Migraines and the Efficacy of Massage Therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine

75% of adults ages 18-65 have reported experiencing a headache in the last year. 14.7% of the world population suffers from migraines, typically one a month. 2% suffer from chronic migraines, suffering 15+ days per month. Women are three times more likely than men to be afflicted. While headaches are common and tolerable, not affecting daily life, migraines are deeply misunderstood. The suffering is invisible, left at home, the afflicted cancelling plans last minute, calling out of work, remaining isolated for hours or even days. For those not understanding migraines, the thought of staying home from work or cancelling on friends for a mere headache seems like a cop out or of weak constitution. The misunderstanding is that a migraine is just another word for headache, synonymous in meaning, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Migraine is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a severe throbbing pain or pulsing sensation, often presented on one side of the head (usually the left), and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. They can last for hours or even days, with pain so severe it interferes with daily life. Four typical phases have been identified:

Phase 1 - Prodrome: warning signs up to 72 hours before a migraine hits, include severe exhaustion, hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, food cravings, sleepiness, and/or neck pain;

Phase 2 - Aura: visual disturbance reported in 33% of those suffering from migraines and may last from 20-60 minutes. Vision may be interrupted by sparkly spots, zigzag lines, or tunnel vision; can present in vertigo, ear ringing, or temporary paralysis on one side of the body; pins and needles sensation in face, hands, arms or legs;

Phase 3 - Migraine Attack: throbbing, piercing, or pulsating, difficult to manage the pain with medication; sensitivity to light, sound, smell; nausea and vomiting; can occur over hours or days;

Phase 4 - Postdrome: recovery period in which the afflicted may feel exhausted, sluggish, confused, and/or depressed.

The cause behind migraine is fairly unclear, however, it is generally accepted that genetics and environmental factors play a role. Although previously considered a vascular issue, migraine is actually a neurological disease. Leading research focuses on interactions with the trigeminal nerve (a major pain pathway) or imbalances in brain chemicals (like serotonin) to try to find a cause. Triggers include: 

• hormonal changes in women, 
• drinks: alcohol, too much caffeine
• stress
• sensory stimuli: bright lights, sun glare, loud sounds, strong smells 
• sleep changes: lacking sleep, too much sleep, jet lag
• physical exertion
• weather changes/barometric pressure
• medications: oral contraceptives, vasodilators
• foods: types of food eaten or the lack of food/skipping a meal
• food additives: ex. aspartame

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the cause of migraines either an environmental invasion of external wind, cold, heat, dampness (i.e. sitting directly in the fan of frigid air-conditioning) or poor lifestyle creating imbalances of the body’s vitals (i.e. poor sleep, high stress) (Quek). There are five types of migraine, according to TCM:

“1. Liver-Yang Aggression: Pulsaing/throbbing headaches triggered by heat, stress or foul temper, dizziness and confusion, dry mouth, insomnia, painful and itchy eyes, yellowish urine. 

2. Stagnant Blood: Localized sharp piercing pain with throbbing sensations, painful when pressed on even when not going through a migraine attack, dry mouth in the night, dried and flaky skin, sharp pains in the eyes. 

3. External Wind and Cold: Headaches triggered by cold or dry air, mild dizziness, stiff neck, aversion to cold environment, pain alleviated by a hot compress. 

4. Liver-Qi Stagnation: Expanding, throbbing headaches, triggered by stress or negative emotions, depression, mood swings, breathlessness, loss of appetite. 

5. Phlegm Blockage: Heavy and pulsating headaches, extreme dizziness and sleepiness, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, indigestion, reduced urination, irregular bowel movements.” (Quek)

TCM suggests treating migraine with acupuncture, typically most effective in the middle of an episode, but also effective at the prodrome or aura stages. TuiNa, especially for those with an aversion to needles, is effective for all stages of migraine and help with migraine prevention and symptom reduction. Scraping, to remove myofascial trigger points. And herbal medication, for all stages, to help alleviate symptoms.

Because TCM treats the person as an individual, there isn’t one single diagnosis. Western medicine has options for injections and medications, both prescription and over-the-top, to assist with oncoming attacks, during attacks, and the prevention of attacks. Research is still developing, and as with TCM, there is no one size fits all treatment in Western medicine. 

SOURCES

“Facts and Figures.” The Migraine Trust, 5 July 2019, www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-it/facts-figures/. 

Golden, Katie M. “Tackling Migraines Head-On: Massage Therapy Journal.” American Massage Therapy Association, 23 May 2017, www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/tackling-migraines-head-on/. 

“Migraine.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Jan. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201. 

“People with Migraine Endure More Social Stigma than Those with Asthma.” American Headache Society, 16 Feb. 2016, americanheadachesociety.org/news/people-with-migraine-endure-greater-social-stigma-than-those-with-asthma-same-as-those-with-epilepsy-or-panic-disorder-2/. 

Quek, Ardy. “Migraine 101 - Causes & TCM Treatments.” PULSE TCM, 28 Oct. 2020, www.pulsetcm.sg/migraine-101-causes-and-tcm-treatments/#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20causes%20of,head%20and%20triggering%20migraine%20episodes. 

images: 

https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/can-headaches-worsen-in-number/

https://migrainebuddy.com/migraine/2018/9/27/the-stages-of-a-migraine-migraine-attack

https://sofiatrends.com/?s=headacheno,%20headache%20relief,%20tension%20headaches.html

Insomnia - Essential Oils and Ear Reflexology

Q:  What kind of essential oils and things can I use for insomnia?

A:  First, let’s look at insomnia energetically in terms of Yin and Yang.

The light side is Yang, and the dark side is Yin.  Yin is very quiet, calm, peaceful, and Yang is awake, alive, active.  With insomnia, you get into a place where these are supposed to change into each other, and the Yang is having a problem transforming into the Yin.

All the Yang activity in the body is having a hard time changing and transforming into the quiet Yin aspect. The ability to attain and maintain a state of Yin is our goal for treatment purposes.

There are a number of different things that can be the root of insomnia, however that’s more detail than we’re going to get into here.  Let’s look at some things that we can definitely try that will work in many cases.

Step #1 is to look for some essential oils that tonify (strengthen) Yin. Remember, Yin is the cooling, calm, peaceful state that we want. Five oils that are fairly common that we can use are:

• Sage
• Spikenard
• Coriander
• Lavender
• German Chamomile

We can use one single oil above, or blend 2-3 together. Of course, there are other oils that will work, but these five are fairly easy to find on the market. See if you have one or more of these oils on hand.

Once we have the oil(s) ready, we’ll dilute them down into some carrier oil. Then there are specific areas of the body that we can apply them to.

Spikenard is a super relaxing oil, and if you use this in massage, you may want to have somebody just sit for a little while afterward so they don’t have to drive immediately.

Coriander is another one that’s a very calming, cooling oil. In the video I chose to use Coriander and Lavender together. They smell beautiful and really give us a nice, relaxing blend.

DILUTING THE ESSENTIAL OILS

For single use, which is a very small amount to use right now, place 1/2 tsp of carrier oil in a small bowl, and then add 2 drops of Coriander plus 2 drops of Lavender.  This is a total of 4 drops essential oil for a one-time use which is strong.

To make a larger 1-oz. blend to use on a more regular basis, use 1-oz. carrier oil and add 20 to 24 drops total of essential oils.

After mixing up the diluted essential oils, we’re going to apply it on the body as follows:

Apply to the inner wrist on both arms.  There are several acupoints in this area that calm and quiet the Heart. (Pericardium-6 and 7,and Heart-4 to7)

Next, apply the oil around the ankle area, focusing on the top of the ankle joint area and the inner ankles. (Stomach-41, Liver-4, Spleen-5, Kidney-3)

If you are a Massage Therapist and you want to add this into a treatment, or maybe you want to do this at home on your family member, apply in this order:

-       inner wrists

-       inner ankles and top of the ankles

-       then do a nice application on the back, especially along the spine

-       end with an entire 10-15 minute foot massage

It will be really hard for somebody to stay awake after this!

If you’d like, follow the video here for a visual demonstration of the ear acupressure massage.  You can do this on yourself or on somebody else.

Ear reflexology, also called Auricular Therapy when done with acupuncture, is a powerful technique. We use this extensively in the acupuncture clinic because it works amazingly well. Instead of needles you can also use your hand to do acupressure on the same areas.

There are more than 100 acupoints on our ear. We’re going to use some special points on the ear beneficial for insomnia. See below for Insomnia area 1, Insomnia area 2, the Tranquilizer point area, and the whole ear lobe.

This is Insomnia area 1, towards the rim  and slightly above the lobe.  I generally use this area when someone can’t sleep because they are thinking too much.

This is Insomnia area 2, just over half way up the area just inside the rim.  I generally use this area when someone can’t sleep and they toss and turn or move around a lot, or if there is any kind of agitation involved.

