Qiological Shoptalk

Some itchy dogs look like damp heat but aren't, and what you feed them can show you the difference.

In this episode, we sit down with Steve Marsden, veterinarian trained in naturopathy and Chinese medicine, to explore allergies in pets. We unpack why a change of diet is the first diagnostic step, how the coat, the pulse, and the spots an animal chews point to a Shao Yang disharmony, and why a ginseng-based Xiao Chai Hu Tang paired with Si Wu Tang can calm what damp-heat formulas can't.

When an allergy won't follow the rules, it isn't a failed formula, it's a clue that something is stuck at the gate between inside and outside.

Genital lichen sclerosus can take away comfort, intimacy, and quality of life, leaving patients searching for lasting relief.

In this episode, we sit down with Juliette Aiyana, holistic dermatology practitioner and Chinese medicine specialist, to explore treating this challenging condition through herbal medicine. We discuss pattern differentiation, tissue repair, inflammation, and the importance of individualized treatment, alongside practical ways to protect sensitive skin.

Healing requires careful observation, patience, and integrated care—helping patients find comfort, restore function, and work toward lasting improvement.

Diagnosis in Dong style acupuncture rarely comes from what the patient says. It comes from what the hands find first.

In this conversation, We sit down with Sean Goodman — acupuncturist and longtime student of Dong style acupuncture — to explore how this tradition treats atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.

We discuss how palm diagnosis reads the five zang organs through discoloration and subtle shifts in tissue, why Dong style needling often works a whole area in groups of three points, and how a real case combined heart-related points with the Sima combination to clear dermatitis on the neck and arms.

We also touch on the "cooling the mountain" technique, when to needle bilaterally versus unilaterally, and why Sean tries to read the body before letting his mind explain what he's finding.

Topical steroids can suppress the skin for years, then withdrawal leaves it unable to find a stable state at all.

In this episode, we sit down with Mazin Al-Khafaji, doctor of Chinese medicine and co-author of a manual of acupuncture points, to explore treating TSW through Chinese medicine. We unpack what potent steroids do to the skin barrier and microbiome, the three phases of treatment, and why rushing to heavy tonics can reignite the fire you just put out.

Healing skin that's been stripped of its own defenses isn't a quick fix, it's a slow rebuild that asks for patience from both practitioner and patient.

Every practitioner develops a feel for the body that goes beyond what any single test can tell you. For Brian Lau, that feel comes from decades of manual work woven directly into his acupuncture practice.

In this conversation, we sit down with Brian Lau and his student Grant Rettison to explore myofascial release in sports medicine acupuncture practice.

We discuss how Brian's background in qigong, tai chi, and structural integration shaped his approach, why he keeps the language of the channel sinews central to his manual therapy, and how palpation itself becomes a form of diagnosis. Brian demonstrates live on the knee and forearm, showing how tissue that pulls, resists, or lacks pliability can guide both point selection and pattern differentiation.

We also explore the fascia as a fabric, the "canoeing" analogy for finding the right direction of treatment, and why unwinding restricted tissue helps restore the gliding surfaces that support movement and healing.

Every body carries a history, and the practitioners who treat it well know how to read that history instead of just chasing the pain in front of them.

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Fong, a physical therapist and licensed acupuncturist, to explore treating the body as an integrated whole. We unpack why observation and palpation come before diagnosis, why patients cling to labels like "bone on bone," and how old injuries quietly shape movement patterns showing up today.

We also dig into the role of intuition alongside clinical training, and why getting a patient to eighty-five or ninety percent is often the honest, sustainable goal.

Healing isn't about erasing every old injury, it's about helping a person understand how they got here, and giving them the tools to keep moving well.

Sports acupuncture isn't just for two-legged athletes, competition dogs need the same careful eye, just read through a different lens, and the signs often show up as quirks and behavior shifts long before anyone calls it an injury.

In this episode, we sit down with Kathy Murphy, a veterinarian and certified veterinary acupuncturist, to explore treating canine athletes through Chinese medicine. We unpack qi versus blood deficiency, why aggression and food-pickiness can be diagnostic clues, and why pulse often reads truer than tongue once treats and training enter the picture.

We also dig into the handler's role in recovery, what real rest looks like, and why setting expectations matters as much with four-legged patients as two.

Getting a competition dog back to the work it loves isn't about one perfect needle, it's about reading the patterns and giving the process the time it needs.

Acupuncture and Western medicine don't have to speak different languages. Practitioners who understand both can offer something neither tradition delivers on its own.

In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Chi-Chi Tang — physiatrist, former St. Louis Rams team physician, and acupuncture practitioner — to explore what a sports medicine lens brings to needling work.

We discuss why palpation is missing from most medical exams and what that costs clinicians, how myofascial chains may be doing the work that meridian theory has described all along, and what the fascia reveals about why acupuncture works.

We also explore posture assessment, nerve anatomy, the Stecco family's fascial research, and why the greatest tension in the body is often far from where the patient feels pain.

Finding the source isn't always obvious. Sometimes it takes learning to read the body in ways that Western training alone never quite teaches.

Sports medicine isn’t just about elite athletes. Many of the same principles apply to everyday patients recovering from injuries, surgery, chronic pain, and repetitive strain. As practitioners, we’re always looking for ways to support healing while working with the body’s natural recovery processes.

In this conversation, I sit down with Laura Christiansen to explore microcurrent therapy and its role in acupuncture practice.

We discuss the differences between traditional electroacupuncture and microcurrent, why more stimulation isn’t always better, and how gentle electrical currents may support healing, tissue repair, and cellular energy production.

We also explore the relationship between fascia, meridians, ATP production, injury recovery, and nervous system regulation, alongside practical strategies for integrating microcurrent into clinical care.

Supporting recovery isn’t always about pushing harder. Sometimes it’s about giving the body the resources it needs to repair, restore, and return to function more effectively.

Sports acupuncture isn’t about long treatment plans or complicated theory—it’s about precision, trust, and results athletes can feel quickly. True mastery comes through repetition, refining the fundamentals until assessment and treatment become second nature.

In this Shoptalk, we sit down with Whitfield Reeves to explore what it really takes to work with athletes through a Chinese medicine lens. We unpack the importance of palpation, speaking anatomy instead of abstract theory, and creating immediate changes through movement, strength, and function.

We also explore how trust is built through outcomes, why precision matters more than complexity, and how mastery requires focus, repetition, and letting go of distractions.

Real progress isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the fundamentals exceptionally well.