Dear Patient,
Remember the Tyrannosaurus Rex scene in the original 1993 version of the movie Jurassic Park? The T. Rex has escaped her enclosure and is attacking the Jeep with the kids inside. Grant and Malcolm watch in horror, then fire up flares to distract her and lure her away. The T. Rex chases after the flares and the kids are safe.
Sometimes we’ll employ a similar tactic with acupuncture, sending up a flare to coax your body’s energy to flow in a specific direction.
A good example of this is treating migraines. A migraine usually involves the Gallbladder channel, which zigzags back and forth across the side of the head. One of my favorite points for treating migraines is Gallbladder 43, way down on the foot, in the web between the 4th and 5th toes. Stimulating that point will catch your body’s attention like the T. Rex catching sight of a flare.
You can try this on yourself the next time you have a headache—it works for migraines and plain old tension headaches too. Press your thumbnail in the web between your 4th and 5th toes, and visualize energy trickling away from your head, down the side of the body and out through the 4th toe. If your headache is one-sided, press the point on the same side as the headache. If the headache is bilateral, press on both sides.
Sometimes we must tell our body’s energy where we want it to go. Stimulating a point on the foot unblocks stagnation in the head. Free flow through the channel is restored. The headache dissipates. The T. Rex runs away.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. Every week I write about a different acupuncture point. Is there one you'd like to know about? Let me know!
Forwarding this to my husband who super struggles with migraines!! Thank you for continuing to share your insight! Your brain is so beautiful, Alexa!!!