This is the Tranquilizer point area.  It is very calming.

You can choose to focus on one area, but it won’t hurt to massage all of them.

We’re also going to use the entire earlobe where many points correspond to the face and the head, the whole brain area, and it’s extremely calming to the head.

HOW TO DO THE EAR MASSAGE

You can massage both ears together, or one at a time – whichever is more comfortable for you. This massage can be done to someone else, or to yourself.

Apply a small amount of the diluted essential oil blend to your fingers.

Start by just squeezing the lobe and then gently squeezing up around the whole ear, including the inside.

Stop and incorporate the Insomnia areas and the Tranquilizer point.  You can focus on these by rubbing or pressing them about 24 times each.  Be sure to use gentle pressure that is relaxing.

Continue to massage the entire ear, coming back to the 4 special areas several times.

This massage should last 2-5 minutes.

QIGONG EXERCISE – JOINING FIRE AND WATER

In order to help change Yang (active) into Yin (peaceful), try the following QiGong exercise.  This is great to do either right before bed, or you can also do it even while you’re in bed.

Focus on breathing to your Dan Tian – the area below your navel – is very calming and helps to strengthen the Yin aspect.

Slowly, gently, move with your breath.

Inhale and guide your hands up.  This brings Water energy from the Dan Tian up to the Heart Center.

Exhale and guide your hands back down.  This calms the Yang energy down and settles it.

Continue to inhale up. Exhale down. Just keep on moving with your own rhythm, your own breath.

Do this anywhere from 8 to 24 times, and if it feels really good, up to 5 minutes.

Have a good night.

Featuring Essential Oil and Oriental Medicine Instructor, Cynthia McMullen, LMT, MQT, SM

Essential Oil Acupressure for Rosacea

Q:  What can I do for rosacea?

A:  Rosacea (named for rosy cheeks) is a red skin irritation on the face. It can be anywhere from light and mild to very noticeable and uncomfortable.  A doctor must diagnose whether or not red skin on the face is actually rosacea or something else.

There are some really nice things we can do with essential oils for this condition, and they involve using the oils with acupressure on the arms and legs – not applying essential oils to the face which may irritate the condition even more.

In Chinese medicine, rosacea is often energetically related to too much heat in the stomach and the lungs rising up to the face.  This can be from many different things, so be sure to talk with a qualified Acupuncturist to determine how this might apply to you.

Here are 5 essential oils to choose from that will help to clear heat:

• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Palmarosa
• Clary Sage
• German Chamomile

While there are more essential oils to choose from, I picked these five because they tend to be fairly common and easily available on the market.  See if you have one or more of these oils on hand.

We’re going to blend between 1-3 of these oils together, dilute them into a carrier oil, and apply them to some acupressure points on the arm and also on the foot.

In the video, I chose to work with a nice blend of Lemon and Peppermint diluted in Avacado carrier oil, however you could use any plain carrier oil you have on hand.

For single use oil – meaning you’re going to mix a very small amount to use right now – use ½ tsp carrier oil.  To this add 2 drops of Peppermint and 2 drops of Lemon for a total of 4 drops essential oil.  Stir that together with your finger, then it’s ready to apply.

You can also make a 1-oz. size bottle if you plan to use this blend often over a period of time.   For this, fill the bottle with carrier oil, then add up to 20-24 drops of the essential oils you are using.

For example, if I was going to use Lemon and Peppermint, I might split that in half and add 10 drops of Peppermint and 10 drops of Lemon to 1 oz carrier oil. Shake it well and place a label on it with the purpose, oils used, and date.  Stored properly, this will keep for approximately 1 year.

APPLYING THE OILS – ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUE (demonstrated in the video)

On the arm, we’re going to be using the Large Intestine and the Lung Meridians. The area we’ll focus on goes from the elbow crease down into the muscle on the thumb (thenar eminence).

Take some of the diluted essential oil blend and apply it to the whole top section of the lower arm.  Use your fingers to glide along this area, going from the elbow towards the hand, ending between the thumb and the index finger, which is acupoint Large Intestine 4 on the outside and Lung 10 in the middle of the thenar eminence.

The acupoints to focus on at the elbow crease are Large Intestine 11 and Lung 5. Applying the oil to these areas is going to allow the acupoints and the meridians in the arm carry the cooling, clearing-heat energy of the oils through these meridians and into the face.

