When Keith first came to see me, he was asking for herbal medicine for his prostate problem. He was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate two years ago. He kept frequently and urgently passing water, but couldn’t pass it out completely. He always felt some discomfort in the lower abdomen. Apart from this, he also had aches in the sole of his feet, and none of the various treatments he’d tried could help. Regarding the prostate condition, I said to him that acupuncture should work more quickly than herbal medicine. He said: “Acupuncture doesn’t work for me. I had eight sessions of acupuncture and it didn’t do any help.” I said to him: “According to my experience, acupuncture should work very quickly for this condition. I suggest we try three sessions of acupuncture, and if doesn’t work, we can go for herbal medicine.” Fortunately, as I expected, after one treatment he already felt some difference – when he wanted to urinate, it wasn’t as urgent as it had been. After the second session, he didn’t need to go to the toilet so frequently. After the third session, he could pass water out completely, and had no pain in the sole of his feet. After the fourth session he said to me: “I’m really impressed. I think I can give it a rest now. If there’re more problems, I will definitely come back to you.”
When treat the same condition, different acupuncturists might use different points and needle manipulations. This is a reflection of their personal experience acquired in clinical work. These experiences are often crucial for getting good therapeutic result. In this case, the points I used were Bai Hui, Qi Xue, San Yin Jiao and Tai Xi, which were not mysterious. The key was inserting the needles in the right angle and right depth, and giving the right quantity of stimulation, so that the patient can have a peculiar sensation which is required for having good effect.
