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Dr. Richard Hazel, Doctor of Acupuncture, Licensed Acupuncturist
Sometimes doing what‘s best for the patient will go against dogma and tradition. And sometimes leaning more on science than on dogma will ruffle feathers and contradict the gurus and scholars of Traditional Acupuncture. That‘s OK! There‘s room for many styles and there are enough patients for all of us! I graduated at the top of my class with a Master‘s and a Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture. I know the benefits of Traditional Acupuncture for many many conditions. But if you want fast and excellent results treating chronic pain, sports injury, over-use injury, flexibility and mobility, that is what I‘m passionate about and I‘m not going to apologize for great results or for sharing what I‘ve learned from Western Medicine using Acupuncture. The topics here will not be controversial unless you insist on holding onto dogma instead of being open to something new to you and that is based in science. If you are interested in my online courses, you can find them at: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Total 101 episodes
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I Don't Treat Pain!

I Don't Treat Pain!

Sounds strange but I don't treat pain.  I see patients for pain every day, but I'm not trying to treat their pain. There's more to it than that.   Online Courses: BLACKFRIDAY20 Discount Code for 20% Off all Courses and Bundles until December 31. https://richardhazel.podia.com  
25:0323/11/2024
Adductor Longus Knee Pain and Instability

Adductor Longus Knee Pain and Instability

Interesting case on a college athlete. How I assessed and treated this issue.   Come to the 3rd European Orthopaedic and Sports Acupuncture Congress in Barcelona: Space will be limited to 40 people.  https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/3rd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
13:1003/11/2024
Some Thoughts About Treating an Older Population

Some Thoughts About Treating an Older Population

Treating Seniors is a skill you need to learn and there are no books or courses to take. Treating Pro Athletes gets you some prestige but the true test of your assessment and treatment skills as an acupuncturist (as well as your people skills) will be in treating an older population with sub-optimal health statuses.      Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com OCTOBER10 until the end of the month for 10% off everything.  
37:3927/10/2024
My First Inferior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment Case!

My First Inferior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment Case!

My First Inferior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment Case! And an update on my ACNES patient.       online courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com OCTOBER10 for 10% off everything until the end of October.  
23:3319/10/2024
Most Low Back Pain Starts at the Pelvis

Most Low Back Pain Starts at the Pelvis

"Most (musculoskeletal) issues start at the Pelvis" - Vladimir Janda         Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com OCTOBER10 for 10% off Everything Until the End of October.
20:1712/10/2024
What Your Doctor (Probably) Doesn't Know About Pain

What Your Doctor (Probably) Doesn't Know About Pain

The unfortunate gap in understanding pain is the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system's response to overuse, pain and injury.     Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com OCTOBER10 discount code for 10% off everything on the site until the end of October    
40:2205/10/2024
My Latest Updates on Tough Pain Cases: Back Pain and Sciatica

My Latest Updates on Tough Pain Cases: Back Pain and Sciatica

Some tough pain cases are getting better (fast)!   Here is the link to Podia. My new course just went live.   https://richardhazel.podia.com    
27:1521/09/2024
Posterior Knee Pain and Hip Compensation

Posterior Knee Pain and Hip Compensation

I saw a new patient this week with posterior knee pain and his leg would internally rotate when he had been playing golf for a while.       Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com  
13:3014/09/2024
Mysterious Upper Mid-back Pain

Mysterious Upper Mid-back Pain

It's not easy to treat a pain that the patient only feels at times when they are not in the clinic with you. You have to go on their memory of where it hurts and what they are doing at that time. On palpation there was no pain to reproduce. Length testing and muscle testing showed nothing.  I had to rely on Dr. Travell to figure it out.       Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com  
14:3531/08/2024
Functional Leg Length Discrepancy and Other Cases

Functional Leg Length Discrepancy and Other Cases

Just a review of how I usually treat a leg length discrepancy and some of my tough cases. Foot neuropathies, Cauda Equina Syndrome, Migraines     Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com  
25:3925/08/2024
He (or She) Who Treats the Site of Pain is Often Lost!

He (or She) Who Treats the Site of Pain is Often Lost!

