Guide of Treatment

A Patient's Guide to Dr. Song’s Practice: Understanding Your Journey to Recovery

Welcome to Dr. Song’s practice. As a Registered Acupuncturist and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in British Columbia, Dr. Song is specialized in addressing common musculoskeletal issues, including persistent pain and movement disorders. Additionally, his clinical focus extends to musculoskeletal-related visceral conditions, such as post-stroke sequelae, dizziness, and tinnitus. Dr. Song believes that a successful treatment relies on a shared understanding between practitioner and patient. This guide is designed to provide you with a clear, authoritative overview of what to expect during your care and how we can work together to achieve lasting recovery.

The Therapeutic Methods

In the practice, Dr. Song primarily utilizes a combination of acupuncture and Tui Na massage (manual therapy) during each session, though they may be employed individually depending on your specific needs. To ensure the highest standards of clinical efficacy and safety, Dr. Song is highly selective about the modalities introduced into your treatment plan.

For instance, cupping therapy is rarely used, as it is generally only effective for superficial or fresh, minor injuries—conditions that patients can easily and safely manage at home. Similarly, while traditional moxibustion (specifically the warm needling method) is highly effective, the limited ventilation within the clinic makes it unfeasible. Instead, when heat therapy is clinically indicated, Dr. Song utilizes a modified approach by carefully heating the needle handle directly. Furthermore, because electrotherapy typically offers limited long-term efficacy for most musculoskeletal problems, it is rarely incorporated into his treatments.

The Structure of a Treatment Session

Every appointment is carefully structured to maximize your body's healing potential, and all aspects of the session are fully included within your total appointment time (usually 50 minutes).

The Clinical Assessment

We begin each session with a focused clinical assessment lasting approximately five to ten minutes, though initial consultations will require more time. During this window, Dr. Song will take a detailed medical history, conduct a motor examination, and perform targeted palpation. Depending on your condition, he may also continue to assess your movement and tissue responses concurrently as the treatment progresses.

Tui Na (Manual Therapy) and Acupuncture

The hands-on portion of your treatment begins with Tui Na, Dr. Song’s specialized manual therapy primarily utilizing deep kneading techniques, which is distinct from standard Registered Massage Therapy (RMT). His focus during this therapy is on identifying and treating specific tender points. It is important to note that these points may not always align with the exact location where you perceive your pain. The sensation under this targeted pressure can feel quite sharp; please be assured that this reflects persistent, deep-seated tissue lesions rather than the application of excessive force.

Following manual therapy, Dr. Song will proceed with acupuncture, inserting ordinary, sterile needles into selected areas. While these can be conceptualized as traditional TCM acupoints, his selection and needling methods are heavily guided by his years of clinical experience and may differ from typical textbook practices. Consequently, the sensations you experience will also differ, generally manifesting as a deep soreness, distension, or occasionally a mild radiating or numb feeling. If you feel a sharp, stinging pain, it simply means a minor blood vessel or nerve ending was touched. This is completely harmless and not required for the treatment to be effective. Similarly, if you notice minor subcutaneous bruising a few hours or a day after your session, it indicates a punctured micro-vessel. This is a normal physiological response that resolves spontaneously within five to seven days and should not cause you any concern.

Active Self-Management

The final three to five minutes of our scheduled appointment are dedicated to your self-management protocol. True long-term recovery fundamentally depends on your body's intrinsic self-repair mechanisms, making your active participation crucial. Before you leave, Dr. Song will explain your post-treatment precautions, demonstrate targeted exercise therapies, and suggest appropriate self-improvement aids. Adhering strictly to these instructions at home is essential, as a failure to follow them directly compromises the treatment's efficacy and delays your healing process.

