165 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,200 and what it can do. 166 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,066 So you can see that Johns Hopkins 167 00:09:30,066 --> 00:09:34,300 is even touting acupuncture's beneficial effects 168 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:35,800 right on its website. 169 00:09:36,966 --> 00:09:40,033 Additionally, you can see that something like the NIH 170 00:09:40,033 --> 00:09:44,933 is advertising acupuncture's beneficial effects as well. 171 00:09:44,933 --> 00:09:48,166 And the NIH recognizes that acupuncture is beneficial, 172 00:09:48,166 --> 00:09:51,666 and acupuncture in all of its variations, 173 00:09:51,666 --> 00:09:53,700 electroacupuncture, et cetera. 174 00:09:54,700 --> 00:09:59,366 It's beneficial for things like dental pain after surgery, 175 00:09:59,366 --> 00:10:02,500 headaches, myofascial pain. 176 00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:05,766 So those are those real deep aches and pains 177 00:10:05,766 --> 00:10:10,200 of your connective tissue, and even things like asthma. 178 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,800 The NIH is promoting acupuncture 179 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,766 for these various conditions within the body. 180 00:10:20,033 --> 00:10:21,700 In a traditional sense, 181 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:25,666 acupuncture is based on patterns of energy flow 182 00:10:25,666 --> 00:10:27,466 throughout the body. 183 00:10:27,466 --> 00:10:31,266 And these were thought to be meridians in the body, 184 00:10:31,266 --> 00:10:36,200 and it's disruptions of this energy flow 185 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:37,933 throughout the body 186 00:10:37,933 --> 00:10:41,200 that was thought to be the basis of disease in the body. 187 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,600 So disruptions in these patterns of flow 188 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,933 were what caused ailments in the body. 189 00:10:48,133 --> 00:10:50,800 Acupuncture has been described in writing 190 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,333 as early as 1,000 BC. 191 00:10:53,333 --> 00:10:56,900 So it has been in practice 192 00:10:56,900 --> 00:10:59,066 that we have a written history of 193 00:10:59,066 --> 00:11:01,600 for at least 3,000 years. 194 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,933 That being said, there are artifacts 195 00:11:05,933 --> 00:11:09,866 that indicate that acupuncture has actually been practiced 196 00:11:09,866 --> 00:11:12,700 for thousands of years even before that. 197 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:18,700 Very sharp bones that were sharpened to a point 198 00:11:18,700 --> 00:11:21,933 and even stones that were sharpened to a point 199 00:11:21,933 --> 00:11:25,033 have been found that were most likely used 200 00:11:25,033 --> 00:11:29,200 as acupressure modalities. 201 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:34,166 So acupuncture or acupressure tools 202 00:11:34,166 --> 00:11:37,233 that go back to even 5,000 years ago. 203 00:11:39,766 --> 00:11:42,366 So why would someone recommend acupuncture 204 00:11:42,366 --> 00:11:45,166 or seek it out as a treatment for either themselves 205 00:11:45,166 --> 00:11:46,800 or their animal? 206 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,533 Well, first and foremost, 207 00:11:48,533 --> 00:11:51,633 acupuncture has virtually no side effects. 208 00:11:51,633 --> 00:11:54,933 So it really is something that we can go into 209 00:11:54,933 --> 00:11:57,966 with the hopes that it will help 210 00:11:57,966 --> 00:12:02,500 and realistically know that it will not harm one, 211 00:12:03,566 --> 00:12:06,266 either themselves or an animal. 212 00:12:07,633 --> 00:12:10,533 Like most things that we try 213 00:12:10,533 --> 00:12:15,700 to alleviate pain or have a therapeutic effect, 214 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:19,200 it might not be universally effective. 215 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:24,000 So when I get a headache, I take ibuprofen. 216 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,300 Ibuprofen works for my headaches, 217 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:29,533 whereas another individual, 218 00:12:29,533 --> 00:12:32,933 ibuprofen is not what works for their headaches. 219 00:12:32,933 --> 00:12:35,133 And in reality, something like Tylenol 220 00:12:35,133 --> 00:12:37,500 might be beneficial for them. 221 00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:39,733 Acupuncture is the same way. 222 00:12:39,733 --> 00:12:42,733 It might really work well with one person, 223 00:12:42,733 --> 00:12:48,133 but might not be the method of choice 224 00:12:48,133 --> 00:12:49,500 for another person. 225 00:12:50,633 --> 00:12:53,233 For some things, it might be the only thing 226 00:12:53,233 --> 00:12:54,633 that we need to use. 227 00:12:54,633 --> 00:12:56,733 And again, I'll use the headache example. 228 00:12:57,733 --> 00:13:01,733 If I have a headache, ibuprofen is usually enough 229 00:13:01,733 --> 00:13:03,566 for my headache to go away. 230 00:13:04,566 --> 00:13:09,500 However, it might not be the only thing that works. 231 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:13,100 So if I have a really excruciating headache, 232 00:13:13,100 --> 00:13:16,566 I might need ibuprofen and something else with it. 233 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:19,633 And acupuncture is the same. 234 00:13:19,633 --> 00:13:24,400 When I talk to clients about their animal, 235 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,466 I'm never looking at just acupuncture. 236 00:13:27,466 --> 00:13:32,233 I'm looking at everything that goes together 237 00:13:32,233 --> 00:13:33,733 for that patient. 238 00:13:33,733 --> 00:13:38,566 So both the Western approach and the traditional approach, 239 00:13:38,566 --> 00:13:42,466 and I use them as adjuncts for one another. 240 00:13:45,766 --> 00:13:49,066 When we use acupuncture needles 241 00:13:49,066 --> 00:13:54,066 or pressure or something, whatever method we choose, 242 00:13:54,066 --> 00:13:58,200 we are gonna be activating that acupuncture point. 243 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,800 So what are acupuncture points? 244 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,133 Well, we know that they're cutaneous areas 245 00:14:05,133 --> 00:14:09,566 with high concentrations of specialized nerve endings. 246 00:14:09,566 --> 00:14:13,600 There are specialized nerve endings that are responsible 247 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,766 for picking up pain impulses, 248 00:14:16,766 --> 00:14:19,800 and those are both A delta and C fibers. 249 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,966 And acupuncture points have really high concentrations 250 00:14:23,966 --> 00:14:29,200 of both A delta and C fibers compared to surrounding tissues. 251 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,100 We also know that acupuncture points 252 00:14:31,100 --> 00:14:34,366 have a high concentration of mast cells. 253 00:14:34,366 --> 00:14:37,266 Now, mast cells release histamine, 254 00:14:37,266 --> 00:14:40,000 and so if I really get a point 255 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,300 that's really dead-on on that point, 256 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:45,566 I might get a little reddend area, 257 00:14:45,566 --> 00:14:47,733 and that is a really, really small, 258 00:14:47,733 --> 00:14:52,766 localized release of histamine from that acupuncture point. 259 00:14:52,766 --> 00:14:54,400 There are also high concentrations 260 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,866 of capillaries and venules, so it's not entirely uncommon 261 00:14:59,866 --> 00:15:03,133 to have a little bit of blood when you take the needle out. 262 00:15:04,966 --> 00:15:07,600 We also know that acupuncture points 263 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,100 are areas of decreased electrical resistance. 264 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:15,433 So there's actually increased electrical conduction 265 00:15:15,433 --> 00:15:18,700 within the acupoint itself. 