If you're sticking needles into the site of pain you're waving the flag of surrender. If you know the cause of the pain, you should be getting good/great results in your first treatment and have it resolved or greatly improved very quickly soon after, in most cases. If you are sticking needles into things where they hurt, you're likely missing the real cause of the problem.  Yes, I'm going to piss people off. But Janda and Lewit were right. "He who treats the site of pain is often lost"!     Online courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
36:4417/08/2024
Should We Treat the Psoas Motor Point or Only Use Distal Points?

Should We Treat the Psoas Motor Point or Only Use Distal Points?

I recently saw a discussion about treating the psoas with acupuncture techniques like fascial pecking on the abdomen, treating the segment, addressing other issues like the abdominals and core, distal points.   What should we do and why?    All of the above are good, but there are times when the motor point is essential. Here's my take. Hint: it's a matter of muscle tone vs muscle shortening.   Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com  
28:5804/08/2024
Deep Branch and Superficial Radial Nerve Entrapments

Deep Branch and Superficial Radial Nerve Entrapments

More gold from Dr. Trescot's book.  There are many ways to entrap the radial nerve. The ones we can address with acupuncture can respond very quickly.    Here's Dr. Trescot's Book on Amazon. (The Springer site has it for about $100 more than Amazon) https://a.co/d/2QN64U4   My online courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
28:2127/07/2024
This Nerve Entrapment Can Cause Numbness on the Bottom of the Foot and Big Toe

This Nerve Entrapment Can Cause Numbness on the Bottom of the Foot and Big Toe

Something I was teaching in Amsterdam recently. Easy to miss, but easy to treat.   As I mentioned, you can learn more about Dr. Jenny Nieters' Courses here: https://alamedaacupuncture.com/learn-sports-acupuncture-with-jenny-nieters/   My courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
18:0820/07/2024
My First Line of Assessment for Hip Dysfunction

My First Line of Assessment for Hip Dysfunction

This is my favorite way to find hip dysfunction for people who have hip pain or for athletes who want to avoid injury and have better sports performance.       My online courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com
17:2906/07/2024
Amsterdam Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture Congress Recap and Glute Min facts

Amsterdam Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture Congress Recap and Glute Min facts

Just got back from Amsterdam. We had a great Congress. I'm discussing what you missed and then some details I wanted to mention about the Gluteus Minimus that you won't hear most of the time.     https://richardhazel.podia.com    
20:2722/06/2024
Janda: There are two schools of thought in musculoskeletal medicine: Structural and Functional

Janda: There are two schools of thought in musculoskeletal medicine: Structural and Functional

Most likely your doctor looks at your pain as a structural issue. i.e. Joint inflammation needs an anti-inflammatory.  Unless you need a surgical intervention, Janda would have seen your pain as a functional problem. Your sensorimotor system is having problems.  This is why I'm 100% in the Janda camp and why it gets such great, lasting results.         If you are an acupuncturist and are wanting to learn motor points, come to Amsterdam in June: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/  
30:4127/05/2024
Is there a connection between The Superficial Peroneal Nerve and Restless Leg Syndrome?

Is there a connection between The Superficial Peroneal Nerve and Restless Leg Syndrome?

There are some new devices for Restless Leg Syndrome that use electric stimulation to stimulate the afferent nerves of the low leg.   What's the connection to the Superficial Peroneal Nerve and Restless Leg? I'm not sure, but I'm willing to start treating patients with this in mind.   Also, some updates on tough nerve entrapment cases.   If you are an acupuncturist and are wanting to learn motor points, come to Amsterdam in June: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   My online courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
16:1118/05/2024
Chronic Pain Patient with symptoms of an Ilioinguinal Nerve Entrapment

Chronic Pain Patient with symptoms of an Ilioinguinal Nerve Entrapment

Recognizing symptoms of peripheral nerve entrapment is critical for chronic pain patients who have gotten no relief from the usual standard of care and diagnostic exams.    When you know the symptoms, you can rule in or out a peripheral nerve entrapment and then palpate the typical entrapment zones to confirm you are on the right track.    If you are an acupuncturist and are wanting to learn motor points, come to Amsterdam in June: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   My online courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
25:1027/04/2024
My Thoughts about Electric Stimulation of Motor Points - the Why and How and How Long

My Thoughts about Electric Stimulation of Motor Points - the Why and How and How Long

