Dear Patient,
Sometimes a person will ask me, “How do you know where to put the needles?”
My short answer, which has never once elicited a laugh and yet I still find funny, is “That’s what they taught us in acupuncture school.”
But that’s not really a satisfying answer so here’s a story instead.
The other day I had a new patient who was coming in for anxiety and panic attacks. This was her first time having acupuncture. I listened as she recounted the history of her symptoms, listened to the quality of her voice as she spoke so softly at first I could barely hear her, then gradually gaining wavering strength. I noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. I felt her pulse and it was rapid, and quite strong—too strong really—what we call a wiry pulse, taut like a guitar string. The Liver position in particular was so tense it was practically pounding on my fingertip, begging for help.
I started the treatment like I usually do, with a needle on top of the head, then moved on to the ears—a slight flinch from the patient here, nothing unusual. Then on to the limbs, more flinching, more reacting. This patient had been through a lot. Each flinch confirmed my hunch that this patient’s qi needed gentle coaxing and not aggressive marching orders from me. By the time I worked my way to her feet, I omitted some of the Liver channel points I had considered using. My needles were already doing enough for the day.
The body speaks, and we listen. Acupuncture school teaches us where the points are located and which symptoms each one treats. But the best lessons in point selection don’t come from a textbook. How do we know where to put the needles? We learn that from you.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
Ah yes - the best acupuncturists are so intuitive and really listen to what person's body and spirit are telling them. Nothing has ever quieted my anxiety like acupuncture.