266 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:20,533 So I find this so fascinating 267 00:15:20,533 --> 00:15:25,266 because thousands of years ago, these points were discovered 268 00:15:25,266 --> 00:15:28,833 and now science has said, "Wait a minute, 269 00:15:28,833 --> 00:15:30,900 "there is something to these points. 270 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:34,466 They are anatomically different from surrounding tissue." 271 00:15:36,766 --> 00:15:40,000 Things that we know about acupuncture 272 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,766 is that acupuncture can decrease muscle spasms. 273 00:15:43,766 --> 00:15:49,933 So just by placing a needle within a spasming muscle 274 00:15:49,933 --> 00:15:54,933 or an area of muscle that has a tight knot, 275 00:15:54,933 --> 00:15:59,900 it can relax that muscle in and of itself 276 00:15:59,900 --> 00:16:02,033 just by placing a needle. 277 00:16:02,033 --> 00:16:03,600 So this picture that you're looking at 278 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:08,566 is actually, that's actually me with straight hair for the day, 279 00:16:09,766 --> 00:16:11,233 but I am actually going 280 00:16:11,233 --> 00:16:13,766 and having what's called trigger point therapy. 281 00:16:13,766 --> 00:16:18,666 So other areas of medicine have caught on 282 00:16:18,666 --> 00:16:21,700 to this effect of decreasing muscle spasms. 283 00:16:23,166 --> 00:16:27,400 When I go in, I have someone who is in physical medicine 284 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,466 and rehab, so a specialist, who takes a needle 285 00:16:31,466 --> 00:16:37,133 and actually pistons that needle within my muscle knots. 286 00:16:37,133 --> 00:16:39,300 And every time those muscles fire, 287 00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:41,566 it starts to relax those muscles. 288 00:16:42,566 --> 00:16:45,766 Physical therapists also do what's called dry needling, 289 00:16:45,766 --> 00:16:48,033 and they will use acupuncture needles 290 00:16:48,033 --> 00:16:50,233 targeting the musculature. 291 00:16:50,233 --> 00:16:53,233 So they're not actually targeting acupoints, 292 00:16:53,233 --> 00:16:55,666 so they can't call it acupuncture, 293 00:16:55,666 --> 00:16:57,766 but they're using acupuncture needles 294 00:16:57,766 --> 00:16:59,833 to decrease the muscle spasms. 295 00:16:59,833 --> 00:17:03,433 So this is starting to translate into other areas of medicine. 296 00:17:04,433 --> 00:17:07,733 We also know that acupuncture can induce the release 297 00:17:07,733 --> 00:17:09,400 of neurotransmitters. 298 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,000 So neurotransmitters will be released, 299 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,200 and that will affect how the body responds to pain. 300 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,100 So we can release neurotransmitters 301 00:17:21,100 --> 00:17:24,666 and decrease the pain experience overall. 302 00:17:24,666 --> 00:17:27,900 Some of the big ones that we would talk about 303 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:30,633 would be endorphins and dynorphins. 304 00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:35,000 So that's working on the body's endogenous opioid system. 305 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,500 And when we talk about that, one of the things that often 306 00:17:39,500 --> 00:17:41,266 is brought up is with endorphins, 307 00:17:41,266 --> 00:17:43,566 we talk about a runner's high. 308 00:17:43,566 --> 00:17:48,433 So that release of endorphins causing a runner's high. 309 00:17:48,433 --> 00:17:52,600 Well, I can get a runner's high without having to run, 310 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,800 which is a delightful way for me to get a runner's high. 311 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:57,933 All I have to do is place acupuncture needles 312 00:17:57,933 --> 00:18:02,000 and get that release of endogenous endorphins. 313 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:07,000 I also know that acupuncture then can be reversed 314 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,433 with the opioid antagonist naloxone. 315 00:18:11,433 --> 00:18:15,666 So something that we can use to get rid of opioids 316 00:18:15,666 --> 00:18:20,500 within the body, and we can reverse the effect of opioids 317 00:18:20,500 --> 00:18:23,433 in the cases of overdoses or something like that. 318 00:18:23,433 --> 00:18:26,500 That drug can actually be used 319 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:30,000 to reverse the effects of acupuncture. 320 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,866 So we can actually reverse acupuncture's effects 321 00:18:33,866 --> 00:18:35,033 through pharmacology. 322 00:18:36,466 --> 00:18:39,866 So to understand acupuncture and its mechanism of action, 323 00:18:39,866 --> 00:18:43,300 we really need to understand the pain pathway. 324 00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:48,166 So pain starts at the area of a noxious stimulus. 325 00:18:48,166 --> 00:18:51,033 So that's just something that causes pain. 326 00:18:51,033 --> 00:18:53,833 That could be mechanical, chemical, thermal, 327 00:18:53,833 --> 00:18:57,700 placing your hand on a hot pot, 328 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:01,133 or in our case, we'll say that this dog 329 00:19:01,133 --> 00:19:03,466 has its foot stepped on. 330 00:19:03,466 --> 00:19:07,066 So we take that impulse, that mechanical impulse 331 00:19:07,066 --> 00:19:09,533 of having the dog's foot stepped on, 332 00:19:09,533 --> 00:19:14,533 and it will be transduced into an electrical signal. 333 00:19:14,533 --> 00:19:20,033 It then will be transmitted through transmission 334 00:19:20,033 --> 00:19:23,266 to the level of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. 335 00:19:24,466 --> 00:19:27,700 That transmission will occur 336 00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:31,066 by those two specialized nociceptive fibers. 337 00:19:31,066 --> 00:19:34,966 So those two nerve fibers that are responsible 338 00:19:34,966 --> 00:19:37,366 for delivering pain. 339 00:19:37,366 --> 00:19:39,300 The first are the A delta. 340 00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:41,766 Those are large, myelinated fibers 341 00:19:41,766 --> 00:19:45,766 that are responsible for fast, pinprick pain. 342 00:19:45,766 --> 00:19:48,300 And the second are C fibers. 343 00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:53,466 Those are small, unmyelinated fibers that are responsible 344 00:19:53,466 --> 00:19:56,500 for slow, burning pain. 345 00:19:57,933 --> 00:20:00,433 So again, we have our impulse, 346 00:20:00,433 --> 00:20:04,633 it gets transduced into an electrical stimulus 347 00:20:04,633 --> 00:20:06,533 that then is transmitted to the level 348 00:20:06,533 --> 00:20:09,466 of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. 349 00:20:09,466 --> 00:20:13,233 At that point, we can modulate the pain impulse. 350 00:20:13,233 --> 00:20:17,000 So we can have excitatory neurotransmitters 351 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,266 that will intensify the pain experience, 352 00:20:21,266 --> 00:20:25,333 or we can have the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters 353 00:20:25,333 --> 00:20:27,600 like the endorphins 354 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,633 that will decrease the pain experience. 355 00:20:32,233 --> 00:20:36,400 Then that impulse is projected to higher levels 356 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,066 of conscious perception. 357 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,333 So with that in mind, 358 00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:44,766 we can look at one of the theories 359 00:20:44,766 --> 00:20:48,166 for how acupuncture creates its analgesic effects, 360 00:20:48,166 --> 00:20:50,833 and that is called the gate control theory. 361 00:20:50,833 --> 00:20:53,466 The gate control theory states 362 00:20:53,466 --> 00:20:57,933 that when we place these needles into the skin, 363 00:20:57,933 --> 00:21:02,833 we stimulate those large, myelinated fibers 364 00:21:02,833 --> 00:21:05,766 responsible for fast, pinprick pain. 365 00:21:06,766 --> 00:21:10,266 That gets carried to the level of the spinal cord, 366 00:21:11,266 --> 00:21:15,533 and the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters occurs, 367 00:21:15,533 --> 00:21:18,800 so we release things like endorphins, 368 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:26,766 which will close the gate and decrease the pain experience 369 00:21:26,766 --> 00:21:32,566 from those slow, burning, more pathologic pain nociceptors, 370 00:21:32,566 --> 00:21:34,333 the C fibers. 