Episode 150
Dr. Tom Ingegno:
Ancient Secrets of Cupping for Inflammation Relief with Dr. Tom Ingegno
Discover the power of cupping for inflammation in this episode with Tom Ingegno, acupuncturist and author.
Learn how this ancient technique can benefit those with autoimmune conditions by reducing inflammation and promoting healing. Tom shares the science behind cupping, its modern applications, and how to safely practice it at home.
From its surprising history to its role in a holistic wellness approach, explore why cupping is gaining popularity among those seeking natural ways to manage inflammation and autoimmune symptoms.
First Aired on: Jul 28, 2024
Episode 150
Dr. Tom Ingegno:
Ancient Secrets of Cupping for Inflammation Relief with Dr. Tom Ingegno
Discover the power of cupping for inflammation in this episode with Tom Ingegno, acupuncturist and author.
Learn how this ancient technique can benefit those with autoimmune conditions by reducing inflammation and promoting healing. Tom shares the science behind cupping, its modern applications, and how to safely practice it at home.
From its surprising history to its role in a holistic wellness approach, explore why cupping is gaining popularity among those seeking natural ways to manage inflammation and autoimmune symptoms.
First Aired on: Jul 28, 2024
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
In this episode, I dive deep into the world of cupping therapy with Tom Ingegno, an expert in traditional Chinese medicine and author of a book on cupping. We explore the history, benefits, and modern applications of this ancient healing technique, discussing how it can be safely practiced at home for various health concerns.
Introduction
Tom Ingegno is an acupuncturist and practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine with over 26 years of experience. He shares his journey from aspiring medical doctor to becoming passionate about Eastern healing modalities, inspired by a pivotal moment with his pharmacist grandfather.
Episode Highlights
The Ancient Origins of Cupping
Tom reveals the surprising history of cupping, tracing its roots back to ancient Egypt and its eventual incorporation into Chinese medicine.
- Cupping mentioned in Egyptian medical texts from 1550 BC
- Practiced across Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and Middle Eastern regions
- Formally adopted into Chinese medicine around 300-350 AD
Modern Applications and Accessibility
We discuss how cupping has evolved and become more accessible to the general public.
- Popularized by athletes like Michael Phelps in recent years
- Tom's mission to bring cupping back into households
- Advancements in technology making home practice safer and easier
The Science Behind Cupping
Tom explains the physiological effects of cupping and its potential benefits.
- Creates a vacuum to improve blood circulation
- Reduces inflammation and promotes healing
- Can reach tissues up to 6 inches deep
- May help with respiratory issues and muscle tension
Safety and Proper Technique
We cover important safety considerations for those interested in trying cupping at home.
- Importance of proper training and understanding
- Fire cupping should be left to professionals
- Cautions about flammable materials and hair protection
Cupping as Part of a Holistic Lifestyle
Tom emphasizes the importance of incorporating cupping into a broader approach to health and wellness.
- Combining cupping with other natural therapies
- The value of connecting with nature and grounding
- Consistency in health practices for long-term benefits
Notable Quotes from this Episode
Acupuncture is an expression of humanity. So not only do I have to be who I am, I have to honor who you are and there's that dance, there's this interaction.
Tom Ingegno
Healthcare doesn't happen when you're in the office in an office. It's all those things that you're doing outside.
Tom Ingegno
Other Resources:
Connect with Dr. Tom Ingegno
Watch this interview:
Episode Transcript
Tom Ingegno:[00:00:00] Is the use of a vacuum and some kind of jar, cup, traditionally they were buffalo horns pieces of bamboo, Clay pots ah that creates a vacuum and pulls the skin away from the fascia the fascia away from the muscle and allows for more blood to circulate into that tissue. What we're doing there is really we're trying to reduce inflammation but we have all these other side Effects we get Fresh blood to the tissue we're getting more oxygen more nutrients and even Pharmaceuticals right we're getting if you do have supplements or drugs in your bloodstream they're gonna flow to that tissue better.