Navigating Your Post-Treatment Reactions

Understanding how your body responds to treatment will help you navigate the recovery process without unnecessary anxiety. It is natural to hope for significant improvement after a single session, and while many patients experience immediate symptom relief, this initial change is often short-lived, sometimes lasting only an hour or two. Dr. Song would like to emphasize that this immediate rebound is not the true measure of clinical success. Authentic therapeutic effects require the cumulative impact of multiple sessions and manifest as sustained improvements that last for days, weeks, or longer.

It is highly common to experience a temporary exacerbation of your existing symptoms, localized soreness, or general fatigue the day after treatment. These are standard healing responses that typically subside on their own within two to three days, though they may persist longer in some individuals. If your symptoms temporarily intensify and then clear to reveal an improved baseline, it is a definitive sign that the treatment is working. If your condition remains unchanged, it simply means your body requires more cumulative sessions to stimulate a therapeutic response. Healing is a complex, dynamic process, and Dr. Song will continuously evaluate your post-treatment reactions to refine and adapt his clinical approach.

Guidelines for Effective Clinical Communication

To optimize your clinical outcomes, the practitioner and patient should maintain a relationship built on absolute transparency and precise communication.

First, please provide honest feedback regarding your progress and any concerns you may have. Please to avoid using polite but vague descriptions like "a little better" simply to spare Dr. Song’s feelings. To treat you effectively, Dr. Song needs objective details: the exact percentage by which your pain has decreased, a reduction in the frequency or duration of your flare-ups, or your newfound ability to perform specific physical movements that were previously impossible.

Second, please describe your lived physical sensations rather than adopting Western or Chinese medical terminology, such as "inflammation," "dampness," or "a herniated disc". These terms represent diagnostic conclusions—which non-professionals may misapply—and Dr. Song does not formulate his treatment plans based on external labels. Instead, describe your discomfort accurately using sensory words like aching, stabbing, throbbing, or bruise-like pain. This provides Dr. Song with the exact clinical insight required to understand your condition.

Finally, please inform Dr. Song of your sensations in real-time during the session so he can calibrate the treatment intensity. It is important to recognize that clinical acupuncture and manual therapy involve a degree of discomfort that varies by individual, because our objective is to actively alter a pathological tissue state rather than provide simple relaxation. While comfort-oriented treatments offer temporary relief, they rarely cure chronic, long-standing musculoskeletal disorders. Dr. Song will always work within your tolerance to minimize discomfort, but a completely painless procedure cannot be guaranteed, though most patients find that acupuncture is actually less painful than manual therapy.

Dr. Song’s sincere goal is to help you restore your mobility and live pain-free. By maintaining open communication and working together, we can achieve the best possible outcomes for your health.

了解宋医生的治疗

宋医生是BC省的注册针灸师和高级中医师，擅长用针刺与推拿（又称手法治疗）的方法治疗常见的肌骨问题，如疼痛、运动障碍等，以及一些与肌骨相关的内脏失调，如中风后遗症、头晕、耳鸣等。一般上述两种方法会在每次治疗中结合使用，有些时候也可以视情况单独使用。至于拔罐，由于仅对表浅或新鲜的轻度损伤有效，而且病人往往可以在家自己施行，故较少应用。而艾灸，特别是针上加灸的温针方法，虽然在很多时候效果不错，但因诊所换气条件所限而无法采用，必要时会以燔针（烧灼针柄加热的方法）代替。电针对多数肌骨问题的长期效果一般，故很少使用。