371 00:21:34,333 --> 00:21:37,900 The small, unmyelinated fibers responsible 372 00:21:37,900 --> 00:21:39,633 for slow, burning pain. 373 00:21:41,900 --> 00:21:46,266 The points themselves are based on the meridian system 374 00:21:46,266 --> 00:21:48,166 of human acupuncture. 375 00:21:48,166 --> 00:21:50,866 So it's the same names and the same codes 376 00:21:50,866 --> 00:21:53,933 that we use in human acupuncture, 377 00:21:53,933 --> 00:21:57,933 and everything has a very specific anatomic location 378 00:21:57,933 --> 00:21:59,500 associated with it. 379 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:04,300 For example, if I were to read spleen 6 380 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:08,933 is three cun directly above the tip of the medial malleolus 381 00:22:08,933 --> 00:22:11,333 on the posterior border of the tibia. 382 00:22:12,733 --> 00:22:18,533 Now, when I look at these different anatomic locations, 383 00:22:18,533 --> 00:22:23,100 I can look and say that the interior of the tibia 384 00:22:23,100 --> 00:22:24,833 is 13 cun, 385 00:22:24,833 --> 00:22:29,500 whereas the external portion of the tibia is 16 cun. 386 00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:33,566 But keeping that in mind that it's 13 cun, 387 00:22:33,566 --> 00:22:36,333 then I know that this point, spleen 6, 388 00:22:36,333 --> 00:22:40,766 is approximately 25% more proximal 389 00:22:40,766 --> 00:22:42,633 up the level of the tibia. 390 00:22:42,633 --> 00:22:44,333 So working our way up the tibia, 391 00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:48,366 it's gonna be approximately 25% up the level of the tibia. 392 00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:51,466 And so we find most of our points 393 00:22:51,466 --> 00:22:54,200 based on these anatomic descriptions. 394 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,933 You can also use something like a point finder. 395 00:22:57,933 --> 00:23:02,866 A point finder is, it's a small machine 396 00:23:02,866 --> 00:23:05,200 that actually looks for electrical resistance 397 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:06,966 within the skin. 398 00:23:06,966 --> 00:23:08,466 This is beneficial in people. 399 00:23:08,466 --> 00:23:11,166 It's not as beneficial in our veterinary patients 400 00:23:11,166 --> 00:23:13,500 that are covered with hair or fur. 401 00:23:15,866 --> 00:23:19,000 When looking at something like chronic pain, 402 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:25,900 we look at it like we would any other method of analgesia, 403 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:31,233 in that I don't look at an animal 404 00:23:31,233 --> 00:23:35,433 that has been suffering pain for weeks or months 405 00:23:35,433 --> 00:23:40,100 and expect that one pill of a pain medication 406 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:42,333 is going to treat all of its pain. 407 00:23:42,333 --> 00:23:45,833 I know that I'm going to have to give continued treatment 408 00:23:45,833 --> 00:23:49,500 to see improvement, and that's the same with acupuncture. 409 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:53,400 So we really need to approach chronic pain 410 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,233 with several treatments 411 00:23:55,233 --> 00:23:59,833 and know that these treatments will build upon each other 412 00:23:59,833 --> 00:24:02,433 and the effect will be additive, 413 00:24:02,433 --> 00:24:05,300 and that we should give it a number of treatments 414 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:08,566 before we really assess whether the acupuncture 415 00:24:08,566 --> 00:24:11,200 is working or not for that particular patient. 416 00:24:13,166 --> 00:24:18,166 Electroacupuncture is simply, I pointed out earlier, 417 00:24:18,166 --> 00:24:22,833 is simply adding small clips to the needles themselves 418 00:24:22,833 --> 00:24:26,033 and adding a very low electrical current 419 00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,200 between those needles. 420 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,866 The stimulation of needles 421 00:24:30,866 --> 00:24:34,733 creates a more profound analgesic effect. 422 00:24:34,733 --> 00:24:36,700 So I say that electroacupuncture 423 00:24:36,700 --> 00:24:40,333 is simply taking a highlighter to that effect, 424 00:24:40,333 --> 00:24:42,300 and we're just highlighting that effect. 425 00:24:43,300 --> 00:24:44,966 Now, we can stimulate the needles 426 00:24:44,966 --> 00:24:46,333 a couple of different ways. 427 00:24:46,333 --> 00:24:48,433 So you can rotate needles. 428 00:24:49,433 --> 00:24:52,133 They used to have women that would sit in a room, 429 00:24:52,133 --> 00:24:53,733 and they'd actually spin the needles 430 00:24:53,733 --> 00:24:56,300 up to 200 times a minute. 431 00:24:57,733 --> 00:25:02,100 I jokingly say that their carpal tunnel then kicked in 432 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:04,633 and they could no longer spin the needles for them 433 00:25:04,633 --> 00:25:06,500 and needed acupuncture themselves. 434 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:11,200 Other methods, if anybody has ever had acupuncture, 435 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,800 sometimes, practitioners will come in 436 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,066 and spin the needles periodically, 437 00:25:16,066 --> 00:25:18,533 or they're actually, some individuals will come in 438 00:25:18,533 --> 00:25:20,233 and actually flick needles. 439 00:25:21,866 --> 00:25:26,133 But the most consistent method for stimulating a needle 440 00:25:26,133 --> 00:25:29,166 is adding that electrical stimulation. 441 00:25:29,166 --> 00:25:33,033 It is very repeatable in every patient. 442 00:25:34,033 --> 00:25:37,100 And that electrical stimulation is more intense 443 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:39,900 than any of the manual manipulation could be. 444 00:25:41,466 --> 00:25:48,100 I point out this study, and you can see just as a fun aside, 445 00:25:48,100 --> 00:25:51,900 this is actually doing electroacupuncture on a giraffe 446 00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:53,633 that was anesthetized. 447 00:25:53,633 --> 00:25:57,066 They tend to have muscle contraction 448 00:25:57,066 --> 00:25:58,666 while they're anesthetized. 449 00:25:58,666 --> 00:26:01,066 And so we were using electroacupuncture 450 00:26:01,066 --> 00:26:04,433 to keep the muscles soft and supple 451 00:26:04,433 --> 00:26:06,933 so that the giraffe could stand up 452 00:26:06,933 --> 00:26:08,666 without any complications there. 453 00:26:09,833 --> 00:26:11,300 And I point out this study 454 00:26:11,300 --> 00:26:16,100 because it's really looking at the neurotransmitters 455 00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:20,066 that are released in the presence of electroacupuncture 456 00:26:20,066 --> 00:26:21,566 and acupuncture. 457 00:26:21,566 --> 00:26:25,300 And the point is not to read off all of these neurotransmitters, 458 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:29,833 but you can see that there are different types of pain 459 00:26:29,833 --> 00:26:31,600 that was looked at, 460 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:36,366 and looking at the periphery versus the spinal 461 00:26:36,366 --> 00:26:39,833 versus the central nervous system, 462 00:26:39,833 --> 00:26:43,566 and looking at all the different neurotransmitters 463 00:26:43,566 --> 00:26:47,033 that can be affected by using acupuncture 464 00:26:47,033 --> 00:26:50,033 and electroacupuncture, 465 00:26:50,033 --> 00:26:52,900 and how all of these neurotransmitters 466 00:26:52,900 --> 00:26:58,400 can affect the pain impulse and decrease the pain experience 467 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,800 for both humans and animals. 468 00:27:02,966 --> 00:27:07,633 So science has a lot to say about acupuncture. 469 00:27:07,633 --> 00:27:13,066 We know that neurotransmitters are heavily involved 470 00:27:13,066 --> 00:27:20,033 in the pain reduction that acupuncture can produce. 