People often ask questions about how to use electric stimulation of an acupuncture needle in the motor point of a muscle. They want to know why and how and for how long.  I attempt to give some answers based on what I have seen. There are so many opinions about it that I thought it would be best to give you the basic explanation that has worked well for me. If you're happy with your results, that's what you should do.  I leave it to others to dispute the minutiae of frequencies and points and length of treatment.  If you are an acupuncturist and are wanting to learn motor points, come to Amsterdam in June: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   My online courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
39:2821/04/2024
SIJ pain caused by the Psoas

SIJ pain caused by the Psoas

Some updates about Amsterdam and the recordings on Podia and the Mentorship Membership on Podia.   Here's the registration link for Amsterdam in June: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   Here's the Podia link: https://richardhazel.podia.com   This episode is about a recent patient with SIJ pain and it was due to the psoas being tight.     
15:0313/04/2024
Coracobrachialis Issues to Watch For

Coracobrachialis Issues to Watch For

Coracobrachialis issues that are often missed for pain and mobility and cutaneous nerve symptoms.   Here's the Amsterdam Link: https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   Podia Online Courses Here:  https://richardhazel.podia.com    
30:2806/04/2024
Treating My Own Neck Pain and Headaches This Week

Treating My Own Neck Pain and Headaches This Week

I had a rough week trying to sleep with terrible neck pain that was giving me a right-sided headache almost like a migraine.     https://chinesemedicineeducation.com/event/motor-point-acupuncture-mastery-using-jandas-crossed-syndromes-as-a-roadmap-to-success-plus-advanced-treatments-for-nerve-entrapment-syndrome/   https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   For the month of March 2024 everything on Podia is 20% off with the discount code MARCH20 at checkout. You can use it as many times as you want. https://richardhazel.podia.com    
19:4811/03/2024
Intrinsic Muscles of the Foot and Plantar Fasciitis (and other foot pain)

Intrinsic Muscles of the Foot and Plantar Fasciitis (and other foot pain)

Know the signs of issues with these intrinsic foot muscles. They will help with plantar fasciitis and other foot pain.   Also, here are the live seminar links I mentioned:   https://chinesemedicineeducation.com/event/motor-point-acupuncture-mastery-using-jandas-crossed-syndromes-as-a-roadmap-to-success-plus-advanced-treatments-for-nerve-entrapment-syndrome/   https://integrative-acu-seminars.com/2nd-european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   For the month of March 2024 everything on Podia is 20% off with the discount code MARCH20 at checkout. You can use it as many times as you want. https://richardhazel.podia.com    
20:5903/03/2024
Superficial Peroneal Nerve Entrapment - Dorsal Foot Numbness

Superficial Peroneal Nerve Entrapment - Dorsal Foot Numbness

Sometimes that low leg pain and numbness is an entrapment of the superficial peroneal nerve. It's not always an L5-S1 radiculopathy.  Pain on plantar flexion and inversion can be a sign of superficial peroneal nerve entrapment. https://linktr.ee/richhazel   Everything on Podia is 20% off until the end of March. Use the discount code MARCH20 as many times as you want until March 31. 
16:2824/02/2024
Wong, Gunn, Travell and other Important MDs

Wong, Gunn, Travell and other Important MDs

Everyone who uses motor points and trigger points in their acupuncture treatments owes their thanks to these MDs.   https://richardhazel.podia.com    
32:1418/02/2024
Tonic Phasic and Janda's Crossed Patterns

Tonic Phasic and Janda's Crossed Patterns

Why should we care about the Upper and Lower Crossed Patterns? How does it help to know the difference between a tonic and a phasic muscle?         https://richardhazel.podia.com https://www.richhazel.com  
26:2603/02/2024
Upper Crossed Syndrome and Pseudo Frozen Shoulder

Upper Crossed Syndrome and Pseudo Frozen Shoulder

Some people say that posture has no connection to pain. I disagree.    Happy New Year!!      https://richardhazel.podia.com
11:3131/12/2023
He Who Treats the Site of Pain Is Often Lost!

He Who Treats the Site of Pain Is Often Lost!