单次治疗的一般过程：

评估——主要包括问诊、运动检查、触诊，一般3到5分钟，但初诊时所需时间较长（均计入预约的总时长），部分还会在治疗中同时进行；

手法与针刺——手法即推拿或称按摩（注意不是RMT的注册按摩治疗），以按揉为主，部位多在痛点上，但这些痛点可能不是患者自己感觉痛的地方，同时这种按压的痛感可能会很尖锐，这并不是因为宋医生的力量过大，而是患者本身的病灶过于持久、顽固所致。针刺是使用普通针灸针刺入之前按揉或没有触及的部位，你可以理解为中医所谓的“穴位”，但宋医生是根据自己的经验选择这些治疗点，与一般针灸师的选择及针刺方式很可能不同，因此你在进针后的感觉也会有差异，多数以酸、胀为主，有时会有窜、麻（痹）的感觉，而刺痛多因触及小血管、神经末梢引发，并非治疗所需，但也不会引起任何不良后果。将你在治疗中的感受及时告知宋医生，可以很好地让宋医生加深对你病情的了解。如果你在针刺后数小时或第二天发现有皮下淤青，那是因为针刺过程中扎破了皮下小血管，一般三五天会自行吸收消散，无需担心。如果你在治疗过程中有任何疑虑，可以及时与宋医生沟通。

自我管理——在治疗结束后，宋医生会花几分钟时间交代病人治疗后的注意事项、演示可自用的运动疗法以及提示一些自我改善的辅助措施。由于任何疾病的康复都离不开患者的自我修复，因此这种自我管理非常重要！患者如果不能按医嘱执行往往会降低疗效、拖慢恢复进程。这部分时间大约3到5分钟不等，同样计入预约的总时间内。

治疗后的反应：

所有人都希望一次治疗后病情就会有明显的改善。虽然很多时候病人在治疗结束的当下会感觉症状减轻，但遗憾的是这种改善往往持续很短，甚至不超过一两个小时。这种减轻并不反应治疗起效。真正的疗效是能够持续数天甚至更久的变化，而且常常需要数次治疗的积累才能达成。一次治疗后病人更常见的体会是在第二天感觉原有症状加重、或治疗的部位酸痛、还可能伴有疲乏感。这些都是常见的反应，一般持续两三天会自行消失，个别人会持续较久，甚至一周以上。如果加重的情况消失后，患者感觉比治疗前有所进步，这是治疗有效的标志之一。如果与之前的情况差不多，则说明治疗尚未起效。治疗的起效很多时候都是一个复杂的过程，医生需要针对每次治疗后患者的反应加深对病情的认识并相应调整治疗方法。所以，无论治疗后出现什么情况，首先不要焦虑，其次要与宋医生沟通，这样才能取得更好的效果。

与宋医生沟通：

首先，患者的任何疑虑都应当开诚布公地告诉宋医生。治疗后的感觉也是如此，不要因为怕影响医生的面子就总说“好了一点”，如果感觉有改善，要明确什么改善了，如疼痛程度降低了几成、发作次数减少到几次、持续时间缩短了多少、原来做不到的那些动作现在可以了……

其次，在沟通中尽量不要使用中西医术语，如“湿气重”、“发炎”、“椎间盘突出”等。因为非专业人士对这些术语的理解并不正确，而且上述术语本身属于一种诊断，而不是描述，宋医生不会根据他人的诊断采取治疗措施。请尽量详细、准确地描述你的感觉，比如在描述疼痛时，可以说“酸痛”、“针刺样的痛”、“淤青样的疼痛”等。这样对宋医生理解你的病情更有帮助。

第三，治疗中的感受应即时告知宋医生，这样有助于调节治疗强度、了解损伤程度。需要明白的是，无论是针刺还是手法治疗都会引起疼痛等不适感，其痛苦程度会因人而异。这是因为治疗不是一般认为的放松，治疗的目的是要改变身体当前存在的病理状态，这种改变过程必然不会是轻松的，其间的一些疼痛甚至是必须的过程。而放松的目的是追求舒适，是可以全程无痛的。对于肌骨问题，特别是持续较久的慢性问题，所谓的舒适化治疗很多时候仅能短暂消除不适感，无法达到彻底改善的目的。宋医生会尽量根据病人需要减少治疗中的不适，但无法保证完全无痛。另外，与一般认为的不同，针刺在多数人身上疼痛感反而少于手法治疗。

宋医生诚心希望能改善你的肌骨问题，更好的相互了解有利于获得疗效。