abstracted & translated by
Honora Lee Wolfe, Lic. Ac., Dipl. Ac, FNAAOM (USA)
Keywords: Chinese medicine, acupuncture-moxibustion, nose acupuncture, acute lumbar strain
Nose acupuncture is one of the styles of micro-systems acupuncture. The idea of all micro-systems acupuncture is that there is a map of the entire body on small, selected areas of the body, and, by stimulating these points, one can promote healing and pain relief in the corresponding body parts. While ear acupuncture is a well-know style of micro-system acupuncture in the West, nose acupuncture is less well known and practiced. In issue #4, 2003 of Fu Jian Zhong Yi Yao (Fujian Chinese Medicine & Medicinals), Lin Zhi-qiang published an article titled, "The Treatment of 100 Cases of Acute Lumbar Strain with Nose Acupuncture." This article appeared on page 51 of that journal. Because the technique described is so easy and seemingly effective, a summary is presented below.
Cohort description:
Of the 100 patients enrolled in this study, 65 were male and 35 were female. Three were less than 20 years old, 52 were 20-40, and 45 were 41 and over. Sixty-five cases had had low back pain for seven days or less, while 11 had it for 8-10 days and 24 for 11-15 days. Thirty-six patients had already been treated with Chinese and Western medicines including the external application of Zhi Tong Gao (Stop Pain Plasters). Another 34 patients had already been treated with acupuncture, tui na, and/or an mo plus the external use of Zhi Tong Gao. The other 30 patients had not received any treatment so far.
Treatment method:
Patients were treated lying down on their backs. Thirty to 32 gauge five fen needles were inserted in three points: in the center directly below the tip of the nasal bone and one on each side in the nasal alae at the same level to the right and left. These needles were inserted perpendicularly. After insertion, strong stimulation was used to produce soreness, numbness, and pain to the limit of what each patient could bear. This stimulation was strong enough to bring tears to the patients’ eyes. The needles were then retained for 5-20 minutes, with twisting and turning even supplementing-even draining hand technique being repeated once every five minutes. This was done one time each day until the symptoms disappeared.
Treatment outcomes:
Ninety-six patients were symptom-free after a single treatment. The other four patients’ symptoms completely disappeared after two treatments.
Discussion:
According to Dr. Lin, acute lumbar strain or sprain mostly damages the governing vessel causing qi stagnation and blood stasis. Because there is no free flow, there is pain. By needling the above three points, the qi of the governing vessel becomes freely flowing and regulated, stasis is dispersed, and stagnation is scattered. Although this treatment method gets very good results very quickly, because of its strong stimulation, patients should be lying down at the time of needling so as to avoid needle shock.
According to Bensky and O’Connor in Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text (Eastland Press), there are three lines of points located on the nose, one which is on the sagittal midline and two which are successively more lateral. In the above study, it is not clear exactly where the points are located lateral to the point below the inferior margin of the nasal bone on the midline. It is my assumption that, in the case of acute lumbar strain, one will be able to locate these points by palpation. In other words, I would expect them to be especially sore and sensitive to pressure by a blunt-tipped probe.
Copyright © Blue Poppy Press, 2004. All rights reserved.