471 00:27:20,033 --> 00:27:22,200 We know that it decreases muscle spasms 472 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,200 and improves comfort in patients. 473 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:30,233 I've not really even discussed the therapeutic benefits, 474 00:27:30,233 --> 00:27:34,600 but the science community is aware 475 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,533 that all of these things are happening. 476 00:27:37,666 --> 00:27:39,866 What I think is really fun then 477 00:27:39,866 --> 00:27:45,666 is to pay homage to the history of acupuncture 478 00:27:45,666 --> 00:27:46,866 and to really talk about some 479 00:27:46,866 --> 00:27:49,566 of the traditional Chinese medicine as well. 480 00:27:49,566 --> 00:27:52,733 This is often, when we talk about acupuncture, 481 00:27:52,733 --> 00:27:55,833 this is where we start to lose people a little bit 482 00:27:55,833 --> 00:28:01,166 is when we start to talk about traditional Chinese medicine 483 00:28:01,166 --> 00:28:04,033 and the aspects of traditional Chinese medicine. 484 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,133 People tend to go towards the science side 485 00:28:08,133 --> 00:28:12,166 and the traditional Chinese medicine loses them 486 00:28:12,166 --> 00:28:14,400 a little bit, which is one of the reasons 487 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,666 that I love talking about it with all of the clients 488 00:28:17,666 --> 00:28:19,466 while I'm treating their patients 489 00:28:19,466 --> 00:28:24,433 and to really incorporate the history with the science. 490 00:28:25,433 --> 00:28:29,833 So traditional Chinese medicine has five components, 491 00:28:29,833 --> 00:28:32,700 with acupuncture just being one component. 492 00:28:32,700 --> 00:28:34,533 So you can see that, obviously, acupuncture 493 00:28:34,533 --> 00:28:37,766 is one of the components of traditional Chinese medicine. 494 00:28:38,766 --> 00:28:41,900 But the other components include herbal medicine. 495 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:46,200 And herbal medicine, again, this is something 496 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:47,933 where some people sort of glaze over 497 00:28:47,933 --> 00:28:51,166 and they don't quite, you know, treating things 498 00:28:51,166 --> 00:28:53,466 with herbs seems very difficult 499 00:28:53,466 --> 00:28:57,200 for certain individuals to wrap their head around. 500 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,566 But really, I could go back and say 501 00:29:00,566 --> 00:29:04,900 that morphine is actually a derivative of the poppy plant. 502 00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:10,700 And so morphine in and of itself is a type of herbal remedy. 503 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:17,033 So we can develop synthetic opioids following that, 504 00:29:17,033 --> 00:29:22,266 but really, the gold standard opioid morphine 505 00:29:22,266 --> 00:29:24,266 is an herbal remedy. 506 00:29:24,266 --> 00:29:27,566 And so herbal medicine really targets what's happening 507 00:29:27,566 --> 00:29:30,733 within the body, and individuals 508 00:29:30,733 --> 00:29:34,466 would describe it as daily acupuncture, 509 00:29:34,466 --> 00:29:36,700 very specific daily acupuncture. 510 00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:40,266 So really getting targeted therapy 511 00:29:40,266 --> 00:29:42,100 to what is happening within the body. 512 00:29:43,100 --> 00:29:46,066 Another component of traditional Chinese medicine 513 00:29:46,066 --> 00:29:49,166 is massage, and this is called tui na. 514 00:29:49,166 --> 00:29:56,500 And tui na is not a lovely, relaxing massage. 515 00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:59,733 It is actually a very intense massage, 516 00:29:59,733 --> 00:30:02,166 where most people will describe it 517 00:30:02,166 --> 00:30:05,500 as the end justifies the means. 518 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:08,900 It can be quite uncomfortable during the process, 519 00:30:08,900 --> 00:30:12,033 but produces very beneficial effects 520 00:30:12,033 --> 00:30:16,933 in targeting meridians and targeting pressure points 521 00:30:16,933 --> 00:30:18,100 within the body. 522 00:30:19,100 --> 00:30:23,033 Another component is exercise, which is qigong, 523 00:30:23,033 --> 00:30:27,966 which is an exercise that is very similar to Tai chi 524 00:30:27,966 --> 00:30:33,300 and really incorporates the mind-body connection. 525 00:30:34,633 --> 00:30:36,566 So it is slow movements 526 00:30:36,566 --> 00:30:40,200 that promote health in the joints, 527 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,933 as well as having that mind-body connection. 528 00:30:45,033 --> 00:30:48,333 I jokingly say that I have yet 529 00:30:48,333 --> 00:30:52,800 to get my dog to do Tai chi with me in the morning, 530 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:55,233 but what I can do 531 00:30:55,233 --> 00:30:58,133 is have a relaxing walk with my dog 532 00:30:58,133 --> 00:31:00,333 to incorporate that exercise. 533 00:31:00,333 --> 00:31:04,466 So it's not about running and getting his heart rate up 534 00:31:04,466 --> 00:31:06,733 and moving as quickly as possible, 535 00:31:06,733 --> 00:31:10,600 but it is about more relaxation and movement of the body. 536 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,600 And then the last component is food therapy. 537 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,766 Food therapy is a really interesting topic. 538 00:31:20,166 --> 00:31:27,000 It is much more than just eat the right thing 539 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,800 and you'll feel better. 540 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,900 Food therapy really targets cooling food and warming food, 541 00:31:32,900 --> 00:31:34,900 and looking at individuals. 542 00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:39,766 It's using food as medicine. 543 00:31:39,766 --> 00:31:43,233 And when I talk to people about this, 544 00:31:43,233 --> 00:31:45,100 I usually have, if I'm in a group, 545 00:31:45,100 --> 00:31:50,000 I'll have people raise their hand if they're always cold. 546 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,533 And inevitably, there will be people in the group 547 00:31:52,533 --> 00:31:54,333 that raise their hand, 548 00:31:54,333 --> 00:31:58,800 and I can say, "One of the things you can try 549 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:03,100 is to incorporate cinnamon into your diet." 550 00:32:03,100 --> 00:32:06,166 Cinnamon is a warming herb, 551 00:32:06,166 --> 00:32:09,766 and it can actually warm the body from the inside. 552 00:32:09,766 --> 00:32:13,300 Then you can ask the same question in opposite 553 00:32:13,300 --> 00:32:16,000 and say, "How many people are hot all the time?" 554 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,166 And inevitably, there are people that raise their hand. 555 00:32:20,333 --> 00:32:23,633 Try incorporating mint into your diet. 556 00:32:23,633 --> 00:32:26,700 Mint is a cooling herb. 557 00:32:26,700 --> 00:32:28,433 Well, beyond herbs, 558 00:32:29,433 --> 00:32:32,833 there are proteins that are cooling and warming, 559 00:32:32,833 --> 00:32:38,633 and spice and spice level plays a component in this. 560 00:32:38,633 --> 00:32:43,433 And so it's really looking at food as medicine 561 00:32:43,433 --> 00:32:45,633 to treat what is ailing someone in the body. 562 00:32:47,766 --> 00:32:50,166 On a traditional basis, as I mentioned, 563 00:32:50,166 --> 00:32:52,866 acupuncture has been utilized 564 00:32:52,866 --> 00:32:56,733 in writing, at least, for 3,000 years, 565 00:32:56,733 --> 00:32:58,766 and realistically, it's probably been practiced 566 00:32:58,766 --> 00:33:00,300 for longer than that. 567 00:33:01,700 --> 00:33:04,200 It's thought that traditionally speaking, 568 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,900 a decrease or increase in energy flow or qi 569 00:33:07,900 --> 00:33:13,300 along hypothesized lines or channels within the body 570 00:33:13,300 --> 00:33:16,000 are the basis for disease within the body. 571 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:20,866 And these hypothesized channels are called meridians. 572 00:33:20,866 --> 00:33:22,400 In reality, the meridians 573 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,566 have never been demonstrated to exist. 