Rediscovering scalp acupuncture

At the end of September, I had the opportunity to travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to attend a scalp acupuncture seminar taught by Suzanne Robidoux. I have occasionally used scalp acupuncture since learning the basics in acupuncture school over 10 years ago, but am now inspired to use it a whole lot more. I was aware of the effectiveness of the method, but needed the more in-depth instruction on how to understand it better and use it to achieve the best results possible. Over the past couple of weeks I have started to employ what I learned, and am pleased with the results so far.

Scalp acupuncture applies the ancient technique of acupuncture to a modern, scientific understanding of how the brain is mapped. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. The brain is further divided into different areas, each with specific jobs to control the various functions of the body: movement, feeling sensation, balance, optics, emotions, focus, and the rest.

Scalp acupuncture was developed by Dr. Jiao Shunfa in the early 1970s in China. Dr. Jiao suspected that he could effectively treat hemiplegia (one-sided paralysis) following a stroke by treating the area over the primary motor cortex of the brain on the opposite side of the paralysis. Dr. Jiao knew that the motor cortex controls how movement is initiated in the body. In the photo above, you can see the “Motor Line,” the line that Dr. Jiao first treated to test his theory.

As Dr. Jiao gained experience by treating many patients, he was able to define several areas that brought about particular therapeutic effects when stimulated with acupuncture needles. These areas were consistent with the already-mapped functional areas of the brain. He developed a comprehensive system to treat many neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, traumatic brain injury, and neuropathy.

Other doctors have expanded upon Dr. Jiao’s methods to treat even more neurological conditions. One example is Dr. Lin Xue Jian, who developed her method to treat autism, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and learning disabilities.

The beauty of scalp acupuncture is that not only is it extremely effective in treating these serious diseases, but it is also effective in treating many other conditions, including acute and chronic pain of any type, stress, digestive issues, colds, emotional upset, and more.

Scalp acupuncture is typically paired with electrical stimulation of the scalp points, by connecting the needles to a stimulater via electrodes, and a body acupuncture treatment. The needles are retained for 30 minutes. In cases of physical issues such as paralysis, tremors, pain, and numbness, some exercise must also be done with the scalp needles retained for the best effect, before leaving the office.

When our teacher insisted that a post stroke patient who is in a wheelchair should be up and walking within five weeks with two treatments per week, along with some dietary changes and herbal support, she really got my attention. I have already started to use this powerful method more in my practice, and am looking forward to helping more people feel better so they can more fully enjoy their lives.

How does acupuncture work?

To the typical Westerner, acupuncture may seem rather esoteric and unscientific. It doesn’t help that acupuncture is mostly explained with ancient Chinese metaphorical language and imagery. We typically hear about energy meridians that traverse the body through which energy (Qi) travels. Acupuncture points are described as areas where stuck energy can be unblocked, like turning on a light switch. The basic premise of Chinese medicine is that where Qi and blood are moving, disease can’t take hold.

After reading this, do you feel like you understand acupuncture any better than before? I know I don’t. I do get an inkling that there is truth in these statements, but the concepts are truly vague. You might wonder how I ever got through acupuncture school with these heretical assertions! 

Well, I did make it through school. I trusted that 3,000 years of positive results meant that there was a lot of truth to be found in the ancient Chinese medical texts, and that they just had to be interpreted through a lens of modern anatomy and physiology. Luckily, there are scholars who have dedicated their lives to truly understanding the ancient texts and making them not only more accessible, but more applicable for Western Chinese medicine practitioners like me. Here is a distillation for you, my clients.

In his book The Dao of Chinese Medicine, Understanding an Ancient Healing Art, author Donald Kendall discusses various interpretations of Chinese medicine throughout history, then adds his two cents. He prefers to translate Qi as vital air, AKA oxygen. He believes that blood carries oxygen through the vessels (another name for meridians). In other words, acupuncture theory relates to the circulatory system.

I’m currently in the midst of taking a 55-hour course on Neuro-Meridian Integrative Acupuncture taught by Poney Chiang. Chiang offers a slightly different interpretation of what the ancients are describing. He believes that the nerve pathways relate directly to the meridian system. He shows how each acupuncture point directly targets a specific structure, such as a nerve trunk, a nerve branch, or a nerve’s entry point into a muscle. He believes that each point has its own very specific function, which is never repeated by another point. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of each point, including its precise location and intended action, allows the acupuncturist to achieve specific results with acupuncture treatment.

Interestingly, these two interpretations of the Chinese medicine texts are actually quite similar. Nerves supply stimulation to the blood vessels. The nerves and the blood vessels often travel together, forming neurovascular bundles. Therefore, when you insert an acupuncture needle, you are often stimulating a neurovascular bundle of nerves and blood vessels.

Each needle that is inserted into the body triggers a cascade of physiological events. As Kendall puts it, “Needling therapy activates complex defensive mechanisms in the body, involving the immune system, tissue reactions, blood vessels, sensory nerves, somatovisceral pathways, autonomic nervous system, central nervous system, brain, and endocrine glands.”

Ultimately, acupuncture increases blood flow to organs and tissues, it stimulates atrophied muscles, and it releases overly tightened muscles. Acupuncture also exerts a more systemic effect, via the nerve pathways, to regulate the nervous system. 

The remarkable thing about the ancient Chinese medicine practitioners is that they determined exactly where all of these important, tucked-away anatomical structures are in the body and how to access them with an acupuncture needle. To acknowledge the correlation of acupuncture points with our modern understanding of anatomy and physiology is to acknowledge that acupuncture is grounded in science. This makes it much easier for our modern brains to grasp.