Because heat rises up, as in rising from the body up to the face, focus on using a downward stroke direction with an image of pulling heat down from the face to the hand and out. Be sure to lightly squeeze the acupoints and meridians along the edge of the arm.

Do this anywhere from 8 - 24 times, and if someone’s face is severely red and irritated, you could do this up to 50 times.

If, for any reason, the oil starts to get dry, it’s fine to apply a little bit more. When you’re done with one arm, repeat on the opposite arm. You can also do this to yourself.

Moving on to the foot, we’re going to apply these same oils focusing mainly on the inner foot and ankle area.

We’ll use a strong point for heat in the face, which is Stomach 44. It’s located in the webbing between the second and third toes.  Apply some of the essential oil blend there, and also to the inside of the foot, right along the edge of the arch.  Come up the foot, and then circle around the inner ankle. In this area, we’re using acupoints Spleen 4 and also Kidney 3, which can both be used for cooling the upper body.

The acupoints in the feet are helping to clear heat. The Stomach Meridian begins in the face and travels all the way down to end at the second toe. It is strongly associated with rosacea in the face so even working down at the foot, we’re affecting the upper body.

Stimulate Stomach 44 acupoint anywhere from 8 - 24, or even up to 50 times. You can also just leave your finger resting gently on the point until you feel a Qi sensation, which might feel like a magnetic pulsation or an energetic movement of some kind. Try this energetically for up to 2 minutes.

Next, focus on the inner side of the foot and glide along right in the middle of the arch.  There’s a place where you’re going to just come to a nice, natural stop at the edge of a bone. This is acupoint Spleen 4. Finally, glide around to the inner ankle.  Right in the middle between the ankle and the Achilles tendon is acupoints Kidney 3.

Glide along this area anywhere from 8 – 24, or up to 50 times. How I decide on the number is that is if someone has very mild red in their face, I would do this 8 to 24 times. The more severe the redness is, the higher number of times, going up to 50.

HOW OFTEN TO DO THIS

Repeat this treatment one time every day to both arms and both feet.

USING HYDROSOLS ON THE FACE

Make a hydrosol spritz. Get a little finger mister bottle and fill with hydrosols and Aloe. Hydrosols are the water by-product of essential oil distillation. There are some really nice companies out there that produce them. See the end for links to my favorites.

Some good choices for cooling are Melissa and Rose, and these are both very nice on facial skin. One of my favorite hydrosol companies, Oshadhi, has an Aloe 10:1 product that blends beautifully with hydrosols.  You can also add any pure aloe gel as long as the consistency is thin.

Hydrosols smell beautiful, and they are much milder than essential oils.  You really don’t want essential oils or carrier oil on your face when it is red and irritated. For the hydrosol and aloe blend, spray it lightly on our facial skin.  It should feel nice and cooling.  If for any reason it feels irritating, discontinue use.

QIGONG EXERCISE TO COMPLEMENT THE TREATMENT

After the acupressure treatment and hydrosol facial spritz, it’s time to end with QiGong. This exercise is called Two Hands Draw Down Cool Rain.

Connect with your breath.

As you inhale, bring your hands up over your head.

Exhale, and moving with your breath let your hands lower down. Imagine that you’re hands are gently guiding cool rain over your body. It’s taking all that heat and cooling it off.   

Inhale up. Exhale down.

Repeat this exercise 8 - 24 times, or for up to about 5 minutes. You can use this for high blood pressure also. QiGong feels so nice and so relaxing. Just move with your breath.

Recommended Resources for Hydrosols (Hydrolats)

Oshadhi

www.oshadhi.co.uk

White Sage Landing

www.whitesagelanding.net

(Enter Code CMCM when ordering from White Sage Landing.)

Featuring Essential Oil and Oriental Medicine Instructor Cynthia McMullen, LMT, MQT, SM

Abdominal Cupping Treatment

Overview of an excellent Abdominal Cupping Massage our students learn. Digestion is so important to our overall health, and this treatment has numerous therapeutic benefits including weight loss, bloating, constipation, and more. We offer this as a specialty treatment in our professional clinic, and also in a supervised advanced student clinic.

Acupuncture & Massage to Quit Smoking

Natural Therapies to Quit Smoking

Acupuncture & Herbs
Massage Therapy
Meditation
See Video at end for demonstration of Acupressure Massage w Essential Oils

Many people turn to acupuncture when they want to quit smoking. This is because acupuncture can be a gentle and effective way to

·         reduce cravings

·         detoxify the lungs

·         stabilize emotions while quitting

Acupuncture is a therapy that works with your desire to quit and helps manage the change as easily as possible. It is not a magic bullet to rely on to do everything for you.