574 00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:28,500 That being said, 575 00:33:29,700 --> 00:33:31,400 there are studies out there that say 576 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:33,733 that there's something to them. 577 00:33:33,733 --> 00:33:37,433 So we have found, scientifically, we've found 578 00:33:37,433 --> 00:33:41,266 that the meridian systems themselves, 579 00:33:41,266 --> 00:33:43,400 there are multiple meridians in the body, 580 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:48,033 but those meridians follow nerve pathways 581 00:33:48,033 --> 00:33:52,533 or they follow connective tissue in the body. 582 00:33:52,533 --> 00:33:55,933 So they're actually following anatomic structures 583 00:33:55,933 --> 00:33:57,100 within the body. 584 00:33:58,100 --> 00:34:01,000 And they actually have found 585 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,600 that some of the points themselves 586 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:09,166 are right over major connections 587 00:34:09,166 --> 00:34:11,500 of connective tissue within the body, 588 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:15,033 and even over areas where there is connective tissue 589 00:34:15,033 --> 00:34:20,366 that dives deep in between musculature 590 00:34:20,366 --> 00:34:23,900 and incorporates a lot of the nerve fibers. 591 00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:29,500 So these points follow these fascial planes in the body. 592 00:34:30,500 --> 00:34:32,166 These meridians follow them. 593 00:34:32,166 --> 00:34:37,666 We also have found that the meridians tend to be 594 00:34:37,666 --> 00:34:42,566 right over big neuronal bundles within the body. 595 00:34:42,566 --> 00:34:44,933 So these two studies are looking at those 596 00:34:44,933 --> 00:34:47,266 and saying that there's actually something 597 00:34:47,266 --> 00:34:48,700 to these meridians. 598 00:34:48,700 --> 00:34:53,066 Although we can't prove that they anatomically really exist, 599 00:34:53,066 --> 00:34:56,666 we know that they follow structures that exist. 600 00:34:59,166 --> 00:35:00,766 On a traditional basis, 601 00:35:00,766 --> 00:35:04,133 pain is a result of excess conditions 602 00:35:04,133 --> 00:35:06,633 leading to obstruction of circulation 603 00:35:06,633 --> 00:35:09,133 within that meridian. 604 00:35:09,133 --> 00:35:13,000 So we can have exterior pathogenic factors. 605 00:35:14,100 --> 00:35:15,900 Scientifically speaking, we could say that 606 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:19,733 that's a heavy flu season 607 00:35:19,733 --> 00:35:23,866 or a high level of ragweed in the air. 608 00:35:24,866 --> 00:35:27,133 Those would be those exterior factors. 609 00:35:28,233 --> 00:35:31,333 It could be interior cold or heat, 610 00:35:31,333 --> 00:35:33,766 stagnation of qi or blood. 611 00:35:34,766 --> 00:35:38,633 And all of this is a little hard to understand 612 00:35:38,633 --> 00:35:40,166 at first, of course, 613 00:35:40,166 --> 00:35:43,333 because it's really just learning a new language 614 00:35:43,333 --> 00:35:45,133 associated with acupuncture, 615 00:35:46,300 --> 00:35:49,500 and it's this language of internal medicine 616 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:52,266 before there was internal medicine. 617 00:35:52,266 --> 00:35:57,200 So although it sounds, talking about something 618 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,100 like qi might be a little bit hard 619 00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:05,200 to wrap your head around, it's really describing things 620 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,600 before Western medicine described it in a different way. 621 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,133 It's really just using a different language 622 00:36:12,133 --> 00:36:14,500 to describe very similar things. 623 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:16,600 And so again, I think it's important 624 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,700 that we learn some of this language 625 00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:21,000 so we can translate between the two. 626 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:24,400 On a traditional basis, 627 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:28,200 pain can also be a result of deficiency conditions. 628 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:33,300 So deficiency of qi, blood, consumption of bodily fluids. 629 00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:35,800 You can also have a situation 630 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,966 where you just have stagnation of qi, 631 00:36:38,966 --> 00:36:41,166 which causes a distending pain 632 00:36:41,166 --> 00:36:45,233 with no real pinpoint location to that pain. 633 00:36:45,233 --> 00:36:48,966 And the best description I could give of that is depression. 634 00:36:49,966 --> 00:36:53,800 People with depression often describe pain 635 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,133 without a real fixed location 636 00:36:56,133 --> 00:36:58,000 for where that pain is occurring. 637 00:36:59,766 --> 00:37:02,400 So the idea is that we wanna restore balance 638 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:03,566 within the body. 639 00:37:03,566 --> 00:37:05,966 We wanna take the body to homeostasis. 640 00:37:05,966 --> 00:37:07,566 And what is homeostasis? 641 00:37:07,566 --> 00:37:11,966 I got into this discussion not long ago with an individual. 642 00:37:11,966 --> 00:37:14,166 What is homeostasis? 643 00:37:14,166 --> 00:37:19,000 Homeostasis is not a universal term for every individual, 644 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,066 but it's for that specific individual. 645 00:37:22,066 --> 00:37:24,100 So we wanna take that individual, 646 00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:27,366 that individual animal, that individual person, 647 00:37:27,366 --> 00:37:31,200 we wanna take them back to their baseline 648 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:37,300 at which their body performs in the best way possible. 649 00:37:37,300 --> 00:37:40,366 So we are trying to take it to their baseline 650 00:37:40,366 --> 00:37:43,900 that allows them to have optimum health. 651 00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:46,633 So needles placed in appropriate locations will help 652 00:37:46,633 --> 00:37:50,133 to alleviate any of these underlying causes of pain, 653 00:37:50,133 --> 00:37:52,500 or obstruction, or decreased circulation 654 00:37:52,500 --> 00:37:54,600 within the meridians. 655 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,400 And, therefore, we can alleviate pain, 656 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,100 and we can create therapeutic effects. 657 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:03,433 So how do we get there? 658 00:38:03,433 --> 00:38:07,433 How do we know where to place our needles? 659 00:38:08,633 --> 00:38:09,866 Well, we do that 660 00:38:09,866 --> 00:38:12,700 by developing what's called a pattern diagnosis. 661 00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:13,966 A pattern diagnosis 662 00:38:13,966 --> 00:38:18,033 is simply a traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis. 663 00:38:19,033 --> 00:38:23,100 We do that using some terminology 664 00:38:23,100 --> 00:38:25,033 that's a little bit different. 665 00:38:25,033 --> 00:38:27,100 The first is yin and yang. 666 00:38:27,100 --> 00:38:30,633 Yin and yang are in opposition of one another. 667 00:38:31,633 --> 00:38:35,666 And I think of yin as cool and dark. 668 00:38:35,666 --> 00:38:38,666 So it is nighttime, it is the moon, 669 00:38:38,666 --> 00:38:40,166 associated with nighttime. 670 00:38:40,166 --> 00:38:45,066 It is cold, and so it is winter as far as a season. 671 00:38:45,066 --> 00:38:47,066 Things slow down in the winter. 672 00:38:48,933 --> 00:38:51,333 As compared to yang, 673 00:38:51,333 --> 00:38:55,733 which is bright, and sunny, and warm, 674 00:38:55,733 --> 00:38:59,533 and things are moving fast, and it's summer. 675 00:38:59,533 --> 00:39:01,700 And so we look at these different things. 676 00:39:02,700 --> 00:39:05,600 And how does this come into play? 677 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:07,033 Well, I might... 