Shingles Treatment With Bisoma Acupuncture
By David Lee, L.Ac.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nervous system. In some cases, later in life, the virus can reactivate and cause shingles. The pain can be so severe that even a robust individual who is a healthy athlete or a strong matriarch can be brought down due to suffering.
Shingles typically presentㄴ a painful, blistering rash that usually appears in a strip on one side of the body. The rash can be accompanied by other symptoms such as tingling, itching, burning sensations, and flu-like symptoms such as fever and headache. The rash can last for a few weeks and may leave behind residual pain in the affected area, known as postherpetic neuralgia, which can persist for months or even years after the rash has healed.
Bisoma acupuncture excels in healing shingles by increasing the body’s inherent ability to identify and treat it. Acupuncture does not suppress it. Rather, there are only two sets of acupuncture points for faster and quicker improvement. Bisoma acupuncture uses Horary points of Transporting Shu points of limbs, which provide significant and lasting relief.
There are two sets of Horary points in Bisoma. The first set, occurring in approximately 70% of the population, involves the stimulation of LI1 (metal point on a metal meridian), UB66 (water point on a water meridian), GB41 (wood point on a wood meridian), SI5 (fire point on a fire meridian), and ST36 (earth point on an earth meridian).
The second set, found in approximately 30% of the population, consists of GB44 (wood point on a wood meridian), SI2 (fire point on a fire meridian), ST43 (earth point on an earth meridian), LI5 (metal point on a metal meridian), and UB40 (water point on a water meridian).
The advantage of this approach is that it drastically reduces the time for diagnostic procedures and for trying out a myriad of possible acupuncture points. The acupuncturist can quickly assess the result by employing either of the two sets of five points. If one set fails to provide relief, the other can be utilized, ensuring a quick solution.
Here’s a simplified three-step process for acupuncturists utilizing the Bisoma technique:
▷Step 1: Choose one side of the body for treatment, regardless of whether it is ipsilateral or contralateral to the pain. Avoid administering bilateral treatments, as each side of the body operates independently based on the Metal-Order and Wood-Order principles.
▷Step 2: Acupuncture the 70% points up to two times. Metal-Order should be done first since this larger portion of the Population falls under the 70% group category. If significant relief is achieved, continue repeating these points until carpal tunnel syndrome is resolved or significantly improved.
▷Step 3: If the relief is mild or absent with the Metal-Order points, provide two treatments using the Wood-Order Horary points for less than 30% of the population on the same side of the body. The Wood-Order points should yield better pain and inflammation reduction. Proceed with the set that provides greater relief until the condition is resolved.
It takes between 1 to 6 treatments to significantly reduce the pain and begin the reversal of the breakout. It takes between 6 to 12 treatments to render the shingles dormant.
