Sports Medicine Acupuncture® Fall 2018

Flexor carpi ulnaris manual muscle test,
a useful test for medial epicondylitis.

I have had a very busy Fall, and have not been able to post here lately. However, I did just finish a blog post for the Sports Medicine Acupuncture® blog. The link is below; the post includes a video of a recent Sports Medicine Acupuncture dissection highlighting the Heart sinew channel. Check it out! The title is Medial Epicondylitis and the Heart Channel Sinews.

September kicked off Module 2 of the Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification (SMAC) in San Diego, CA. Updates and upgrades are an ongoing feature of the SMAC program, and in this Module we debuted a new class: "Assessment and Treatment of the Channel Sinews (Jingjin): Low Back, Hip and Groin." I will share some info from this class in an upcoming blog post and  the upcoming classes for the Lower Extremities (Module 3) and Head, Neck & Upper Extremities (Module 4).

A picture I took with four practitioners who live near me in Tampa, FL. It is alwasy great to meet new people in SMAC, but is especially an honor to work with practitioners who I am already friends with!

After the September SMAC class, Sports Medicine Acupuncture® hosted a 5-day dissection class in Boulder, CO at the Laboratories of Anatomical Enlightenment. In this 5-day class, participants, including myself, worked in teams of 6, each with their own cadaver specimen. As in all Sports Medicine Acupuncture dissections, these specimens are non-chemically treated cadavers, which offers a superior experience for holistic practice as it keeps the fascia intact and you get a much better view of the real tissue quality. All acupuncturists should take the opportunity to do dissection such as this; there really is no substitute for it. I will share some specific experiences from this event soon, and we will be hosting another program, probably a 4-day, sometime in the Spring. Check the SMA page for updates.

After the Boulder dissection class, it was back to San Diego for the completion of SMAC Module 2: Low Back, Hip and Groin. The two remaining classes were Assessment and Treatment of Low Back, Hip and Groin injuries, and Postural Assessment and Corrective Exercises (PACE).That wraps it up for Module 2, and we will start back up with Module 3 in the new year.

In the first week of November, I attended a 5-day taiji and qigong workshop at the new International center of the Taoist Tai Chi Society. I won't go into detail about this workshop here, but I will say that my taiji and qigong practice (which I started in 1998) was the first experience I had with the channel sinews. In my practice, we discuss certain 'tendon changing and marrow-washing' exercises. These 'tendons' may run all the way up the body. Obviously, these are not what Western anatomists refer to as tendons, but are, instead, myofascial planes of tissue that fit the template of how I discuss the channel sinews. This practice was the foundation which led to my ongoing exploration of the channel sinews.

Finally, on November 14th, I was privileged to be a guest on the terrific podcast, "Qiological", hosted by Michael Max. This was a panel discussion on myofascial trigger points, orthopedic acupuncture, and dry needling; but also on channel theory, language, and continual learning. The panel included Michael Max, my friends and colleagues Josh Lerner and Fernando Bernall, and myself. This was a fascinating discussion and I am looking forward to its release on Qiological. It will likely be released early for subscribers. I recommend subscribing, not just to listen early, but as a great way to support the efforts that build and grow our profession; this podcast and its growing community are part of those fantastic resources!

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