The Original Medicine Podcast

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough explores the complicated relationship between acupuncture and insurance. While insurance can increase access to care, she explains how low reimbursement rates, administrative burdens, and insurance-driven treatment models can compromise the quality of acupuncture. MG shares why many practitioners choose cash-based practices and offers...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough discusses how acupuncture can address health conditions that run in families. She explains how inherited patterns often exist at the deepest energetic layers of the body and why conventional TCM approaches may not always reach that level. MG introduces the concept of the eight extraordinary channels and explains how treating these fou...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough breaks down the fundamental shift in perspective required to understand Classical Chinese Medicine. Sparked by a conversation on a local morning show, MG explores why the general public—and even some modern practitioners—often mistake acupuncture for a mere physical therapy rather than a complete, energetic system of healing. MG expla...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , MG McCullough dives into the world of pediatric health through the lens of Classical Chinese Medicine. Moving beyond just needles, MG explains how parents can support their children’s long-term wellness by focusing on the "Spleen"—the central organ responsible for transformation and energy. From the importance of warm, wet foods to the p...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , MG McCullough explains why what is commonly called “Traditional Chinese Medicine” is not truly traditional, and how Classical Chinese Medicine represents the complete system of acupuncture. She explores the difference between symptom-based treatments and deeper channel work, especially the eight extraordinary channels, and why addressing foundatio...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough dives into one of the most common questions she receives: Do daith piercings actually help with migraines? Drawing from her personal journey as a former chronic migraine sufferer and her expertise as a Classical Chinese Medicine practitioner, MG explores the difference between surface-level "hacks" and deep, physiological he...

ShownotesIf you’ve hit your late 30s or 40s and feel like your ADHD is out of control and your ability to tolerate "bullshit" has vanished, you aren’t alone. In this episode, MG McCullough explores the transition of perimenopause and menopause through the lens of Classical Chinese Medicine, explaining why this "shedding of layers" is actually a powerful uncovering of your true...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , Dr. MG McCullough breaks down the often-overlooked importance of treating the common cold. While modern society views a viral illness as a minor inconvenience to be suppressed with medication, MG explains why these "minor" events are actually critical junctions for our long-term health. She introduces the concept of the Sinew Channels—the body's f...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough explores why daily coffee consumption may be quietly undermining long-term health through the lens of classical Chinese medicine. While modern nutrition often highlights coffee’s potential benefits, this discussion reframes the conversation by examining coffee’s energetic impact and why many chronic symptoms improve when it is removed...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast Dr. MG McCullough continues the conversation on dry needling and explains why it is neither a safe nor effective solution for tight muscles or athletic recovery. While dry needling is often promoted as a fast way to release tension, MG outlines how its aggressive approach can cause unnecessary trauma, contrasting it with the sophisticated framework...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , MG McCullough examines dry needling and explains why it presents significant risks while offering limited long-term benefit. As public interest in alternative health grows, dry needling is often mistaken for acupuncture; this episode aims to close that knowledge gap by clarifying how they differ in training, philosophy, and safety. Understanding &...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough delves into the concepts of Luo channels and bleeding treatments in classical Chinese medicine. She explains how these unique channels serve as protective mechanisms in the body, storing pathology and emotional trauma to prevent them from reaching the deeper organ systems. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding thes...

In this Episode of the Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough shares a vulnerable and transformative story about her experience with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She shares her experience with her mentor Anne Cecil Sturman, whose guidance opened the door to deeper learning and ultimately changed the course of her life and understanding of Classican Chinese Medicne  Initial TCM treatments...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, MG McCullough explores how acupuncture acts as a catalyst for transformation, not only in physical health but also in emotional and mental well-being. She explains that creating space in our lives allows for new perspectives, and that meaningful change often comes from embracing discomfort. By shifting emotions and thoughts, acupuncture can help un...

This episode of The Original Medicine Podcast breaks down the misconception that digestive issues can be treated with a one-size-fits-all acupuncture approach. MG McCullough highlights how traditional medicine requires far more nuance, especially when it comes to diagnosis. Rather than relying on commonly used points like Spleen 3 or Stomach 36 as universal solutions, he explains the importance of...

This episode of the Original Medicine Podcast explores migraines through the lens of Chinese medicine, reframing them not as random reactions to triggers but as signs of deeper depletion in the body. MG McCullough breaks down how diet, lifestyle, and emotional health influence migraine patterns and explains why focusing solely on avoiding triggers misses the bigger picture. Instead, the conversati...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, Dr. MG McCullough explores the nature of inflammation. Is it the root cause of disease, or a response to deeper imbalances in the body? Drawing from thousands of years of Chinese medicine wisdom, MG explains how inflammation is a signal, not the problem itself. By addressing the root cause—whether emotional, dietary, or energetic—we can restore hea...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, Dr. MG McCullough returns to one of her most popular topics — how “clean eating” might actually be harming us. She explores why modern diet culture and even functional medicine trends often miss the mark when it comes to true healing — especially for those struggling with migraines, chronic pain, hormonal imbalance, and fatigue. From a Classical Ch...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, Dr. MG McCullough sits down with Katherine Rohland to explore why fragmented modern medicine misses the mark and how Classical Chinese Medicine reconnects the body, mind, and spirit into one cohesive system of healing. Together, they unpack how energy, emotion, and physical well-being are intertwined — and why true healing requires understanding yo...

In this episode of the Original Medicine Podcast,  Dr. MG McCullough invites you to question a common assumption in acupuncture: that needles are always required. She explores how, in the deep roots of classical Chinese medicine, healing was more about activating energy through intention and channels than simply inserting metal into skin. Dr. MG shareshow this approach can help those dealing with...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , Dr. MG McCullough dives into one of the most taboo — yet most vital — topics in health: digestion and bowel movements. From a Classical Chinese Medicine perspective, healthy digestion is foundational to wellness, vitality, and the prevention of pain and disease. We discover how bowel movements reveal the state of your internal energy, the health o...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , Dr. MG McCullough explores the transformative journey of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause through the lens of Classical Chinese Medicine. With compassion and clarity, she breaks down what menopause really is, how our culture has failed to properly educate women about their own bodies, and how we can use the ancient principles of Yin and...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast , Dr. MG McCullough explores a fascinating connection between tattoos, emotional experiences, and the Luo channels in Classical Chinese Medicine. Far from being just body art, tattoos can actually reveal deep insights into how the body stores unprocessed emotions and experiences. MG explains how these “Luo channels” form when the body needs somewher...

In this conversation, MG McCullough unravels the deeper implications of Botox and cosmetic injectables through the lens of classical Chinese medicine. She invites us to consider how the interruption of natural disease progression may impact our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Drawing from ancient principles, she speaks to the nature of pathology, the cost of suppressing expression, and...

In this episode of The Original Medicine Podcast, Dr. MG McCullough explores the powerful link between emotions and physical health through the lens of classical Chinese medicine. We cover everything from the harm of toxic positivity and the importance of feeling your emotions to  how unprocessed emotions can lead to chronic illness. With practical tools like thought tracking and gratitude, MG sho...