The doctor as a detective................הרופא כבלש................An earring עגיל

From the Internet:

Michael W. Bowser, DC, LAc wrote:

"...related to a need for variability in stimulation. To much or too little will reduce our potential results. The body adapts to the stimulus and ignores it eventually (piercings, earrings)."

ONE PIECE OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
We treated a young (30 yo) female beautician who came in complaining of a chronically (>2 years) sore shoulder. While she could not think of a single traumatic event that involved the right side of her body or the shoulder itself, her work (lots of scissors clipping in every position with the right hand) resulted in considerable physical stress to the joint.

While she initially responded well, relief was fleeting. She came out of the treatment room following her fourth treatment, having put her hair "up" after treatment because her next stop was the Gym. I saw that she had a substantial sized piece of jewelry (she called it a "cuff") on her ear, right at the auricular shoulder point. Upon inquiry she volunteered that she had been wearing the piece for a little over two years, and that it was infact removable but that she never does.

I asked her to try going without the "cuff" for a week. She had her fifth treatment three days later, at which she proclaimed that her shoulder was doing much better after the 4th treatment. She scheduled a 5th treatment for the following week, but called and cancelled 2 days prior. I followed up with her at the end of the week and she told me her shoulder was completely pain and restriction free. She asked about wearing the ear cuff...I suggested trying it and set up an appointment to talk with her on the telephone a week later.

She called me two days before our agreed time, complaining that her shoulder pain had returned completely, and scheduled a treatment for the next day. When she came in she was wearing the cuff. I suggested she again remove the cuff, we did treatment and she had substantial relief (just some lingering soreness). We agreed to talk in a week, sooner if the pain returned.

At the call, she reported that she had been enjoying full ROM and absolutely no pain for 6 days while keeping a very busy schedule of haircutting. I suggested she not resume wearing the ear cuff.

6 month and 1 year follow-ups found she continued pain and restriction free. She had not resumed wearing the cuff and said she had no plans of doing so, as she recognized a connection between the cuff and her pain.

Mark Zaranski
East Wind Acupuncture, Inc.