Qiological Podcast

Beyond the conflicts around scope of practice, the theories and practice of dry needling and intra-muscular therapies give us a deeper look into how acupuncture works on ahshi or trigger points from a bio-medicine physiological perspective.  Practitioners of this rebranded form of acupuncture have a modern biomedicine perspective on how trigger points, as well as how localized qi and blood st...

Chinese is not that easy, and the 文言文wen yan wen the classical Chinese, that stuff is a whole other order of magnitude in challenge to the modern Western mind.  And yet if we are going to practice this medicine with deep roots into a long gone time and culture, we need access to the stepping stones that have been handed down to us over centuries through books and writing.  Translating...

If the words fun, fascinating and laughter are not how you think of marketing, then you need to change your idea of marketing. And if you think brand means the logo for your business, then it's time to update your definition of brand. Consider this: if you are not having fun and letting your fascinating superpower show through while doing your "marketing" why would anyone want to buy what you have...

If you think that the experience a computer guy around building his business has nothing to do with those of an acupuncturist's, think again. Those of us that run a small service business, be it banging out CSS code or twirling needles, have a lot more in common that you might see on first glance. I first met Neil almost ten years ago when I blew up my clinic's website. Over the years as we've got...

Forty five years is a long time to have a practice. Especially when you consider that the average American marriage isn't even half that number, and in this day and age people change jobs like they change their hair style. How do you stay interested in something for decades? How do you change with the times? Work through the areas that you don't yet know, and let the practice itself give you insig...

The words "qi and blood stasis" frequently work their way into our diagnosis of a patient's situation. But getting blood stasis from the realm of theory and  into our perceptual vocabulary takes some practice. And this can be quite helpful especially when working with cases that don't resolve the way we think they should. In this conversation we look into how the long term effects of blood st...

There are currents in our medicine that say we should be very cautious around the heart, in fact, it’s best not to treat it directly. And even in our modern world, treating cardiac issues is something I suspect most of us would feel some uncertainty and anxiousness about as we don’t really get that kind of training here in the West. It is easy when thinking about cardiology to think about ischemic...

Fifteen plus years ago when I was living in Beijing and studying medicine and language I was gifted with a copy of Dr. Huang's Ten Key Formula Families in Chinese Medicine. At the time it was an astonishing read, as I'd never been exposed to his ideas about constitutional type and how certain people have an affinity for a particular herb or formula family. It changed how I thought about herbal med...

在這片podcast我們外國的中醫師和黃煌教授談經方的魅力。

In this solo episode I review the past six months of Qiological and give you a preview on the next six months. Also I'll talking in some depth about the Practice of Business, why SEO is a process, not a product and some thoughts on what makes for an effective website. Finally, I have some news to share with you about being more involved with Qiological. I used to think that business was a necessar...

We are trained to know a lot about a person from looking and touching. And while we have our “10 questions” or other interviewing checklists, there is a lot that comes from the interview and relationship with the patient that can help us to better understand them and hopefully be of service to them as well. In this conversation we take a look into how the connection we cultivate with our patients...

No one gets through Chinese medicine school without some exposure to the Shang Han Lun, and if you're lucky, the Jin Gui Yao Lue as well.  But there is a big difference between reading the classics, and understanding how to apply them in our clinical work. What's more, throughout the ages there have been various 專家 (zhuan jia) experts, who have deeply engaged these texts and distilled out a...

Pressure, vibration, puncture, and heat, we know there are a variety of ways to stimulate an acupuncture point.  In this episode we explore the clinical use of light, in the form of low-power lasers. And especially for those of you that don’t really understand electricity, the physics of light, or the difference between an LED and the coherent light of a laser, this conversation will be espec...

Physiology does not forget. Our experience in life effects and shapes our body, our habits and perception. We develop ways to compensate for the difficulties wrought from traumas and unmetabolized experience  in life, but when stressed those compensations don't work so well. That's when symptoms and long held patterns of dysfunction show up asking for our attention. In this episode we discuss...

Sciatica is a common complaint that brings people into the acupuncturist’s office. And it’s often treated well with acupuncture. But there are times when a situation that seems straightforward is anything but. When you start to think about how sciatic pain can be an issue of the dai mai, and how the dai mai is involved not only in the structural aspects of pelvic function, but also in the function...

Widely known for his pioneering work in sports acupuncture, the guest of this episode joins us for a conversation that reminds us of the deep and varied integration between the layers of being we call body, mind and spirit.  Additionally we touch on how the trajectory of years and practice can bring us full circle back to basic fundamentals, and that our successes can easily transform into ne...

We learn not just from our teachers and our patients, but also from our colleagues. One of the real benefits of attending a conference is the opportunities for learning that can't help but arise from the conversations we find ourselves part of. Here's a few of the many voices that I've learned from this weekend.

Our panel of experienced practitioners discuss the ways they've broken into treating professional athletes, and answer the audience's questions on gearing up to help the pros. 

What gets you started at the beginning of your career is not what keeps you going in the middle part of your career. And as we move into later stages of life and practice, the questions change yet again.  Listen in to this conversation between some seasoned practitioners considering the trajectory of practice across the span of decades. 

It's not uncommon today for top level athletes to use acupuncture as part of their health care, to enhance performance and treat injuries.  And even though you didn't hear about acupuncture in the 1984 Olympics, it was there. Our guest in this episode has been working with sports acupuncture for almost 40 years. Listen in to this conversation that touches on topics that range from the im...

Lots of strange and curious patterns get chalked up to wind and phlegm in Chinese medicine.  In this episode we take at look at the "curious organ" of the brain, as our guest of this episode gives us a glimpse into the power and usefulness of understanding modern functional neurology as a way to better understand and treat the effects and often hidden pathologies of concussion and traumatic b...

In this episode we discuss anatomy, orthopedic assessment,  the treatment of joints, sinew pathways, and ligaments.  Our guest takes a deep look, both literally and figuratively  at the anatomy and clinical use of the jing-jin, the “sinew” or “myofascial” pathways. Especially as they relate to joint stability or dysfunction.   Listen in for a conversation around the clinical po...

Chad Bong is one of the organizers of the Sports Acupuncture Alliance's conference.  He's a busy guy, but we managed to grab a few minutes to talk about acupuncture, community and the inspiration and effort behind this conference. 

Needles are an essential aspect of our practices that most of us don’t know much about, other than we have some brands or types we like to use. What goes into a needle and how needle technology over the years has changed is a bit of a mystery to many of us. So I’m delighted to have Matt Pike here with me. He’s been involved with the sourcing and manufacture of acupuncture needles for a long time....

As practitioners we all work with a mix of theory, clinical sensibilities developed through years of practice, and the immediate moment of encounter with our patients. What we feel with our hands can deeply help to inform our treatments and ground our mental models into the physicality of the present moment.  Our colleagues on the shiatsu side of the house have a bit of an advantage in connec...