The Sacred Turtle Swims Into a Cook County Hospital Pain Clinic

It was at the 200,000 member-strong World Federation of Acupuncture Societies Meeting in Houston 2 years ago Halloween that I first got a glimpse of the stunning power of Sacred Turtle Abdominal Acupuncture. They were one of 60 different presentations by Doctors from all over the world (next blog I'll talk about the Brazilian Doctor's research presentation on ear bleeding  to reduce rheumatoid pain, I promise!).

Italian men can be quite dashing. These Italian Docs, with their thick Tuscan accents, dapper haircuts and stylish couture we're no different. What was different was the stunning videos of their 2 patients, one with severe cervicalgia, the other sporting a nastty, angry incision from a recent knee replacement. In a matter of minutes these two Doctors tag teamed their way to an amazing demonstration of how one needle twirled in the turtle's neck area on the belly of the neck pattient, and the lower right flipper on the knee patient's belly, to the crowded rooms amazement and disbelief, got both patients mobilized in a matter of minutes.

Fast forward to Chicago, this past Tuesday. A 265 lb. white male in his 50's limps in to the acupuncture clinic with his mother. His speech is thick, his left hand knurled and twisted. The by-product of right-sided head trauma, and a brain bleed a few years back. Sprawled back on the recliner in my office, he could barely raise his left leg, dorso-flex his left foot, raise his left arm, or open his tightly clenched left hand. To the amazement of  the for of us, mom, son, my intern and I, foot, leg, arm and hand were working, with varying degrees of ability, rapidly following the placement and twirling of 2 needles  each, placed in the upper and lower flippers of the turtle envisioned on his belly.