Auricular Therapy, which is Acupuncture needles inserted into special points in and around the ear, is a powerful treatment for over 185 symptoms and diseases.  We use this extensively to help quit smoking because it is known to work so well.

     

YOU DO have to be ready to quit. YOU DO have to be willing to shift to the identity of being a non-smoker. YOU DO have to make necessary lifestyle changes to support yourself.

On a biochemical level, addiction to cigarettes creates an imbalance in the way that serotonin and dopamine are regulated in the brain. You need a constant fix of nicotine in order to keep a relative balance in the neurotransmitter levels. When nicotine is removed, then serotonin levels plummet which causes irritability, fatigue, anxiety, and sometimes depression. Acupuncture has been clinically shown to regulate these vital brain chemicals without causing unwanted side effects.

Herbs:  Depending on your personal circumstances, health status, and medications, Acupuncture is often combined with Chinese herbs.  There are some excellent formulas that help to moderate withdrawal symptoms, diminish cravings, and calm emotions.

How Treatment Works: 

1. It’s best to get a full assessment intake with a special “Clearing Treatment” first. Needles are inserted into very strong points along your spine. This helps clean and balance your Qi before specific treatment begins.
2. We recommend coming in more frequently at first, such as 2-3 times per week, and then taper off as you change and cravings are decreased and much easier to get over.
3. It is always important to Not Smoke for at least 1-2 hours before you come in. Auricular Therapy works best when you are actually craving a cigarette – not after you’ve just had one and the craving is satisfied. Don’t worry, though. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well the needles stop the craving.

Yes, Get Massage.  The way that massage promotes the relaxation response while at the same time helping your body to naturally detoxify is a huge benefit while going through this entire process. We have a student clinic, professional massage therapists, and even the instructors at our school who can add in specific essential oils and energy work to help you achieve success.

Meditation can also be a profound resource for people trying to quit. Mindfulness exercises help with developing space around the cravings and observing them in a neutral state of awareness. This helps to take a lot of the momentum out of the energy of addiction. It gives one a deep inner resource to draw upon when difficulties arise.  We offer classes that include meditation, and we can teach you how to easily do it on your own.

To schedule, contact us at:
main reception: 907-279-0135
community acupuncture clinic:  907-929-4525

Massage and TCM for Frozen Shoulder Syndrome FSS

Frozen Shoulder Syndrome (FSS) also known as adhesive capsulitis, rarely is a result from an underlying illness or pathology. It is fairly common affecting 2-5% of the population and is considered a medical enigma, once cured rarely comes back to the same side. It is often misdiagnosed and Western Medicine defines it as “a stiff shoulder with less than 50% of normal range of active and passive motion in any direction.

 The initial phase maybe characterized by an exquisite sharp catching spasm either spontaneously or due to trauma and pain at night, by phase II the night pain has gone away but ROM has decreased further.

The shoulder ball and socket joint is surrounded by a fluid filled bag containing 35-70ml of synovial fluid. During FSS the capsule thickens and becomes tight, fluid levels drop to 5-10ml of fluid, this is a 75% decrease in fluid. Stiff bands of tissue (referred to as adhesions) may start to develop in and around the capsule due to inflammation. Inflammation may start in the groove behind the biceps tendon, (long head of the biceps also known as the rotator interval).

The stiffness is due to an over reaction of the body to the inflammation. The body then switches off the muscles of the rotator cuff in a coordinated fashion. Without treatment this condition will last an average of 30 months (3yrs). This is fascinating as the body will eventually recover if you are too lazy for the possible treatments that will be discussed later.

The stages are as follows: I) pre-freezing 0-4 weeks II) Freezing 1-8 months

III) Frozen 9-16 months IV)Thawing 12-40 months

FSS is more common in diabetics as 10-20% of the population are affected as opposed to 2-5%, this is due to the accumulation of sugar and alcohol in the tissues and specifically collagen. It is also more common in women than men 60%-40% and of course more common in women going through menopause.

A major factor causing FSS according to Janet Travell, author of “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual” are trigger points in the subscapularis muscle. The subscapularis muscle is one of the four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff. This muscle attaches to the inner surface of the scapula and to the front of the humerus, mainly responsible for holding the humerus in place during arm movements.