Julie Michelson:[00:01:00] Welcome
Julie Michelson: today we Tom
Julie Michelson: and the best author of the book un
Julie Michelson: Tom.
Julie Michelson: Clinic provides a multidimensional approach to reducing inflammation improving circulation and regulating the Immune system to help people thrive doctor Tom spreading his message of health using Modern research traditional practices and humor to make un [00:02:00] en today's Conversation we are talking about the Ancient roots of cupping Therapy.
Julie Michelson: To the use home and how lifestyle connected to nature bring about true wellness.
Julie Michelson: Dr Tom, welcomee to the podcast.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, thank you so much for having me
Julie Michelson: i am so excited for this Conversation and i have. Like eight thousand questions for you
Tom Ingegno: that's all right I'll answer 'em all this as i can
Julie Michelson: you're so accommodating um i i would love to know how listers get to know you a little bit you know how did you get into what i would call kind of like Ancient healing modalities or even just like true healing modalities but well yeah what about you here
Tom Ingegno: i its like i love telling the story cause i think it.
Tom Ingegno: You know it helps people relate to where you're at you [00:03:00] know um, so i was i was you know Growing up thinking i was gonna be a medical doctor right you know that that's it right you wanna help people go into western Medicine because i didn't know there was any other kind of Medicine. Ah and you know when i was in College and ah god well this was before College in high school my grandfather was a pharmacist and he was counting out pills one day.
Tom Ingegno: And he actually was you know kind shaking his head while he was doing an old school with a. Uh like a had like a spa i worked in a
Julie Michelson: pharmacy i remember yeah and then you had
Tom Ingegno: you had the ones that you would dump back into the main bottle and then the ones you would fill into the prescription so he counts 'em out and he looks at me and he goes uh.
Tom Ingegno: God these things cost five dollars a pill he has to take three of them a day for the rest of his life the guy that happened to be doing it was like a a day labor you know hops on the back of the truck at at you know home Depot and gets hand in cash at the end of the day [00:04:00] and you know my grandfather.
Tom Ingegno: Uh. I'm italian. Ah, but he always used to refer to the latinos that came into his pharmacy as his his people's people right like there was a there was this really similar way that immigrants from both places were treated. Uh yeah you know we were expected to do the manual labor and not give back talk and do all this stuff and you know he he always was trying to look out for them.
Tom Ingegno: Uh and he said you know this guy this is such a big chunk of this guy's budget. Uh and he looked at me and he goes you know there's gotta be a better way and I'm hoping you find it and then you know i block that out you know he died a better year later and I'm sitting in College one night and uh that popped into my head and at the time i happened to be taking a tai chi elective.
Tom Ingegno: Uh you know like an after school kinda like here's a 11 a week class and. I was in a Chinese philosophy course [00:05:00] it was very interesting to me because that Chinese philosophy bleeds into all different aspects of life so it's not just. You know oh, this the thing so in art music writing even the calligraphy has these concepts of balance and oh, this is too young this is too young and certainly that's in the mar art too am fast forward a couple de junior year and in that.
Tom Ingegno: Winter inter session i received a post in an acupuncture school
Julie Michelson: and it was it
Tom Ingegno: was about ten minutes from my parents' house it was oh and to tell you the truth I'm going next week and I'm super excited i get to see somebody that i studied with and actually stayed with in Vancouver for uh two weeks about Twenty years ago and go meet up with some of my old buddies.
Tom Ingegno: Ah from acupuncture school but after that two weeks i was enrolled and i never looked back you know i saw i went to that open house and i was like this is it. Ah you know and [00:06:00] that that's pretty much you know fast forward Twenty. So about Twenty six and
Julie Michelson: half years i know i don't know how this happens
Tom Ingegno: i had at some point
Julie Michelson: i get it yeah well you know and thank goodness cuz look at the contribution you're making well we're
Tom Ingegno: we're trying you know it's it's a big push it's it's a lifestyle you know it's you can't just do this. Halfway you have it is it that said like find something you love and it kill you or something like that whatever that is like it's funny because East asian Medicine is all about this concept of yang.