678 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,000 Well, I can use the example, I should say, 679 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:15,600 of something that creates yang excess. 680 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,566 So an animal that is hot, 681 00:39:18,566 --> 00:39:22,266 that can be yang excess, meaning a fever, 682 00:39:22,266 --> 00:39:26,466 or we can have an individual that is hot 683 00:39:26,466 --> 00:39:28,900 because of yin deficiency. 684 00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:33,900 So a woman going through menopause, 685 00:39:33,900 --> 00:39:38,500 she does not actually have a fever, she is not excess yang. 686 00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:42,933 Instead, her cooling system is broken, 687 00:39:42,933 --> 00:39:46,333 causing her to be warm from time to time. 688 00:39:46,333 --> 00:39:48,600 So she has yin deficiency. 689 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,233 So it's just looking at it in two different ways. 690 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,766 So we can apply yin and yang when looking at a patient. 691 00:39:57,766 --> 00:39:59,166 We can apply it to the body. 692 00:39:59,166 --> 00:40:03,100 So parts that see the sun on one of our patients, 693 00:40:03,100 --> 00:40:05,800 a veterinary patient, that's gonna be the back, 694 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:09,066 that's gonna be the outside of the limbs. 695 00:40:09,066 --> 00:40:14,066 Those are yang meridians that pass through those areas. 696 00:40:14,066 --> 00:40:16,333 We also have yin meridians. 697 00:40:16,333 --> 00:40:19,166 The yin meridians are gonna be on the abdomen, 698 00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:21,433 they're gonna be on the inside of the legs, 699 00:40:21,433 --> 00:40:24,566 the areas that are dark; they don't see the sun. 700 00:40:24,566 --> 00:40:27,600 And if I'm looking at a situation 701 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:32,233 where a patient has a yin deficiency, 702 00:40:32,233 --> 00:40:36,033 I'm probably gonna wanna stimulate yin points 703 00:40:36,033 --> 00:40:38,766 to build up the yin system. 704 00:40:38,766 --> 00:40:40,766 And it's gonna help us in determining 705 00:40:40,766 --> 00:40:44,666 our pattern diagnosis or our diagnosis. 706 00:40:45,866 --> 00:40:49,700 We can also use the five element theory. 707 00:40:49,700 --> 00:40:53,966 And the five element theory is really fun to talk about 708 00:40:54,966 --> 00:40:59,900 because I'll discuss the five elements, 709 00:41:00,900 --> 00:41:03,866 and then sort of get to some of the fun parts as well. 710 00:41:05,066 --> 00:41:07,633 But the five elements go in this order. 711 00:41:07,633 --> 00:41:11,033 Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. 712 00:41:11,033 --> 00:41:16,033 And each of those elements has a color associated with it, 713 00:41:16,033 --> 00:41:21,300 it has a taste associated with it, and it has organs. 714 00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:25,933 So the zang-fu organs associated with each. 715 00:41:25,933 --> 00:41:30,400 Each of those has a yin and a yang organ. 716 00:41:32,066 --> 00:41:36,733 So I can choose the organ system 717 00:41:36,733 --> 00:41:41,633 that would be yin or yang for that particular animal. 718 00:41:42,633 --> 00:41:45,033 There are also sense organs and body parts, 719 00:41:45,033 --> 00:41:47,400 and we can go through all of these, 720 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:49,866 and you can see that there are, as I said, 721 00:41:49,866 --> 00:41:53,600 specific organs associated with the different elements. 722 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:57,166 But that doesn't mean much yet. 723 00:41:57,166 --> 00:41:59,800 But we can actually apply these 724 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:04,266 to conditions within the body and personality, 725 00:42:04,266 --> 00:42:06,066 and that's where it gets fun. 726 00:42:06,066 --> 00:42:08,800 When I teach this in the vet school, 727 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:15,566 I actually add links to quizzes that you can take online 728 00:42:15,566 --> 00:42:20,566 that tell you which element you are, your personality. 729 00:42:20,566 --> 00:42:21,900 So I'll go through. 730 00:42:21,900 --> 00:42:28,333 The wood personality is a very take-charge personality. 731 00:42:28,333 --> 00:42:30,600 They are the cruise director. 732 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:32,833 They're gonna tell everyone where we're going, 733 00:42:32,833 --> 00:42:35,866 and what we're doing, and this is when we're gonna go, 734 00:42:35,866 --> 00:42:38,366 and please be on time. 735 00:42:40,133 --> 00:42:47,266 For animals, I think of a police horse needing to be a wood. 736 00:42:47,266 --> 00:42:51,700 They need to be take-charge and they need to not back down 737 00:42:51,700 --> 00:42:54,033 when people are coming at them. 738 00:42:54,033 --> 00:42:59,033 So that's kind of your wood personality in a nutshell. 739 00:42:59,033 --> 00:43:03,333 When they are out of balance, when woods are out of balance, 740 00:43:03,333 --> 00:43:07,400 they're prone to tendon and ligament issues. 741 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,933 The fires, those are the social butterflies. 742 00:43:10,933 --> 00:43:15,700 And they are the poodle that comes up 743 00:43:15,700 --> 00:43:18,166 and greets everyone at the dog park. 744 00:43:18,166 --> 00:43:20,800 Dog park, every dog at the dog park, 745 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:22,300 every person at the dog park, 746 00:43:22,300 --> 00:43:24,266 and they're friends with everyone. 747 00:43:24,266 --> 00:43:26,800 They wanna come up and lick your face. 748 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,200 That's your fire. 749 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:33,733 We all know social butterflies as well, and oftentimes, 750 00:43:33,733 --> 00:43:38,733 they are prone to having arrhythmias. 751 00:43:38,733 --> 00:43:41,200 They also can be prone to anxiety. 752 00:43:42,366 --> 00:43:46,133 The earths, they're the laid-back individuals. 753 00:43:46,133 --> 00:43:50,266 So the earths are the very mellow Lab 754 00:43:50,266 --> 00:43:52,633 who is extremely friendly 755 00:43:52,633 --> 00:43:55,533 but doesn't feel the need to be in your face. 756 00:43:55,533 --> 00:43:57,666 They're going to greet you eventually 757 00:43:57,666 --> 00:43:59,100 when you come to the door, 758 00:44:00,300 --> 00:44:02,233 but again, they're not gonna charge you down 759 00:44:02,233 --> 00:44:03,966 and try and lick your face. 760 00:44:03,966 --> 00:44:05,900 So very mellow. 761 00:44:05,900 --> 00:44:08,200 Older Lab is a classic example. 762 00:44:09,700 --> 00:44:17,033 And they are prone to worry, and they're prone to overeating. 763 00:44:17,033 --> 00:44:18,900 So they're actually prone to weight gain 764 00:44:18,900 --> 00:44:21,033 when they are out of balance. 765 00:44:21,033 --> 00:44:23,866 I myself am mostly an earth, 766 00:44:25,033 --> 00:44:28,000 and do consider myself to be pretty laid-back. 767 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,233 And sure, I like to eat as well. 768 00:44:32,533 --> 00:44:38,400 The metals are best described in animals as aloof. 769 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:44,166 In humans, we would describe them as individuals 770 00:44:44,166 --> 00:44:50,100 that are a little antisocial or introverted, 771 00:44:51,100 --> 00:44:53,433 individuals that like to be by themselves, 772 00:44:53,433 --> 00:44:56,800 and they are extremely meticulous. 773 00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:02,600 So individuals that will unpack the dishwasher 774 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:04,800 to put it in the right way. 775 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:07,266 Those are your metals. 776 00:45:07,266 --> 00:45:09,933 In animals, how that manifests 777 00:45:09,933 --> 00:45:12,066 is that they're the animals that wake up 778 00:45:12,066 --> 00:45:13,766 at the same time every day, 779 00:45:13,766 --> 00:45:16,000 they eat from the same food bowl every day. 780 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:19,600 If you incorporate a new food bowl, they won't eat. 781 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:23,100 And so they're very routined animals. 