Dr. Vladimir Janda and Karel Lewit were pioneers of musculoskeletal medicine who have given us a roadmap to understand assessment and treatment of pain.   Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance: The Janda Approach https://a.co/d/0JCe9vt     https://richardhazel.podia.com    
27:4924/12/2023
Updates on My Migraine Protocol and some Recent Success Stories

Updates on My Migraine Protocol and some Recent Success Stories

I'm really happy to see a daily migraine patient cancelling appointments because they have gone a month without a migraine! I've updated how I treat migraines. It's always a work in progress. I have to learn from clinical experience and doctors like Dr. Andrea Trescott so I'm sharing what I have learned so far in hopes it will help others.   https://RichardHazel.podia.com  
23:2116/12/2023
Some shoulder assessment tips for your elderly patients

Some shoulder assessment tips for your elderly patients

I see patients in their 70s 80s and 90s that I don't run through a range of manual muscle testing for their pain. This is how I prefer to assess and treat. And it works very well.     https://richardhazel.podia.com    
22:1518/11/2023
Bilateral Obturator Tunnel Case and a Foot Pain Case

Bilateral Obturator Tunnel Case and a Foot Pain Case

Two interesting cases this week to share.   Here's my website link for the Seminar in Italy: https://richhazel.com/live-seminars/   https://richardhazel.podia.com    
18:5811/11/2023
Some Ideas about Treating Foot Neuropathy

Some Ideas about Treating Foot Neuropathy

There are some key considerations that have helped me with foot numbness, tingling, hot/cold sensations.   Online Courses and Mentorship Community https://richardhazel.podia.com    
25:3828/10/2023
Bone On Bone Knee Osteoarthritis Helped by Treating Muscles

Bone On Bone Knee Osteoarthritis Helped by Treating Muscles

Isn't it likely that osteoarthritis is due to unaddressed muscle imbalances? It seems to be the case clinically. This is a case from this past week of an 87 year old woman with constant knee pain that has her now in a wheelchair.    
20:2315/10/2023
Learn from the Source Like You’re Going to Teach

Learn from the Source Like You’re Going to Teach

I think that learning a subject from the source material, research, science has been the key to getting excellent results for me. I think when you learn a "system" from someone, you are limited by their system, especially if they don't share their source material so that you can keep learning.     https://richardhazel.podia.com    
39:3907/10/2023
Is it Gua Sha or IASTM?

Is it Gua Sha or IASTM?

Gua Sha is soft tissue manipulation but all not all soft tissue manipulation is Gua Sha.   There is a difference and here's what it is.   https://richardhazel.podia.com  
30:1102/09/2023
The Plantar Aponeurosis and Foot Biomechanics to Consider for Foot Pain

The Plantar Aponeurosis and Foot Biomechanics to Consider for Foot Pain

A patient with a diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis will have different symptoms from the last one you saw with the same diagnosis and different from the next as well.   We need to think about foot biomechanics, nerves, the plantar aponeurosis and we need to know specifically where the patient is having pain.   https://richardhazel.podia.com    
25:3527/08/2023
Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment (Pseudo-sciatica or chronic low back pain)

Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment (Pseudo-sciatica or chronic low back pain)

Entrapment of the superior cluneal nerve can be a source of chronic low back pain, especially after lumbar disc surgery.  It can be a source of psuedo-sciatica as well.   https://kangfu.eu/european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/   https://richardhazel.podia.com      
16:2620/08/2023
Come to Amsterdam in September!

Come to Amsterdam in September!

I'll be in Amsterdam teaching at the 1st European Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture Conference. NCCAOM CEUs available. You should come!   I'll be covering Sciatica, Meralgia Paresthetica, Ilioinguinal Nerve Entrapment, Obturator Tunnel Syndrome, 2 Peudo-Sciaticas: Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment and Superior Gluteal Nerve Entrapment And also Migraines and their nerve entrapments   https://kangfu.eu/european-orthopaedic-and-sports-acupuncture-congress/
10:0513/08/2023
Pseudo-Sciatica from Superior Gluteal Nerve Entrapment

Pseudo-Sciatica from Superior Gluteal Nerve Entrapment

Ever resolve sciatica (or what you thought was sciatica) by treating the gluteus medius or by releasing trigger points in the gluteus medius?   Now I know what was likely happening.    https://richardhazel.podia.com   Join The Acupuncture Outsiders Mentorship Membership for Group Zoom Meetings each month to discuss tough cases and other things of interest.
14:3230/07/2023
Double Crush Syndrome and a Thank You to All Who Have Sent Messages

Double Crush Syndrome and a Thank You to All Who Have Sent Messages

Double Crush Syndrome: It might be controversial but I believe. And Thank You to all who have sent me messages of support!     https://richardhazel.podia.com    
33:2116/07/2023
Upper and Lower Crossed Syndromes and Migraines