Tom Ingegno: Living life fully and robust as long as you can right right
Julie Michelson: and that's the whole point i i think the most Brilliant thing that accidentally ever that i wanna live [00:07:00] well right like it's not about how old i didn't think I'd to see fifty so im really grateful and blessed to be fifty five and living life to its fullest but yeah i love that you.
Julie Michelson: This is the difference in my mind. I mean there's so many differences but the the the Perspective this we and we're talk about. Kind of you know how old you know acupuncture cupping all of this is right this is like a return to the root humans have known Works for a long time yeah ah, but this mentality of you know the back to you know back to your grandfather right.
Julie Michelson: Ah, a i can keep doing what I'm doing. Living the way living and somebody else is fix it for me and so i love that you brought that up because even you know going to your clinic and [00:08:00] getting these amazing treatments that work and we're gonna talk about the ah you have to be living.
Tom Ingegno: I my mentor was was very uh, uh.
Tom Ingegno: Strict with that let's say you know uh, he he kinda i almost said raised there but i think that's an appropriate word you know he raised me and and and my colleagues and look you you. It was almost like martial arts like you keep doing this until until you you own it and you know he would always say things like there's no advanced techniques just basic ones practice to perfection which is like directly from Chinese martial arts you know these what we do over and over again it it doesn't just become a habit it becomes ingrained in who we are sure and uh with that.
Tom Ingegno: That's where we see Skill that's where we all have our expression so there's an expression that i absolutely love new patient especially [00:09:00] if they acupunc ten acupuncture so we're all trying to express this Medicine in the best way we can so the people that I've studied with for years and i came up with they'll do a completely different treatment if you see them of.
Tom Ingegno: You know but that's the beauty of it's
Julie Michelson: the art and the Science and im guessing that every patient on your table gets the same treatment.
Tom Ingegno: No absolutely not even if they say the same things you know even even something as simple as back pain which we see all day it's like yeah
Julie Michelson: no
Tom Ingegno: yours is a little different.
Tom Ingegno: Okay. Well you know why did you do this instead of that i don't know i felt like it no there's a reason you know this is how you presented right you know and and today is different than the next time i see you
Julie Michelson: right right no which is. You know getting back to this personalized treatment right yeah which is amazing i wanna talk [00:10:00] a little bit i wanna kind of dive into the book a little bit.
Julie Michelson: Okay, yeah yeah sure because i have learned so much about from you i always. Thought it was an Ancient practice yeah
Julie Michelson: practitioner. Ah who was also un MD but studied en china for years and years and years and and so i was like wait what talk about like what you know for people out there I'm sure i forget cuz they live in this bu right yeah. Um, they probably are people who are like what is cupping yeah let's start there and then and then we'll just see where we go.
Tom Ingegno: So so we're about i know when we're Recording this a different time but we're about uh, two weeks away from the summer Olympic starting and the biggest. Ah. [00:11:00] Was four years ago with Michael Phelps he home her Baltimore. He the and he had over body and that's when hit did something back in. Oh six she showed up to a like a red carpet event with a backless dress and had copping marks people all thought she was sick but within that.
Tom Ingegno: Is the use of a vacuum and some kind of jar, cup, traditionally they were buffalo horns pieces of bamboo Clay pots ah that creates a vacuum and pulls the skin away from the fascia the fascia away from the muscle and allows for more blood to circulate into that tissue. What we're doing there is really we're trying to reduce inflammation but we have all these other side Effects we get Fresh blood to the tissue we're getting more oxygen more [00:12:00] nutrients and even Pharmaceuticals right we're getting if you do have supplements or drugs in your bloodstream they're gonna flow to that tissue better uh, so the bruise uh, which really technically isn't a bruise because it's not like a a blunt force trauma it doesn't hurt and those are the cap the Surface rupturing from the pressure.
