Pain: The Other Four Letter Word

Dao Dan Pai Qi Gong exercises are a series of standing exercises that harmonize and balance the major energy channels of the body. This series of exercises was first taught in the West by Taoist Master Share K. Lew, a Taoist monk from the Yellow Dragon Temple in the Lo Fo Shan mountains of Guangzhou, China. It integrates movement with breath and posture to activate and balance qi flow.

This course explores how to develop effective acupuncture point combinations to support patients in cultivating joy, contentment, inner peace, and a sense of life purpose. Drawing on principles from Daoist and Confucian philosophies, among others, we will examine classical perspectives on the origin of emotions, including insights inspired by the concept of Pandora’s Box. Attendees will explore the dynamic interplay of Tiān Dì Rén (天地人)—the integration of Heaven, Earth, and Human, and how this framework for balance can inform both diagnosis and treatment. The course will also examine the role of Xīn Bāo (心包), the Pericardium, as the Heart/Emperor’s embrace as well as heart protector. In addition, we will consider the clinical and philosophical relevance of Tiān Mìng (天命), the Heavenly Mandate, and Dào (道), the Path or Way, as guiding concepts for helping patients align with meaning, purpose, and well-being. Through this integrative lens, practitioners will gain tools to support patients in creating greater emotional balance and a deeper sense of fulfillment.

How does delivery method affect outcomes? Understanding the mechanisms and factors influencing placebo effects is crucial for optimizing their use in pain management and improving client outcomes. By combining the benefits of acupuncture and other therapies with the placebo effects, practitioners can create a supportive and empowering environment that fosters trust and collaboration between themselves and their clients. This proactive approach not only addresses immediate symptoms but also promotes long-term health and well-being. By integrating knowledge of placebo effects with evidence-based practices, healthcare practitioners can create a holistic approach to pain management that addresses both physical and psychological aspects of patient care, ultimately leading to improved outcomes and enhanced quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain and facing other challenges. Ethics of all of the elements of integrating the placebo effect will be explored.

Infantile eczema has become one of the most common and troublesome skin disorders of early childhood, now affecting up to 20% of infants in industrialized nations. Its prevalence continues to rise alongside allergic and autoimmune diseases. Modern medicine relies heavily on topical steroids, systemic antibiotics, and mineral oil–based emollients which, although they offer temporary relief, often complicate and prolong the disease process by further damaging the skin and compromising the all-important skin barrier, ultimately massively increasing the likelihood that the condition becomes chronic and recalcitrant. In contrast, when correctly applied, Chinese medicine can have a remarkable effect in swiftly resolving the condition and, crucially, restoring healthy skin function, thereby offering a far brighter long-term prognosis.

Dao Dan Pai Qi Gong exercises are a series of standing exercises that harmonize and balance the major energy channels of the body. This series of exercises was first taught in the West by Taoist Master Share K. Lew, a Taoist monk from the Yellow Dragon Temple in the Lo Fo Shan mountains of Guangzhou, China. It integrates movement with breath and posture to activate and balance qi flow.

Acne has become one of the most prevalent and persistent skin disorders, affecting a significant proportion of adolescents and an increasing number of adults. Its incidence continues to rise, particularly in industrialized societies, alongside broader patterns of inflammatory and hormonal dysregulation. Conventional treatment relies heavily on topical agents, antibiotics, and systemic medications such as isotretinoin. Although they often suppress symptoms in the short term, they can disrupt the skin’s natural ecology, alter the microbiome, and in many cases, lead to recurrence once treatment is withdrawn. In contrast, when applied with precision, Chinese medicine offers a fundamentally different approach, addressing not only the visible lesions but the underlying internal imbalance driving the condition. By regulating inflammation, harmonizing hormonal influences, and restoring the normal function of the skin, it is often possible to achieve steady and sustained improvement with a significantly reduced risk of relapse and a far more stable long-term outcome.

This course will explore how acupuncture point combinations can be designed and used to treat depression and anxiety and to build self-esteem, through lecture, analysis of acupuncture point combinations, discussion, group work, and clinical case studies. We will explore the role of the heart and pericardium. The unique characteristics of depression related to each of the six organ systems that affect and are affected by depression, and associated point combinations, will be examined, as will the key features of different presentations of anxiety related to two main organs (plus three secondary organs) that affect and are affected by anxiety.

Menopause symptoms affect 70-85% of women. This symptom cluster includes vasomotor disturbances, pain, sleep disruptions, mood alterations, and cognitive impairments. Notably, minoritized menopausal women face disproportionate challenges in healthcare access and support, often experiencing prolonged and more severe symptoms than their White counterparts. Taylor-Swanson’s work in community-based participatory research (CBPR) offers a promising approach to addressing these disparities by involving community members in all stages of research and intervention development while working with midlife women to develop and evaluate culturally appropriate interventions for menopausal women from minoritized communities. In this presentation, Dr. Taylor-Swanson will discuss her collaborative work with an interdisciplinary Latina team and American Indian/Alaska Native women along with the adaptation of MENOGAP, an education and self-management curriculum, to meet the unique needs of these communities, highlighting the potential of CBPR in addressing ethical considerations related to health inequities among diverse menopausal populations.

Why do we try to avoid pain when, time and time again, it has been shown to be a beneficial and positive experience that is solely designed to protect us from harm? This 4-letter word has the potential to derail our daily lives. By gaining a clearer understanding of its mechanisms and behaviors, we can modify our experiences to incorporate pain and begin to reduce it. For many years, evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient-centered care (PCC) have been appreciated in opposition to each other. Recent studies have shown that the best outcomes for patients are achieved when both EBM and PCC are instead integrated into a treatment plan. The evolving understanding of pain, and patients’ relationship to that pain, can be key to bridging this gap and bringing some harmony to these two seemingly opposing forces.