Upper and Lower Crossed Syndromes and Migraines

Can we improve our results for migraines by addressing the Upper and Lower Crossed patterns for patients?   Let's walk through it.   Correction : I said the Millennial Tower is tilting 24 degrees. I meant inches. And when I looked it up it's actually tilting 29 inches. 😮   https://richardhazel.podia.com   New Mentorship Program on Podia. Look for the Acupuncture Outsider Community.     
23:3109/07/2023
Some Course Updates, Mentorship and 2 Tough Cases

Some Course Updates, Mentorship and 2 Tough Cases

Future Courses, Mentorship Subscription on Podia and 2 Cases that I'm struggling with but learning from.   https://richardhazel.podia.com    
27:1902/07/2023
Palpation is Essential for Me When Doing an Assessment

Palpation is Essential for Me When Doing an Assessment

I don't always trust muscle testing, especially if the symptoms don't match with a strong test where I think there's some over-use injury.   I want to put my fingers or thumb on a muscle to feel for hypertonicity before I rule it out as a part of the problem.    It's easy to miss a hypertonic muscle if the manual muscle tests seem normal and you don't palpate to confirm.    https://richardhazel.podia.com    
32:1918/06/2023
Reciprocal Inhibition on a Drop Foot and other cases

Reciprocal Inhibition on a Drop Foot and other cases

Reciprocal Inhibition is an interesting thing and I think I think a lot about treating antagonists muscles but maybe I don't always consider reciprocal inhibition for every case. I'm going to be thinking more about reciprocal inhibition for some cases in case it can help me improve my results for muscle activation once someone is pain-free.    Here's the article I mentioned: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/epdf/10.1152/jn.00424.2017   My Podia Online Courses are here: https://richardhazel.podia.com    
20:4511/06/2023
Muscle Fiber Orientation and Why It Matters

Muscle Fiber Orientation and Why It Matters

I was just thinking about how the infraspinatus can help shoulder flexion. The fiber orientation is a clue. It's an external rotator, so how does it get involved in shoulder flexion? How does the Pectoralis Major flex the shoulder? Look at the fiber orientation.   How does Gluteus Minimus (abducts and internally rotates the hip) which doesn't flex the hip, cause an anterior pelvic tilt? Fiber orientation.  https://richardhazel.podia.com  
27:1904/06/2023
Do Acupuncture Patients Need Physical Therapy?

Do Acupuncture Patients Need Physical Therapy?

Sometimes patients have not done well even after trying Physical Therapy for their pain.   Once we have gotten them out of pain and restored their mobility, do they really need Physical Therapy? Are we a replacement for Physical Therapy?   Also, I mentioned in the podcast that I would be interested in doing some podcasts in German and/or French if there's an audience that you think doesn't listen in English. If you think it would help me reach more people, please let me know. [email protected]   Thanks!   https://richardhazel.podia.com  
29:5328/05/2023
Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) Dysfunction

Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) Dysfunction

There's more to the SI Joint than just nutation and the pain some people get there. Many issues like back pain, hip pain, hamstring pain, even shoulder pain can be due to dysfunction at the SIJ.  Movement, Stability & Lumbopelvic Pain: Integration of research and therapy https://a.co/d/cuyLspO     https://richardhazel.podia.com  
18:3922/05/2023
My Knee Pain Protocol that will likely Piss People Off

My Knee Pain Protocol that will likely Piss People Off

"The perfect is the enemy of the good." - Voltaire   Here's an imperfect protocol that gets great results a high percentage of the time.   If you're new to Contemporary Acupuncture or just feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, try this protocol.   It covers a lot of the basics and I get great results with it most of the time.    I know I'll get perfectionists complaining but the goal is to help more people help more people. Too many outliers to knee pain can make people doubt themselves.   Try this protocol and when the patient feels better you have time to think about the underlying segmental, postural, ankle or hip or core issues that led to the pain.   https://richardhazel.podia.com  
29:3413/05/2023
Check Gracilis for Medial Knee Pain

Check Gracilis for Medial Knee Pain

Gracilis is the only hip adductor that can flex the knee. It often gets short after a knee replacement surgery. Quads glutes  TFL and glute minimis are usually my go-to for knee pain but gracilis is usually part of the solution as well.  https://richardhazel.podia.com  
15:5506/05/2023