Tom Ingegno: The bruise isn't where the first magic happens that happens deeper in the tissue and Studies show up to six inches deep right so we can really get yeah
Julie Michelson: so we we heard you explain about you know how we can breathing issues and it seems if you don't really understand what's what's going on it's like well how does.
Julie Michelson: My back help my lungs but you know this whole I'm thinking of all these different word final to Circle back and understand the importance of release release and [00:13:00] and getting into all these layer and like getting ad adhesions to release
Tom Ingegno: move yeah yeah moving yeah yeah and and it's always interesting to me because you know acupuncture as a system is.
Tom Ingegno: As a formalized system is about Twenty seven hundred years old we know we have texts going back we we have references going back nine thousand years to something called Needle Therapy no description Beyond that so we can't really say when acupuncture started. But we know that we have records acupuncture texte that ask you
Julie Michelson: we trace back
Tom Ingegno: so so.
Tom Ingegno: Ah we know the oldest texte that we currently have and there was probably things written down beforehand but we lose them the time and Wars and cultural [00:14:00] shifts and all those things but fifteen fifteen BC we have the Evers which is egyptian. And we know that cupping was written about but they wrote Surgical procedures down and we still do some of the same techniques today in Modern hospitals.
Tom Ingegno: Ah, so cupping was written about their persian Physicians were using it.
Tom Ingegno: Medicine so we have all of these kind in that kind of mediterranean northern Africa, eh you know middle Eastern area and I'm reading a book now on another technique from acupuncture which is called moa bustion and we found these scrolls and oh my god like acupuncture evolved and it's even older and we didn't know this and we didn't know that so what we know is that.
Tom Ingegno: People were traveling East West north South a trade right so we don't even know how these ideas got to china but in [00:15:00] about three hundred three fifty ad don't quote me on that right there was a Chinese physician that was writing about cupping and he was saying y you know i know this sounds so beneath all of you right because we're we're Doctors.
Tom Ingegno: Know and this was done in homes this was done and still classically is a across the world before you even went to see a professional right right and he goes this is so great and you Guys are you Guys are missing this so we shouldn't look our nose down at this we should incorporate this and it's been about since three hundred a d.
Tom Ingegno: That that acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners have been including kpe.
Julie Michelson: Which is amazing um and what i love about. Your book and what you're doing es you know hay it would be really difficult for me to get to your clinic on a regular because i live in colorado right and so [00:16:00] it again the power this whole my whole mission is about empowering people to take control of their health right that's why we're here having the Conversation and so i love.
Julie Michelson: That you putting in the hands of people getting it back in the home. Ah, a and we we'll talk a little bit about different you know i i certainly although i could because i i live with a physician who you know love the challenge of you know using fire yeah yeah yeah um, but but and that's this beautiful thing where.
Julie Michelson: Modern technology
Julie Michelson: Science Medicine into and
Tom Ingegno: make it more accessible it's accessible it's not
Julie Michelson: it's not dangerous and so you know i [00:17:00] i just i love that i i think that that is like the biggest gift that you're giving people. Somebody who gets
Tom Ingegno: we're gonna do the fire like I'm pas on an opportunity to play with fire yeah
Julie Michelson: heard so talk about that because because experience cupping. You know en message or whatever very different from the ritual of i received with the Chinese Medicine doctor yeah and there is i loved what you said because when i clients we with mindset.
Julie Michelson: And it is in this because some of the most impactful things people can do is stuff that even i used to w and the Science out right and [00:18:00] so what you are doing clinic the fire cupping and the and I've heard you talk about. You know taking. Wow, you have
Tom Ingegno: done a deeper dive on me
Julie Michelson: using using you know that.
Julie Michelson: Show. I think is what you called it yeah yeah a and but but you you know you explain it's not just this is an ego thing no and
Tom Ingegno: why not if that's what the that's what's gonna get you that ten percent extra relief. Yeah y look i got this special thing done yeah you know my mentor used to say this he he wasn't a marketer.
