erin: June 8, 2022, 8:00pm
Hello!
I have been practicing SAAM exclusively (aside from some pregnancy patients) for over a year now and am
feeling like my results are mediocre at best. I feel like I am actually losing patients and am (reluctantly) seriously
considering switching back to my old way of practicing acupuncture (which seems less focused but finding better
results).
I am wondering how many people use SAAM exclusively and if you feel like you are getting great results. I might
try only using SAAM where it is really clear to me and back to regular acu for the unclear ones.
Also, some areas I am a bit unclear on and would love some advice:
For a patient who is guarded, withdrawn and potentially unaware of how they interact with others (Liver excess)
and they have a lot of anxiety as well, does it make sense to supplement the tendency that the body is already using
to protect their energy. Like in an example like this, would drawing their attention and energy outward by doing a
SJ supplementation not exacerbate their anxiety and reason for guarding in the first place?
Similarly, with someone who is frustrated and irritable, but has a lot on their plate, and is justified in feeling
frustrated, would supplementing PC only mask the frustration, or would it actually help them get through it?
Also, for wind cold strike – clear runny nose, cough, sore throat, are you using SAAM for this as well? And if so,
what are some treatment ideas? LI+ comes to mind, or LU+ but neither seems a perfect fit. (perhaps this is my
TCM brain having a hard time thinking along the SAAM system).
For someone who is more cold, and weak, but then gets a sore throat, thirst for cold drinks but is still cold – would
you want to cool them with a BL+? Or moisten?
Thanks in advance for any help and guidance.
Daniel: June 9, 2022, 11:38am
Hi Erin
So sorry to hear of the degree to which you ve experienced poor results!
I have been in this now for two years and pretty much stopped a 20 year old way of practicing and made a 98%
migration to Sa Am in my own practice due to the overwhelming superiority of results and effectiveness I could
not ignore (my prior style was certainly effective!! – this just appeared as more powerful).
I will say, as I think is often common . . .that early successes in any style tend to then attract to you a combination
of more challenging / difficult cases and higher expectations from patients (as people report out there in your
community – ‘you gotta go see this person, their treatments got rid of my problem in two sessions!! – then everyone
expects the miracle! and more intransigent cases show up bundled with higher expectations).08/01/2024, 13:30Looking for SAAM guidance – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/looking-for-saam-guidance/1842/print2/4
Even after two years, I find I have to be FULLY awake with each case and even in each session with already-seen
cases . . . I find if I ever slip and slide back into a zone where I think Ive got this case I lose some critical capacity
to see what is right now presenting itself to me.
And I certainly find more and more that often even though we say the loudest thing in the room , many times, its
the second loudest thing in the room that really moves the case along.
And yes, I will say as well, lately, I have had cases to no small degree who did not respond to one or two
treatments at all and I just lost them.
On your first case above . . . . it is possible they are in fact not Liver Excess given the signs you listed (are they
hard on themselves? What is their relationship to thermal issues (SJ)? What is their relationship to light – bright or
dim (SJ)? Are they light-footed or heavy footed? The list you provided could also be sourced primarily in Bladder
Excess (lack of outward love and warmth making human connection very stressful for them) OR Small Intestine
Excess (lack of self-love making life in general very stressful for them) in which cases, a Heart or Kidney
supplementation would work wonders!!
On your second case, I do find that PC-GB spectrum is a really tricky one . . . when frustration / irritability is there
. . . it really can depend on just how much they manifest it through outwardness – physical, verbal . . .sometimes a
GB+ treatment is needed to help send it out there and sometimes a PC+ treatment is needed to calm it down . . .
you need to really feel where the propensity to be aggressive is . . . . so don t forget the other things . . . how is their
sleep? Any concavities or convexities? Do you picture them more as a librarian or a Mike Tyson? But also, again, it
can be best to leave the PC-GB aside and look at other possible generators of frustration . . . . like if they are Spleen
Excess . . . but having a life that demands they get off the couch and stay off the couch and get things done a lot . . .
a LI+ treatment will rock their world and be liberating If they are deeply Liver Excess and life is demanding
(their job for example) that they really be paying attention to the details around them, the stress may be generating
a lot of frustration and a few SJ+ treatments would liberate them . . . If they just don t have self-love, life in general
is going to be a pretty frustrating scenario . . one or two Kidney supplementations could really open up some self-
love (even better with some concurrent counselling) and transform the whole situation . . .
