Qiological Shoptalk

Diagnosis in Dong style acupuncture rarely comes from what the patient says. It comes from what the hands find first.In this conversation, We sit down with Sean Goodman — acupuncturist and longtime student of Dong style acupuncture — to explore how this tradition treats atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.We discuss how palm diagnosis reads the five zang organs through discoloration and subtle shifts in tissue, why Dong style needling often works a whole area in groups of three points, and how a real case combined heart-related points with the Sima combination to clear dermatitis on the neck and arms.We also touch on the "cooling the mountain" technique, when to needle bilaterally versus unilaterally, and why Sean tries to read the body before letting his mind explain what he's finding.

Topical steroids can suppress the skin for years, then withdrawal leaves it unable to find a stable state at all.In this episode, we sit down with Mazin Al-Khafaji, doctor of Chinese medicine and co-author of a manual of acupuncture points, to explore treating TSW through Chinese medicine. We unpack what potent steroids do to the skin barrier and microbiome, the three phases of treatment, and why rushing to heavy tonics can reignite the fire you just put out.Healing skin that's been stripped of its own defenses isn't a quick fix, it's a slow rebuild that asks for patience from both practitioner and patient.

Every practitioner develops a feel for the body that goes beyond what any single test can tell you. For Brian Lau, that feel comes from decades of manual work woven directly into his acupuncture practice.In this conversation, we sit down with Brian Lau and his student Grant Rettison to explore myofascial release in sports medicine acupuncture practice.We discuss how Brian's background in qigong, tai chi, and structural integration shaped his approach, why he keeps the language of the channel sinews central to his manual therapy, and how palpation itself becomes a form of diagnosis. Brian demonstrates live on the knee and forearm, showing how tissue that pulls, resists, or lacks pliability can guide both point selection and pattern differentiation.We also explore the fascia as a fabric, the "canoeing" analogy for finding the right direction of treatment, and why unwinding restricted tissue helps restore the gliding surfaces that support movement and healing.

Every body carries a history, and the practitioners who treat it well know how to read that history instead of just chasing the pain in front of them.In this episode, we sit down with Kim Fong, a physical therapist and licensed acupuncturist, to explore treating the body as an integrated whole. We unpack why observation and palpation come before diagnosis, why patients cling to labels like "bone on bone," and how old injuries quietly shape movement patterns showing up today.We also dig into the role of intuition alongside clinical training, and why getting a patient to eighty-five or ninety percent is often the honest, sustainable goal.Healing isn't about erasing every old injury, it's about helping a person understand how they got here, and giving them the tools to keep moving well.

Sports acupuncture isn't just for two-legged athletes, competition dogs need the same careful eye, just read through a different lens, and the signs often show up as quirks and behavior shifts long before anyone calls it an injury.In this episode, we sit down with Kathy Murphy, a veterinarian and certified veterinary acupuncturist, to explore treating canine athletes through Chinese medicine. We unpack qi versus blood deficiency, why aggression and food-pickiness can be diagnostic clues, and why pulse often reads truer than tongue once treats and training enter the picture.We also dig into the handler's role in recovery, what real rest looks like, and why setting expectations matters as much with four-legged patients as two.Getting a competition dog back to the work it loves isn't about one perfect needle, it's about reading the patterns and giving the process the time it needs.