782 00:45:23,100 --> 00:45:26,833 When they are out of balance, they're prone to skin issues 783 00:45:26,833 --> 00:45:29,700 and allergies and asthma. 784 00:45:30,866 --> 00:45:32,666 And then the last are the waters. 785 00:45:32,666 --> 00:45:36,700 They're extremely loyal to a small group of people. 786 00:45:36,700 --> 00:45:39,433 So they're very loyal family animals, 787 00:45:39,433 --> 00:45:41,033 but not the most social. 788 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:45,866 They are extremely loyal in people 789 00:45:45,866 --> 00:45:48,266 to a small group of friends 790 00:45:48,266 --> 00:45:50,666 and don't feel the need to be friends with everyone, 791 00:45:50,666 --> 00:45:54,533 but profoundly loyal to their group. 792 00:45:54,533 --> 00:45:59,033 In animals, we describe them a little bit as fear biters. 793 00:46:00,333 --> 00:46:03,133 And then when they are out of balance, 794 00:46:03,133 --> 00:46:06,100 they are prone to osteoarthritis, 795 00:46:06,100 --> 00:46:10,000 and they can be prone to some kidney concerns. 796 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:14,833 So there are personalities associated with all of these. 797 00:46:14,833 --> 00:46:19,833 Additionally, they are phases of life. 798 00:46:19,833 --> 00:46:22,866 So wood being the first phase of life, 799 00:46:22,866 --> 00:46:25,066 going through the phases of life, 800 00:46:25,066 --> 00:46:27,400 lastly, the water phase of life. 801 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:30,566 So if you look at water as the last phase 802 00:46:30,566 --> 00:46:32,200 of an individual's life, 803 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:36,200 a geriatric animal, or a geriatric individual, 804 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:42,000 a geriatric human, you'll see osteoarthritis is there 805 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:44,466 'cause bones are the body part. 806 00:46:44,466 --> 00:46:46,266 The sense organ is the ears. 807 00:46:46,266 --> 00:46:49,700 It's very common for individuals to lose their hearing. 808 00:46:50,700 --> 00:46:52,300 Kidney and bladder; 809 00:46:52,300 --> 00:46:55,933 we see urinary incontinence occur much more 810 00:46:55,933 --> 00:46:58,066 in our older populations. 811 00:46:58,066 --> 00:47:03,933 So we use these to help us develop that pattern diagnosis. 812 00:47:03,933 --> 00:47:09,200 So I ask a lot of questions about an animal's personality. 813 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,366 So to see what they're predisposed to. 814 00:47:13,666 --> 00:47:16,866 It also helps in determining how we can balance 815 00:47:16,866 --> 00:47:18,366 that individual. 816 00:47:18,366 --> 00:47:21,333 Because the ideal situation 817 00:47:21,333 --> 00:47:24,400 is that someone is such a perfect combination 818 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,766 of all five of these personalities 819 00:47:27,766 --> 00:47:30,233 that nobody can tell what they are 820 00:47:30,233 --> 00:47:32,966 because they are so well-balanced 821 00:47:32,966 --> 00:47:35,866 between all of the elements. 822 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:39,166 Oftentimes when people take the quiz, 823 00:47:39,166 --> 00:47:41,166 they'll find that is not the case. 824 00:47:43,133 --> 00:47:45,066 So we also talk about qi, 825 00:47:45,066 --> 00:47:47,533 and qi is one of those things, as I said, 826 00:47:47,533 --> 00:47:50,566 that gets really hard for people to wrap their head around. 827 00:47:51,566 --> 00:47:55,266 Well, qi is best if we really just break it down 828 00:47:55,266 --> 00:47:59,500 into the words like energy or health. 829 00:47:59,500 --> 00:48:02,066 I'd really like to use the word health 830 00:48:02,066 --> 00:48:04,300 in place of qi. 831 00:48:04,300 --> 00:48:08,433 So when I talk about improving qi in a limb, 832 00:48:08,433 --> 00:48:10,300 what I might really be saying 833 00:48:10,300 --> 00:48:14,000 is I want to improve the health of that limb 834 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:15,466 because in reality, 835 00:48:15,466 --> 00:48:20,866 qi is an overarching, all-encompassing term 836 00:48:20,866 --> 00:48:24,500 for many smaller components of qi. 837 00:48:24,500 --> 00:48:28,633 For example, there's something called gu qi. 838 00:48:28,633 --> 00:48:32,533 And on my diagram, you can see it's sort of in the top left. 839 00:48:32,533 --> 00:48:35,566 Gu qi, and that is food qi. 840 00:48:35,566 --> 00:48:40,066 That is the energy or the health that you get from food. 841 00:48:41,066 --> 00:48:47,300 So we all know that if you eat healthy food, 842 00:48:47,300 --> 00:48:48,866 you will be in better health 843 00:48:48,866 --> 00:48:53,733 than if you eat food that is not as healthy for you. 844 00:48:53,733 --> 00:48:56,733 That is something that's been proven time and time again, 845 00:48:56,733 --> 00:49:00,766 and we know it from elementary school on. 846 00:49:00,766 --> 00:49:04,333 There's also qi associated with environmental factors. 847 00:49:04,333 --> 00:49:07,066 So when the pollen is really high, 848 00:49:07,066 --> 00:49:10,200 I am not gonna be in as good of health 849 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,733 because I have seasonal allergies. 850 00:49:12,733 --> 00:49:16,500 There's also the immune system qi. 851 00:49:16,500 --> 00:49:21,300 So all of these different components that make up qi. 852 00:49:21,300 --> 00:49:24,566 So when I am saying qi, 853 00:49:24,566 --> 00:49:26,800 I'm actually describing something 854 00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:30,266 that has multiple smaller components to it. 855 00:49:30,266 --> 00:49:34,000 And when we start to break that down and really look at it, 856 00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:37,800 we can understand how qi can be the, 857 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:39,933 it's all-encompassing word, 858 00:49:39,933 --> 00:49:43,000 and it makes it a little bit more digestible for people 859 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:47,100 that have a hard time talking about qi 860 00:49:47,100 --> 00:49:48,866 or energy within a body. 861 00:49:50,666 --> 00:49:52,733 So we use things like yin and yang, 862 00:49:52,733 --> 00:49:56,133 and our organ systems, and our five element, 863 00:49:56,133 --> 00:49:59,300 and we make a pattern diagnosis. 864 00:49:59,300 --> 00:50:00,900 And when we do that, 865 00:50:00,900 --> 00:50:03,966 we might also incorporate a few other things 866 00:50:03,966 --> 00:50:06,966 in addition to their personality and things like that. 867 00:50:06,966 --> 00:50:09,966 We can include pulses. 868 00:50:09,966 --> 00:50:13,133 So practitioners that are really adept 869 00:50:13,133 --> 00:50:15,200 at traditional Chinese medicine 870 00:50:15,200 --> 00:50:20,200 can actually feel pulses differently in three locations. 871 00:50:21,200 --> 00:50:24,333 Along the wrist and the wrist here. 872 00:50:24,333 --> 00:50:29,133 In animals, we might use their femoral pulses, 873 00:50:29,133 --> 00:50:31,900 so just on the inside of the back legs. 874 00:50:31,900 --> 00:50:34,000 But you can actually feel the pulse differently 875 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:35,533 in each location, 876 00:50:35,533 --> 00:50:39,100 and you can actually start to interpret what is happening 877 00:50:39,100 --> 00:50:42,733 within the body based on the strength of the pulses 878 00:50:42,733 --> 00:50:44,933 in these different locations. 879 00:50:44,933 --> 00:50:46,133 I've been doing acupuncture 880 00:50:46,133 --> 00:50:50,666 for many, many years, 15 years-ish, 881 00:50:51,666 --> 00:50:54,633 and I am not adept at doing this. 882 00:50:54,633 --> 00:50:57,733 There are practitioners that will feel pulses 883 00:50:57,733 --> 00:50:59,100 for 10 to 15 minutes, 884 00:50:59,100 --> 00:51:01,600 and they'll be able to list off all the things 885 00:51:01,600 --> 00:51:06,600 that are wrong with you with a high degree of accuracy. 886 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:09,333 So there are people that are extremely skilled 887 00:51:09,333 --> 00:51:10,900 at feeling pulses. 888 00:51:12,033 --> 00:51:13,833 I do look at tongue. 