Connecting the dots : Birthmarks, our bodies' natural maps.

Connecting the dots : Birthmarks, our bodies' natural maps.

Whilst training in the acupuncture clinic of my Traditional Chinese Medicine college, New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, interns, like I was, practiced diagnosing and needling each other, excited to try every new point and process that we have learned. At the time, I was struggling with regulating my hypertension, or high blood pressure. While looking through my notes and not finding a clear answer on how to treat my very common issue, one of my professors recommended that I try an auricular acupuncture point called ‘lower blood pressure’. These are acupuncture points on the ear that, like many other acupuncture points, reflect and affect other body parts and bodily functions. When my professor, Dr. Karen Qiu took a look at my ear, she said to me that I had a birthmark on that auricular point, needled it, and carried on. Very curious. 

The next day I arrived at my job as a chiropractors assistant, and told the Chiropractor about the day before and wanted to check his ear to see if I noticed anything, and sure enough, he too had a birthmark on the ‘lower blood pressure’ auricular point, and he was diagnosed with essential hypertension, and was on medication to manage this. A lightbulb goes off and the gears begin to turn. As I continue my studies to become an acupuncturist, I develop treatment plans and TCM diagnosis’ for my patients, and more often than not, I will run into a birthmark at or very close to the site of the acupuncture point that I had picked out for them based on their individual diagnosis. So this then begs the question, “Is there a connection between Birthmarks, and the corresponding acupuncture point at that location, and how would the indication of use for that point relate to the patient?” At the current state, there is little to no evidence supporting this theory, but then again, there is really no solid evidence in the reasoning for the formation of birthmarks. “Vascular birthmarks (or nevi) were called by names derived from the folk belief that a mother’s emotions could indelibly imprint her unborn fetus. In most cultures, the pregnant mother was blamed for eating too much of a food item that looked similar to the birthmark. In other cultures, the mother was reproached because she failed to satisfy her longing for strawberries, raspberries, or cherries or because she had been frightened by frogs, mice, or butchered rabbits. Thus, these mental images stigmatized her hapless babe.” (Mulliken et al., 2013,) Some of these stigmas came with names to accompany these foods, such as “strawberry hemangioma”, “cherry angioma”, and “port-wine stain”.  The development of the naming scheme for these abnormalities was a good step in the right direction. Although they may not be an accurate representation for the reasons behind infantile hemangiomas, they bring the thought that our choices may in some part affect our bodies. Cause and Effect. These outcomes still do not explain how a birthmark on an acupuncture point may be in relation to that person's personality, symptoms, or complaints. These are where anecdotal evidence can start to play a crucial role in the development of such a novel perspective.

Following the reflection of my own birthmarks, I started paying closer and closer attention to my patient’s body. As an acupuncturist, I have already developed a keen sense of attention to detail, and investigatory blurbs that I use in my diagnosing. Coupling this with my new game of “Where's Waldo” searching for birthmarks while scouting out the treatments’ called for acupuncture points, I noticed more and more birthmarks at acupuncture point locations. Some of these birthmarks are on points that I have selected for that day's treatment, while others were scattered randomly on the canvas that is the human body. I make mental notes when I see the point paired with a birthmark, and if there is another located elsewhere, I always think of what the point is used for, and if the patient has complained about what the point is for, how may it be chosen to advance their healing. Here are some instances in which I had used birthmarks as a diagnostic tool in helping my patient’s achieve their goals.

Patient J, a 45 year old female, presents to my office with a chief complaint of severe pain due to menstrual cramps. This is coupled with brain fog, heaviness of the limbs, insomnia, and anxiety. Being a teacher, she is constantly overworked, and has to remain sharp as a tack, especially since she has a responsibility to over 200 teenage students every single day to teach, help, and care for. A tongue and pulse analysis reveals some sort of deficiency in the acupuncture meridian related to some of these complaints, the Spleen Meridian. One common point for the treatment of this disorder, SP 6, located approximately 3 body-inch above the inner ankle in a tender depression, was chosen for this particular case, and coincidentally has a small dark brown birthmark. It looked like a period at the end of a sentence. This point is commonly used to “Regulate menstruation… Calm the Spirit… All forms of insomnia… and Mental fatigue” (Deadman & Al-Khafaji, 1998). Almost as though her body was trying to tell me, “Hello out there! We need some attention here!!” I continue to use this point to treat the patient to this day, maybe partial, but still related to their complaint, and in my mind it is as relevant if not more than another related point I can add to their acupuncture formula.

Another interesting case: 32-year-old male patient ‘D’ arrives at my office irritable and obviously uncomfortable. He complains of a stiff neck, pain just below the rib cage, high blood pressure, and sighs exasperatedly as he describes that the pain in his rib cage gets worse when he eats meat. Upon completing his intake I learned that he has a sluggish gallbladder and some gallbladder stones and within TCM he presents exactly as one should with these complaints. I develop a plan for him and include acupuncture Point GB 34 (Yang Ling Quan). Once again as I palpate to locate this point, one body inch below and behind the head of the fibula, just on the outside of the knee, I noticed another this time slightly larger birthmark on the acupuncture point classically used to help those with trouble digesting fatty foods as this stimulates production of bile within the gallbladder which is used to help digest fats. With a little pressure, the patient reports that this location on his birthmark is sensitive to the touch, and after treatment, his pain along the ribs goes away for at least 2 weeks, and we have lengthened the relief to just over a month now. Regular monthly visits keep this pain at Bay.

Does that mean that every birthmark is related to an acupuncture point? Perhaps, much more research will have to be done in order to solidify this theory as fact, but this does at least open up the wheel of thought into how external manifestations on our body May reflect internal root causes. We use the skin's reaction to many different substances as a means to deem things allergic, poisonous or toxic, such as in a skin allergy test, and this is another avenue in which we can use our senses as a diagnostic tool in evaluating and treating those in need. There are different skin conditions affecting every person differently, and as we approach this from a open mindset we ignite our curiosity and increase the likelihood of more positive outcomes in our treatments. The next time that you locate a birthmark, usually a small pinpoint, whether it be red Brown or any other color, ask your acupuncturist what that point is used for if there is one there, and I think you would be surprised to find your body speaking to you in ways you didn't realize you understood before. The development of traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in balance, listening to our bodies distinguishing what feels right and what doesn't, and trying to avoid what we can. We have the ability to help and heal ourselves in many different ways, managing our food, our exercise, and our care. If you don't see an acupuncturist now, there are many acupuncture techniques that you can do at home without a needle, such as acupressure. You can apply acupressure by firmly pressing onto a acupuncture point with your finger or a knuckle, and working it in a circular motion for one to three minutes. I urge you to locate a birthmark and try your acupressure on it to see if it becomes tender and if it does, contact your Eastern medical provider for more information on how they may be able to use this new found information to help you to live your best life with the greatest diagnostic tool we have, you! Nobody knows your body better than you do, except for your acupuncturist.