MOTOR POINT ACUPUNCTURE
THE POWER OF MOTOR POINTS IN SPORT AND REHEABILITATION
SIENA 1-2-3 DECEMBER 2023
Conversation with Richard Hazel
Dr. Hazel how did you come to develop this specific skill?
At Pacific College in New York I thought I would get a normal master's degree in Chinese Acupuncture but instead I discovered a new program in Orthopedic Acupuncture and Sports Medicine that I was passionate about.
How is this method different from others?
Motor Point Acupuncture places the needle at the point where the motor nerve attaches to the surface of the muscle; the point is chosen with an organic method of functional diagnosis. Then applies electrical stimulation and makes the muscle contract and relax. The contraction "resets" the muscle so that it is more elastic and flexible, quickly restoring joint function and reducing pain and inflammation.
What is the difference between Trigger Point Acupuncture and Motor Point Acupuncture?
They may seem similar because sometimes you want the muscle to fasciculate (contract) by acting on the Motor Point, so the practitioner has to move the needle into the area, which can feel like acting on a Trigger Point. Instead, the Trigger Point requires a more limited and painful area and manipulation with a pecking movement, acting on the narrow band to hyper-excite the point so that it contracts and releases; acting on the most painful area, consequently it can also be painful for the patient.
Sometimes it is necessary to treat Trigger Points, but in my experience a problem can often be resolved with the more gentle approach of Motor Point acupuncture.
If I manipulate the needle in a Motor Point to obtain a contraction in order to restore the length and tension of the muscle, most of the time I do not hurt the patient
Can this technique also be useful for those who don't want to use the electro-stimulator?
When I learned Motor Point Acupuncture, we didn't use electrostimulators and we still got excellent results; the important thing is to get a response to the contractions. By using a pointer device to provide electrical stimulation to the needle, you don't need to get a twitch response - you insert the needle and add a little electrical stimulation.
What can be treated with this method?
Any form of musculoskeletal pain or mobility problem due to overuse or posture. For acute or chronic injuries and failure to recover after surgery, I believe Motor Point Acupuncture should be the first option and not the last, as is the case now.
What results can one has in increasing sports performance?
In the US we use Motor Point Acupuncture on NFL football players. For example, the Buffalo Bills are being treated with Motor Point Acupuncture and they consistently have fewer players on the injured list than most of the other teams. Motor Point Acupuncture is not just for treatment of pain and injury. By treating the stabilizing muscles of the pelvis and shoulder girdle and the core, sport performance is enhanced. Janda said, "proximal stability for distal mobility". Paul Chek famously said, "You can't fire a cannon from a canoe". We can give athletes more power by treating their core and other stabilizers. Trigger points dry needling can't do that. Motor Point Acupuncture can help a healthy muscle to perform better.
How can we intervene in neurological rehabilitation, also by interacting with physiotherapy? Is there a way to help also people with Parkinson or Palsy?
When we add electric stimulation to the needle when it's in a motor point or near a nerve trunk, we can neuromodulate pain, spasticity, parestesia and motor inhibition. If the patient is receiving treatment soon after stroke, surgery, radicuopathy or other nerve entrapment we can often get them to full recovery as long as the nerve is not severed. If we treat the motor points of the muscles innervated by the deep peroneal nerve we can get very good results in 5-10 sessions. If it's been a long time since the injury the results are not as good but we do usually see improvement. We can use motor points to neuromodulate numbness and tingling, in the hands and feet and other areas. When the nerve is no longer entrapped the treatment can lead to recovery of the issue. We often see muscle inhibition after a joint replacement surgery. Motor Point Acupuncture can help the inhibited muscles fire better so that they can be successfully strengthened in physiotherapy.
How is a standard treatment carried out?
RH: My treatments address the whole person, not just the affected area. A functional diagnosis is carried out which determines the choice of points for therapy. Most of the time we treat another area that is causing a dysfunctional movement pattern or postural issue that is leading to that pain. Then I treat the posterior chain, the anterior chain and some points with the patient on his side.
Today you can buy books and videos online, why come to a live class?
You can't learn how to insert a needle correctly from a video. Perspective, angle and skill must be developed through palpation of the muscles and tactile sensation at the end of the needle. Practice is essential to be able to distinguish one muscle from another, thanks to some measures that will make clinical work easier.
Why is upper/lower crossing syndrome so important?
Upper and lower crossing syndromes were identified by Vladimir Janda, a neurologist specializing in rehabilitation who took into consideration the musculoskeletal system, the skeletal system and the nervous system and who noted that all human beings are subject to these postural problems.
Upper crossover syndrome is a combination of tight and weak muscles. The neck flexors and scapular stabilizers of the mid-back become weak, and the neck extensors, elevators of the scapulae, and pectoralis minor become tight. This can lead to forward head positioning, neck, shoulder, mid-back pain, and headaches.
Lower crossed syndrome is a combination of tight, weak muscles in the hip, back and abdomen, causing the pelvis to tilt anteriorly which stresses the lower back and can lead to low back pain, hip pain, knee pain and increased forward head position typical of this syndrome.
Using Motor Points and some simple corrective exercises we can significantly improve these postural problems.
How to include this style in your professional baggage, in spite of the many diagrams of the different muscles and the difficulty of this technique?
It's easy if you learn one muscle at a time. Even those who have attended just one seminar achieve excellent results, even in complex cases, because they are learning a method to apply their knowledge to any problem and how to treat it.
In my seminars I do not intentionally teach the theory of Chinese Medicine, but I focus on Motor Point Acupuncture, urging people to merge their modus operandi with this style. I don't indicate how to think or treat but what works based on my personal clinical experience, then encouraging them to find their own path.
Are you happy about the results of your didactic method?
I am happy to see that a high percentage of people who have attended my seminars are using what they have learned; just as I have seen even highly experienced operators completely change their practice with Motor Point Acupuncture because they see its surprising results in the field. This gives them a new spark of enthusiasm and passion for Acupuncture.
A.M.I.
Agopuntura Medica Integrata
Via Pantaneto,71
53100 SIENA