John Lockenour, DC, DABCO, DABCA

During this class, the following topics will be presented to identify psychological stressors in the chiropractic acupuncture practice that may lead to increased risk or harm to the patient. 

For millennia, Chinese medicine physicians have asserted that the seven emotions can be a major cause of disease. Following emotional trauma, the body becomes susceptible to pathogens and organ dysfunction, leading to a variety of ailments.

Diagnosing emotional trauma with TCM 

Chinese medicine has several diagnostic techniques that help practitioners to diagnose the scattered qi that occurs when the patient is triggered by a trauma memory. A lackluster clouded complexion, confusion, a vacant look, dullness in the eyes, and disorientation are signs that the shen has been affected by the scattering of qi. Emotional trauma can affect all the channels, and channel palpation is an effective technique to differentiate how each patient has been affected.

Treatment Protocols 

Treatment is carried out in a three-step process: first, the qi is gathered in order to ground and center the patient, then the memory of the trauma is soothed to stop its repeated triggering and the resulting disturbance of the qi, and finally, once clear communication of the channel system of the body is restored, individual organ/channel imbalances are addressed. Trauma affects each patient individually. Specific treatment on channels and organ systems is imperative to fully resolve emotional trauma and clear any trauma that remains locked in the body.