Every now and then, I run across a graph that looks something like this:
Everything is high—in fact, so high that there are no findings at all. When everything is this elevated and this close together, it’s impossible to determine excess, deficiency, or splits.
So what does it mean?
1. The coolest and most surprising cause of very high readings also happens to be the first one I discovered. Here’s that first high graph:
What do you think it means? Is there a problem? This patient had no complaints and enjoyed excellent health. I asked a little more about his lifestyle, and learned that he practiced QiGong for at least an hour every day. And then it all made sense. QiGong literally translates to “Qi cultivation,” and I’d say this man managed to cultivate quite a bit. I’ve since graphed other QiGong masters, and every one of them has had very high readings. I’m left to conclude the Chinese were on to something, and that this Qi is real. Shocking, I know.
2. Medication: Some medications can cause high readings. Stimulants, in particular, tend to do this.
3. Exercise: If someone has just exercised, intentionally or unintentionally, readings may be temporarily higher due to heat, circulation, and perspiration. If your office is on the 8th floor, and your patient came up the stairs, it’s probably best not to graph until they’ve rested for a few minutes.
4. Heat: Similarly, if it’s the middle of summer and your patient has been outdoors, expect higher readings due to perspiration.
5. Age: Younger people tend to read higher, with children and infants showing the highest readings overall. Don’t be too concerned about high readings in children and infants.
6. Inflammation: If the skin is broken, inflamed, or irritated at the reading points, readings will be higher.
Why no findings?
Remember, AcuGraph notes findings based on differences between the meridians. When everything is uniformly high, there are no differences to report. No, your equipment isn’t malfunctioning; this is all the patient. Some patients are simply outside the range within which the system can read them. If this is the case with one of your patients, I recommend checking into the causes I’ve listed here, and see if something might be causing the high readings. If not, don’t worry. You can always try reading the Jing-well points, which tend to read lower.
One more thing: If a patient tends to read high, this is not necessarily something to worry about. Our research, spanning thousands of graphs, shows that the mean for a given patient tends to remain in the same general zone. Some patients tend high, some tend low. This isn’t a
problem; the mean is far less important than the balance between the meridians. Focus on balancing the meridians with each other. This is VITAL to restoring proper function.
Unfortunately, in a TCM-dominated profession, meridian balancing, also known as meridian therapy, has become somewhat of a lost art. For an interesting look at TCM vs. Meridian Therapy from an expert in both, I recommend you check out Dr. Jake Fratkin’s PDF.
You can download it by clicking here.
Why would a very accomplished TCM practitioner and herbalist make Meridian Balancing the core of his practice? You should find out.
I would use a Clinical Kinesiological approach testing each meridian for priority and order of treatment and treat by those findings My Chiropractic approach would be based upon AK procedures for adjusting for more than six meridian imbalances first for lateral ociput than for inferior ociput and lateral atlas than would wait for ten min and regraph
How does a plate in the ankle from a fracture affect the readings?
A plate will not affect the readings if it’s not recently placed, though the scar tissue from the surgery might. If readings in the affected meridians will not balance with meridian treatment, it might be necessary to address the scar tissue directly with laser or e-stim.
High reading need to be matched with the clinical history for instance; in our experience high reading associated with excessive tiredness, insomnia, racing mind, agitation is an excessive Qi condition which we treat with draining chi points in many cases we obtain immediate calming effect stop the mind racing.