Tom Ingegno: Uh, but he always had a busy practice probably because he had so many Devoted students going like you know you gotta see my teacher. Uh, but you know when when we asked him like you know how the hell do we get a practice started yeah he goes look. Uh. You know you you Guys are starting out you don't have you know the best clinical [00:19:00] Skill yet right you develop that over time but you know maybe the guy across the Street from you doesn't have uh as nice of an office space maybe maybe they're not playing good music maybe your table is a little bit more comfortable y you know and and all of that adds into the effect and when we look at what we're doing with like.
Tom Ingegno: A lot of the techniques that we offer classically were playing with the autonomic nervous system right getting that Vegas nerve to settle down why because that gets that gets the blood vessels open that gets better circulation that reduces inflammation you know that helps Repair the gut that helps regulate uh brain wave activities neurotransmitters hormones it hits every system it's called the Vegas nerve cuz it wanders everywhere right so.
Tom Ingegno: If if we can play that up if we can turn that up we'll get better results without having to like do like crazy heavy lifting right why wouldn't you do
Julie Michelson: that right. Ah, i love it [00:20:00] i love it and i love that you you know i i was thinking. Okay, inflammation while you were talking about because mm-hmm, es especially today and I'm sure en every time in civilization.
Julie Michelson: Ah, but in particular. The chronic stress load yeah you back then it was a cute we beautiful
Julie Michelson: how. Y i have found have that gift of like. Oh here's how you get you know let's help you into the sympathetic state yeah yeah because you can't heal if you're not in the sympathetic state
Tom Ingegno: and and society is designed to keep you in that sympathetic state now almost right you know. Yeah. Oh, my god this is something to be afraid of and you're like i didn't even know that was a thing five minutes ago you know now I'm terrified and
Julie Michelson: now we're making up stuff to be afraid of like we didn't have enough stuff to be afraid of [00:21:00] already you know in the eighties and
Tom Ingegno: the nineties they used to say paper tigers right you know and it was like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh my boss is going to kill me right no the boss isn't gonna kill you you might get chewed out but your brain is going. Oh, my god I'm dying you know if i don't get this assignment done or something and now. It's literally like you know the five o'clock news do you know what's killing you now i don't i don't.
Julie Michelson: Yeah i learned before i even knew anything i noticed in my twenties i grew up in new jersey so my local. Okay. The new York City news my news network. Oh god i have
Tom Ingegno: flashbacks coms with jersey jingles and like a.
Julie Michelson: Oh god
Tom Ingegno: I'll do that in the with the car in the car with my wife I'm like. Hey you remember the Milford plaza.
Tom Ingegno: I do i remember the song too and i was like that's such such a niche commercial anyway i I'm justr
Julie Michelson: well no it's so [00:22:00] it's so what i noticed i moved like i moved to Miami yeah and i don know if what was happening en Miami eighty nine but it was like living in an episode of caps. Ya you know always and and the reason I'm bringing it up is because you would think if the new York City news you know wasn't bad.
Julie Michelson: That was when i notice. Oh, my gosh i can't watch the news at i don't sleep was when i left to Miami i was like whats going on in new York City any
Tom Ingegno: any day yeah you know which is so crazy everyone thinks it's it's so it's a it's a horror show and you're like
Julie Michelson: no, no,
Tom Ingegno: no
Julie Michelson: hay it is one of like the first.
Julie Michelson: Connections i made i wasn't in the wellness space i [00:23:00] wasn't aware of much ah, but i it was notice and that was better absolutely
Tom Ingegno: you know if it bleeds it leads and then well now it can't even be a little paper cut anymore you have to lose a limb right right you know to get people's attention so even when it's like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh that sucks but it's not that big of a deal. They will they will turn it into like oh everyone's everyone's gonna lose a life over here you know this is horrible yeah and that's that that's unfortunate because like there's also this thing where i don't think we've ever been safer in our entire lives right
Julie Michelson: like there's so much beauty and there's so much and and and again and and then you.
