A female client in her late forties.
Primary Symptoms: Left shoulder pain with tingling and
numbness down arm into hand.
Secondary Symptoms: Menopause, Left foot restless, Right and
Left imbalance, Digestive disturbances.
This client and I have worked together on and off since
2004. The most recent piece of work took place in a series of eight treatments
from October 2011-January 2012.
The First Visit: She mentioned having left shoulder pain and
how it had become increasingly uncomfortable over the last few weeks. She had
one chiropractic visit, which helped, but she felt that she needed more work.
She explained how it hurt most while driving in the car to and from work. It was best during the day when she was using
it. Her occupation requires a large amount of physical work, which we had to
factor into the progress of the treatment.
Additional information: Currently undergoing menopause, only
child had left for college a few months prior, digestion had always been a
struggle and she manages it with a careful diet.
My first sense was to begin treating the Heart meridian, one
extension of this energetic pathway runs from the arm-pit, down the inside of
the arm to the fifth finger. I came to this conclusion because her pain pattern
was very similar but also her “heart” was very present in the way she spoke
about her son away at school. We started the first treatment with body work to
open up the energetic flow and to address the tight bands of muscles in her
neck and shoulders. I also needled a point to restore balance to the heart
meridian.
The Second Treatment: She spoke about feeling a Right and
Left imbalance, how her energy was all over on the Left side and she was
feeling “really lopsided”. The imbalance was almost visible. So we addressed it
with a specific treatment that balances Right and Left.
The Third Treatment: Her Left shoulder was getting much
better. She had twisted her left foot, when she stepped on it funny, and it
felt “restless”. She came to the realization that she was feeling lost in her
life. We did some trigger points and opened up the tight bands in the muscles
of her shoulder.
The Fourth Treatment: Her Left Shoulder was a lot better. The
treatment revolved around re-patterning old ways. I needled the point Xi Ling,
which is for a shift in physical identity. It is used for times of transition
like puberty or menopause.
The Fifth Treatment: The Left Shoulder was almost all
better. She started to work with boundaries and dreams; inviting some people in
and saying “No” others. She was also
starting to take risks and experiment with her identity. This treatment we used
a combination of points called Outer Gate and Inner Gate, which help to define
and balance boundaries. We also used a Bach Flower remedy called Cerato, to get
in touch with the heart and inner knowledge. I read her a passage about
menopause and how it is a time of self-recreation and embracing of the Crone
Self, the wise woman. We spoke briefly about how her identity was shifting from
full time “Mother” to something else, larger, vaguer and all encompassing.
The Sixth and Seventh Treatment: The Shoulder was about 80%
better. Her digestion was flared up and her Left Foot bothered her more. She
was continuing her process by doing dream work and collaged art work. I gave
her a segment to read about the element of Wood, the Liver and Gall Bladder
meridians; concerned with decision making, vision and planning.
The Eighth Treatment:
Shoulder 90% better, Foot 70% better.
She came to a conclusion of what she wanted to do with her career… a
Spiritual Counselor. The treatment revolved around clearing space for the new
to emerge, and letting go of the old pieces that block movement.
Epilogue: After this series of treatments this client, found
herself in a relationship, displayed her work in an art show, and was able to
accept the new place that she and her son were in.
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