Trigger points are sensitive nodules in musculature that cause referred pain. Research shows that the pain referral pattern for the subscapularis is as follows: Pain concentrates on the back of the deltoid, extends back over scapula, then down the back or side of upper arm, pain skips forearm but appears again as a band around the wrist with more intense pain on the back of the wrist.

During phase I a person can reach up but experiences pain reaching backwards so FSS can be referred to as pitchers arm. This article goes into healing with acupuncture and it refers to SI-3 located on the side of the hand, this point is used to alleviate shoulder and upper back pain around scapula. It also stresses having good posture and not slouching or collapsing forward.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Chinese term for FSS is “wushi jian”, 50yr shoulder referring to the typical age of onset of the disorder. The Chinese Medicine patterns of FSS are as follows:

• wind-cold-dampness invading
• kidney and liver deficiency 
• and Qi and blood stagnation. 

The meridians associated with the pain referral path of FSS correlate to the Fire Element. Indicating that the fire meridians are weak and not able to warm the shoulder area enough. The invading wind is related to the Wood Element, so these are two elements that you could start looking at while evaluating your client. An herbal formula would contain herbs to vitalize and nourish the blood while dispelling wind and warming the meridians.

One of the earliest Chinese reports of acupuncture for FSS was published in 1991. Zhang Maohai focused on on Pt (yang ling guan) GB-34 located on the leg, needled on the affected side only. He used a deep insertion needling technique (2.0-2.5 cun deep). Followed by rotating and thrusting to get the Qi reaction, needle in the Pt for 30min and maneuvering the needle every 3-5 mins while patient was attempting to move the shoulder joint. The selection of this point is interesting, traditionally GB-34 is indicated for treatment of lower limb disorders, but effects of this Pt are also thought to extend upward along the GB meridian which traverses the costal region of the shoulder. GB-34 is indicated for soothing and moistening the sinews.

Another distal Pt for FSS is ST-38, Tiao kou, located 8 sun below ST-35, one finger width lateral from the anterior border of the tibia. ST-38 is indicated for shoulder pain and specifically adhesive capsulitis. The local Pts proven to be effective for FSS are SI-9 through SI-15, a key point being bing feng SI-12, found at the attachment zone for the shoulder capsule. These points are located over the entire scapula and costal region.

Shoulder issues and specifically FSS will be a common syndrome that clients will come to Massage Therapists with. Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture and Massage Therapy teaches a massage treatment for FSS that involves acupressure points.

The protocol is as follows and can be incorporated into a full body massage or just a spot treatment for the affected shoulder.

MASSAGE ACUPRESSURE PROTOCOL:
Warm up the affected arm and hand then treat the Large Intestine (LI) pain pathway: LI-11 located at the elbow crease 8x, move down to the belly of the brachioradialis LI-10 8x, move down 1 cun to the flat tendon LI-9 8x, then down to LI-4 at the thumb crease mountain 8x. Do this pattern 3x then connect LI-11 with LI-4 8x. Then work directly over the scapula on the affected side with the Small Intestine acupressure points SI-9-SI-15 8x each 3x through.

The information presented in this article should provide you with some good guidelines to get you started on your own research.

References:

1) Frozenshoulder.com Neil-Asher technique

2) Acutakehealth.com "The Cure for Frozen Shoulder That No One Talks About" by Sara Calabro

3) "Treatment of Frozen Shoulder Using TCM" by Subhuti Dharmanada, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon

4) Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy, Cynthia McMullen, TCM Instructor

Essential Oils for the Heart Center (Fire Element)

Flowers are the Heart (Fire Element) of the plant. We can change the vibration of our Heart Center energy by applying a diluted Flower essential oil to acupoints such as:

Pericardium - 6 (Nei Guan)
Pericardium - 8 (Lao Gong)
Conception Vessel / Ren - 17 (Shan Zhong)
Conception Vessel / Ren - 6 (Qi Hai)
Stomach - 41 (Jie Xi)
Personally, I would make a small bottle with 12 drops essential oil to 1 oz carrier oil, apply it to all of these acupoints & do Tai Chi so I could feel the flow of the energy.

2 of my favorites right now:

Ginger Lily, Wild CO2 extraction: elegantly sweet with a sense of purity and innocence. Slightly more yin.

White Champa Leaf: vibrant, passionate, sweet with a sense of mystery. Slightly more yang.

Learn tons of great information in my On-Line Essential Oils Course series. You can study here at our school in Alaska from anywhere in the world!