All to say . . . with so many signs and symptoms, more than one of the Sa Am pairings can be the key that unlocks
the door!
I appreciate your vulnerability here . . . perhaps its a good idea to pull back a bit and as you say, just do Sa Am on
the cases it seems very clear to you . . . for a while . . . then you can regain some confidence in the system and feel
ok at some point at venturing out with it on the more complex challenging cases, one by one . . . .
erin: June 9, 2022, 7:44pm
thank you so much for your thoughtful reply Daniel. It is reassuring for me to hear that you are finding superior
results with this system. I really love the principles of it, and find myself engaged in my acupuncture practice much
more than I ever have been. It has just felt defeating to have people tell me that they are going to take a break
because they haven t found any significant changes. I will take responsibility for the potential that I may just not be
getting it quite right. Perhaps I will take some more courses, and keep checking in here.
George_Mandler #4June 12, 2022, 12:07pm08/01/2024, 13:30Looking for SAAM guidance – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/looking-for-saam-guidance/1842/print3/4
Hi Erin, Sorry to hear you are not getting the results you had hoped for. I d like to add to Daniel s spot-on reply
where he points out the art of discerning the subtleties between the archetype.
erin:
I am wondering how many people use SAAM exclusively and if you feel like you are getting great results
I went full time using Sa am Jan 30 2019 when I had my second holy cow did that just happen? Sa am
miracle case. (full body itch and rash disappeared almost instantly with a ST+). My first was Sept 2018 on me
where I had a nagging groin strain go away with a LR+ treatment, using .18 needles.
How many classes have you taken and how many times have you listened to podcasts or the 1.5 hour Qiological
classes or Kristin s White Pine classes? For me that was a key, especially early on when we had only Michael s
interviews. I found repetition helpful as I d pick up nuances in a different way. I have taken an intro course at least
4 times for example. There are so many classes out there to help with the art.
I have found that point location is key. Location, location, location. When I am not getting the results I expect and
am confident in diagnosis I check my needles. I have had more than several instances where changing a needle
location changes the treatment. If you have not already, I highly recommend the point location class Toby did on
Qiological a while back. I think that is a must.
Daniel:
Even after two years, I find I have to be FULLY awake with each case and even in each session with already-
seen cases
Oh my, this is so true! As in when I feel fatigued or the end of a long day I am not on and diagnosis may be off the
mark. I find there is an on and receptivity to be full present with the patient and let the answers flow. I often say
to myself what does this person need today whether it is the first time (which is often the easiest) or the 10th time
(which can get more difficult as they improve!). This is really about getting the archetype nuances down, and as
you said it can be easy to get confused with TCM diagnosis. Thinking in the 5, Wu Xing and 6 Liu Jing in terms of
the archetypes is so central for me. Treatment choice can change from session to session.
erin:
Also, for wind cold strike – clear runny nose, cough, sore throat, are you using SAAM for this as well? And if
so, what are some treatment ideas? LI+ comes to mind, or LU+ but neither seems a perfect fit.
In this example if it is early on and a sore throat just started Toby suggests to consider BL+ supplementation. The
idea of heat. Clear runny nose, could be what you mentioned LI+, LU+ and also ST+. But you need to look at the
morphology and other characteristics of the archetypes to discern what is needed in that moment.
erin:
For someone who is more cold, and weak, but then gets a sore throat, thirst for cold drinks but is still cold –
would you want to cool them with a BL+? Or moisten?08/01/2024, 13:30Looking for SAAM guidance – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/looking-for-saam-guidance/1842/print4/4
Maybe. Maybe not. Are there other HT excess signs? Other signs of hyper ? How long the sore throat? Is the skin
very dry or do you see other dry signs? Is there a rapid thin pulse and dryness? Also still need to consider the other
channel pairs.
BTW – many of us have used BL+ on thin, dry, freezing cold women with good results. As you said moistening is a
good way to think about BL+ supplementation.
I hope this helps and doesn t discourage. If you post some cases we can go over them and that may help.