Pre-conference Option (additional $59 tuition): Advanced Acupuncture Strategies and Techniques for Pain (with Demonstrations)
Wei Liu, LAc, BMed

Old Chinese proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This three-hour class offers you some very practical acupuncture strategies and needling techniques for pain management. You will improve your skills and be able to use them on patients right away.

Spirituality in Chinese Medicine
Alex Tiberi, LAc

Chinese medicine has always recognized the presence of the “Shen” or spirit in living beings. Early classics such as the Nei Jing recommend always diagnosing and treating the Shen of the patient first. It is said that the Shen leads to the Qi. Without treating the Shen, it will be difficult to regulate the Qi. 

Learn to analyze the nature of the spirit through the three great philosophical traditions that have influenced Chinese medicine - Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Specific techniques of questioning a patient about spiritual concerns will be presented. Ethics in Chinese medicine will be detailed through analysis of the writings of classical doctors like Sun Si Miao. You will learn treatment techniques for Shen disorders using herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle. Chinese medicine’s recommendation on “Yang Sheng” health preservation will be included because a patient’s spirit is an especially important aspect of nourishing and extending life.

Qi Gong Exercises
Mei Wang, LAc

Learn and perform the graceful movements and controlled breathing techniques of Qi Gong. A great way to start your day!

Clinical Strategies Applied to Immune System Imbalances and Adrenal Exhaustion
Kiiko Matsumoto, LAc

Learn how to identify, through abdominal palpation, significant primary and secondary reflex areas of the hara (abdomen) that reflect a weakened or compromised immune system. Explore techniques to treat this condition using Kiiko Matsumoto's style of acupuncture. Discover the significance of the umbilicus reflex area to diagnose adrenal exhaustion whether caused by a foundational weakness, shock from birth trauma, or reaction to a traumatic experience or stress. Find out how to provide a basic adrenal treatment. Chinese classical texts will be discussed to provide historical background to Kiiko’s methods of diagnosis and treatment.

A Wholistic Approach to Improving Cardiovascular Health
Michael Gaeta, LAc, MS

Cardiovascular disease (CV) is essentially a deficiency condition. In nearly every person it is a completely unnecessary, preventable and reversible lifestyle-based condition. Discover how improvements in nutrition, physical activity and social/relational health are far superior to toxic pharmaceutical interventions which do nothing to address the root source or cause of the condition, and merely suppress symptoms temporarily while allowing the underlying causal deficiencies to worsen. This seminar demystifies CV disease, provides clear insights into its causes, and gives clinicians powerful diet, lifestyle and natural medicine tools to prevent and reverse this costly condition. The popular myths surrounding the alleged evils of cholesterol are soundly debunked, while offering far more relevant laboratory assessment tools for assessing CV disease risk.

Using Acupuncture to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Post-Deployment Soldiers
Joe Chang, LAc, MaOM

Become familiar with the current environment of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States and new research being done by our military. Learn how CAM research affects the military’s economic perspective on treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compare causes and treatment protocols for PTSD from the perspectives of Western versus Chinese medicine. Explore how tongue and pulse diagnosis, single herb formulation and acupoints are used according to each differentiation of the syndrome (i.e. spleen and heart deficiency, etc.). Using case studies, discuss how, when and why an integrative approach works when treating PTSD. Learn how auriculotherapy with electroacupuncture and moving cupping can treat PTSD.

Using Essential Oils in Acupuncture
Peter Holmes, LAc, MH

Learn how genuine essential oils bring a powerful new dimension to an acupuncture practice. Discover how they are proving invaluable in complex or difficult conditions, where they can create amazing shifts in treatment outcomes. Like acupoints, essential oils are electromagnetic by nature and are governed by the laws of qi flow. By deeply modulating jing shen functions through neuropeptide activation, they can trigger profound changes in the individual, as seen by immediate pulse and complexion changes. Explore how essential oils have shown empirically to enhance both the physiological and psychological actions of points without any additional burden to the digestive system. The use of essential oils represents a perfect complement to acupuncture that is safe, user-friendly and extremely effective. Learn some essential practical information needed to start incorporating oils in your clinic, whether simply in the clinic space or more profoundly in conjunction with needling itself.

You will learn about:

• The three fundamental ways of utilizing essential oils in a clinical practice;
• The six fragrance categories and the five energetic movements;
• Using oils and blends for Five-Element syndrome treatment;
• The specific actions and indications of some major essential oils; and
• The principles of oil-to-acupoint selection and matching.

Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (certification course)
Brian Turner, BS, EMTP
(limited enrollment)
Optional: $50 additional tuition; Hours will meet four PDA safety requirements through NCCAOM

Obtain certification in the lifesaving skills of both cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the relief of choking based on the American Heart Association guidelines.