Distal

Dear Patient,

At my clinic we use a lot of distal points, meaning we don’t always put needles in the body part that hurts. If someone comes in for low back pain, we’ll choose points on the hands and feet. Since we treat our patients in recliners, it’s an approach born partially out of necessity.

But it’s also incredibly effective. Stagnant qi, the source of many of life’s ailments, needs someplace to go. Direct needling will certainly move the qi, but it can agitate things, compounding the pressure on an already tense situation. Sometimes it’s better to coax movement through more subtle, indirect means. Pull rather than push.

A problem doesn’t always have to be tackled head-on, needles blazing. With a distal approach, we draw attention to new possibilities, new ways of moving, doing, being. A distal needle is like a beacon, inviting the qi towards a new destination.

Distal approaches can produce some of our most immediate and profound results. And this is true for many things in life, not just acupuncture.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist