People come into the office for treatment of various conditions, especially pain.  For example, discomfort, pain and misalignment at the upper back, especially “between or under the shoulder blades” is very common… Why?  Is it posture, work related, stress related, emotional, everything we can possibly think of?  Within the context of Chinese medicine, pinpointing the source does not matter because every aspect of an individual’s being is taken into account in order to provide thorough treatment. 

 

In addition to the myriad of muscles located throughout the upper back and scapula/shoulder, there are channels (or meridians) that travel through the area.  These channels are quite like waterways that interact, influence and flow into one another, beginning superficially just below the skin and plunging down deeply to the level of the organs.  The 12 main channels are named after each organ.  In Chinese medical terms, the organs are not only responsible for function, as we know it in Western medicine, but they are also responsible for our mental, emotional and spiritual well being.  For example, each point along the spine correlates with an organ, or influences a functional aspect of the body, such as blood.  In the upper back, there are access areas to the Lung, Pericardium and Heart, and their other associated aspects.

 

Here are some of the roles of the correlated organs and channels that mingle with the muscle tissue and vertebrae, in relation to the upper back, scapula and shoulder:

• Lung : Ability to appropriately grieve, Ability to receive and let go physically and emotionally, Ability to see the value of things
• Pericardium : ‘The Heart Wrapper’ functionally protects the heart;  Ability to know when to protect ourselves, and know when it is unnecessary
• Heart : Ability to appropriately feel and express joy, and appropriately interact within society, Love
• Small Intestine : Functionally, separates nourishment from waste;  Ability to separate our different roles in society
• Gall Bladder : Ability to carry out plans, make strategies and delegate, Ability to balance being too rigid with being overly flexible

 

By nature, Chinese medicine is different because it simultaneously addresses these aspects of ourselves along with the pain itself.  These gradual and subtle changes occur without judgement, and often without talking.  So, people often benefit far more from this health care than they had originally expected.