889 00:51:13,833 --> 00:51:15,900 So we don't think of the tongue 890 00:51:15,900 --> 00:51:19,400 as having changes in color necessarily, 891 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:21,900 but there are actually locations of the tongue 892 00:51:21,900 --> 00:51:25,533 that are associated with different elements, 893 00:51:25,533 --> 00:51:30,500 or we can say the organs 894 00:51:30,500 --> 00:51:33,066 that are associated with those elements. 895 00:51:33,066 --> 00:51:36,200 So you can see spleen and stomach in the center. 896 00:51:36,200 --> 00:51:37,733 And so we can look at that, 897 00:51:37,733 --> 00:51:41,533 and we can look at the color changes of the tongue 898 00:51:41,533 --> 00:51:43,733 in these different locations 899 00:51:43,733 --> 00:51:46,966 to see what is happening within the body. 900 00:51:46,966 --> 00:51:49,766 So a really good example 901 00:51:49,766 --> 00:51:52,833 is a pale tongue being qi deficient. 902 00:51:54,233 --> 00:51:58,100 So when I look at the color of the tongue, 903 00:51:59,266 --> 00:52:03,000 when veterinary students are going through finals, 904 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:06,333 they almost all have qi stagnation, 905 00:52:06,333 --> 00:52:08,800 which is the lower left corner. 906 00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:11,366 That is a pale tongue in the middle, 907 00:52:11,366 --> 00:52:14,866 so that's that qi deficiency in the middle, 908 00:52:14,866 --> 00:52:16,966 but where the heart is, 909 00:52:16,966 --> 00:52:19,300 and I said anxiety is associated with heart, 910 00:52:19,300 --> 00:52:24,300 with that fire element, they get a bright red tongue. 911 00:52:24,300 --> 00:52:26,800 And so during finals time, 912 00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:28,900 almost all the students have a pale tongue 913 00:52:28,900 --> 00:52:31,200 with a bright red tip. 914 00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:34,000 And so we see these changes, 915 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,233 and it can help us determine what is happening 916 00:52:36,233 --> 00:52:37,866 within the body. 917 00:52:37,866 --> 00:52:39,200 And you say, 918 00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,900 "Well, how can the tongue actually look that different?" 919 00:52:41,900 --> 00:52:43,600 Well, it can look quite different. 920 00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:47,766 So you can see our friend in the top left corner 921 00:52:48,866 --> 00:52:51,266 has a little bit more of a pale center 922 00:52:51,266 --> 00:52:54,633 with a brighter red tip. 923 00:52:55,966 --> 00:53:00,700 The ideal color is called peach petal. 924 00:53:00,700 --> 00:53:05,100 And the dog on the bottom has that color more 925 00:53:05,100 --> 00:53:07,433 around the edge of the tongue, 926 00:53:07,433 --> 00:53:11,533 with it being a little bit more pale in the spleen center. 927 00:53:12,700 --> 00:53:15,500 The dog in the top right 928 00:53:15,500 --> 00:53:19,466 has more of that red, dark red color, 929 00:53:19,466 --> 00:53:23,600 which if it starts going a little bit towards a purple 930 00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:25,800 is an indication of stagnation, 931 00:53:25,800 --> 00:53:28,333 which is usually stress or pain in the body. 932 00:53:28,333 --> 00:53:30,400 So I'm definitely gonna be looking for pain 933 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:31,866 within that patient. 934 00:53:34,333 --> 00:53:37,933 So I take all of these factors into account 935 00:53:37,933 --> 00:53:40,800 when I am looking at a particular patient, 936 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:46,800 and I develop a pattern diagnoses or a diagnosis, 937 00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:50,833 so that I can treat the patient as an individual. 938 00:53:50,833 --> 00:53:52,433 So if I'm looking at acupuncture 939 00:53:52,433 --> 00:53:55,900 for something like osteoarthritis, 940 00:53:55,900 --> 00:53:59,600 I'm gonna look at each case individually. 941 00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:03,933 Western medicine might treat patients very similarly, 942 00:54:03,933 --> 00:54:08,800 whereas the acupuncture in the traditional Chinese medicine 943 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:11,200 is gonna parse it out a little bit more. 944 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:15,333 So I might look at two patients 945 00:54:15,333 --> 00:54:19,900 that actually are very similar in their presentation. 946 00:54:19,900 --> 00:54:24,400 So they both have a history of osteoarthritis. 947 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:27,300 NSAID's help, but lately, it hasn't been helping. 948 00:54:29,866 --> 00:54:34,500 I then gather more information about each of these patients. 949 00:54:35,500 --> 00:54:38,200 I ask questions about their personality. 950 00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:41,433 So it looks like Max is pretty mellow and easygoing, 951 00:54:41,433 --> 00:54:43,033 more likely an earth, 952 00:54:43,033 --> 00:54:46,533 whereas Hank is that fear biter; he's a water. 953 00:54:46,533 --> 00:54:52,533 And I start to see that Max is seeking out warm locations. 954 00:54:52,533 --> 00:54:57,566 So he's cold a lot, whereas Hank is the opposite. 955 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:03,500 And I look at their tongue and I make a pattern diagnosis. 956 00:55:04,500 --> 00:55:09,166 And these two cases that come in looking very similar 957 00:55:09,166 --> 00:55:12,266 actually have two different pattern diagnoses. 958 00:55:13,400 --> 00:55:17,100 Max has kidney yang deficiency, 959 00:55:17,100 --> 00:55:21,266 whereas Hank has kidney yin deficiency. 960 00:55:21,266 --> 00:55:23,166 So they sound very similar, 961 00:55:23,166 --> 00:55:26,266 but they can be treated individually. 962 00:55:28,066 --> 00:55:31,000 So I can pick points that are very similar for both of them 963 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:32,500 that are just going to be points 964 00:55:32,500 --> 00:55:35,733 that are gonna work on the areas of the body that hurt, 965 00:55:37,433 --> 00:55:40,866 but I also can work on points 966 00:55:40,866 --> 00:55:45,266 that treat that underlying pattern diagnosis. 967 00:55:45,266 --> 00:55:49,166 So, for one, increasing the yin within the body. 968 00:55:49,166 --> 00:55:54,166 The other is really toning down the yang within the body. 969 00:55:55,166 --> 00:55:58,333 And so we start to balance it that way, 970 00:55:58,333 --> 00:56:02,066 and we treat them as individuals with the points that we choose. 971 00:56:03,066 --> 00:56:04,966 And there are nice flow charts 972 00:56:04,966 --> 00:56:07,633 that help us with this in the beginning 973 00:56:07,633 --> 00:56:12,633 because it is a lot to learn, and a lot to understand, 974 00:56:12,633 --> 00:56:15,333 and a whole different language, as I said, 975 00:56:15,333 --> 00:56:19,066 from the Western medicine perspective, 976 00:56:19,066 --> 00:56:22,666 and the Western medicine approach, 977 00:56:22,666 --> 00:56:25,833 and the traditional Chinese medicine approach. 978 00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:31,600 So I wanted to share this with you 979 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:35,433 because I'm passionate about acupuncture, 980 00:56:35,433 --> 00:56:38,700 and I want people to understand 981 00:56:38,700 --> 00:56:40,400 that we can talk about the history 982 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:44,000 and we can talk about these things like yin and yang 983 00:56:44,000 --> 00:56:47,600 without alienating the Western medicine 984 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:52,400 and the science that comes and goes hand in hand 985 00:56:52,400 --> 00:56:53,566 with acupuncture. 986 00:56:54,566 --> 00:56:56,433 So it's really marrying 987 00:56:56,433 --> 00:56:59,100 the traditional Chinese medicine approach 988 00:56:59,100 --> 00:57:01,266 and the scientific approach, 989 00:57:01,266 --> 00:57:03,833 and using them both in combination 990 00:57:03,833 --> 00:57:06,900 to do what is best for the patient. 991 00:57:06,900 --> 00:57:12,300 So I thank you for sticking with me throughout this talk. 992 00:57:12,300 --> 00:57:15,533 And I hope that you learned something 993 00:57:15,533 --> 00:57:20,733 and are open to talking about acupuncture in the future. 994 00:57:20,733 --> 00:57:22,066 Thank you so much.