Julie Michelson: Ah you get i do sometimes in that mindset of like you know i mean technology look at look at us on on yeah having this beautiful Conversation that people around the world are gonna [00:24:00] get to listen to and watch right so we forget that back to the cupping of like technology. Because who in the home
Tom Ingegno: you know i always call it grandma's Medicine right and that's how it was introduced to me right you know it was always you know and and it didn't matter what culture people came from right everyone any time I've talked any oh god yeah and slight variations on the technique yeah but at the end of the day it was the same thing
Julie Michelson: right yeah.
Julie Michelson: Which is beautiful and so and and i don't know that without technology of of and we'll talk a little bit about like the different kinds of cups and and um, but i. I don't know that we would get. Faire back
Tom Ingegno: i know plenty of [00:25:00] Families whose grandmother first generation or off the boat still doing it I'm never. Grandmother not to do it no
Julie Michelson: I'm not talking about that I'm talking about the people that have never heard of cupping and they wanna learn and start like that's not where you're you should start yeah
Tom Ingegno: you know leave that leave that to the professionals leave that to the people you know and and it's funny because i I'm gonna tell a story in one of my associates is gonna kill me, uh, but there's a reason we have not.
Tom Ingegno: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. There's a reason why we have those trash can with the lid in our clinic now
Julie Michelson: yes
Tom Ingegno: way we laid out the room the rubing alcohol that we dipped the torch into is right next to the garbage.
Julie Michelson: And she
Tom Ingegno: goes uh, i accidentally, uh, lit the garbage can on fire I'm like. Oh, i did that twice should probably the new case we
Julie Michelson: should maybe rethink this laout [00:26:00] you
Tom Ingegno: know and and it's
Julie Michelson: you professional
Tom Ingegno: and and you know that's that's the thing i probably shouldn't admit that right i look like a lunatic but no.
Julie Michelson: I actually think it first of all you're human. Yeah and we knew we were gonna have fun today and secondly if if it is happening with you right like yeah imagine what's happening to people right exactly yeah
Tom Ingegno: yeah thanks
Julie Michelson: to the tip of the garbage can with the lid that's yeah well
Tom Ingegno: you know i would say if anyone was ever going to try it make sure there's nothing flammable around and that includes like you know you wouldn't even think if you're doing something on somebody's.
Tom Ingegno: Upper back of shoulders well make sure their hairs outta the way right you shouldn't you shouldn't have to say that but like those products are pretty flammable and hair doesn't hold up against he
Julie Michelson: and it is attach your head it is.
Julie Michelson:[00:27:00] Your face who you some this
Tom Ingegno: this is most likely to get uh food stuck in it fortunately at
Julie Michelson: least. Ok, if you need a snack you all set thats fantastic i love it so so. How did was your mission to get back into the household the what the
Tom Ingegno: so it's funny because there's there's so many things that are happening right now right we're at a time where like ai is gonna like just just completely re change the world and you know i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing right we're gonna have some problems with it but that's any new technology we have problems with and.
Tom Ingegno: Were also seeing this return to to like. Natural therapies right half the services i offer in my clinic i feel like if if people were outside seasonally more they [00:28:00] wouldn't need but we're not like that we go car to office to you know back to car you know to back to home and and we're not. Exposed to the elements anymore and we're not you know putting our feet on the ground and i know that sounds a little woowoo but like there there's some Studies on grounding and you know of Studies
Julie Michelson: yeah yeah yeah you know so
Tom Ingegno: but it's still not mainstream and and you still kind of look like the out there person when you're doing it and.
Julie Michelson: On the ground barefoot i mean how is that
Tom Ingegno: right i you know and and for me it's like no you don't understand as long as we've been human beings we've had a relationship to nature and even before we've been human beings right. Uh our brains were the same as they were like. I don't even know how many millions of years ago but like since we've been homo sapiens we've had the same brains right so we've had these abilities [00:29:00] to think and problem solve and process these things so I'm not saying every Ancient technique is well founded I'm not saying we should start jumping on uh you remember the old school sketch Steve Martin was a Barber.
Tom Ingegno: On SNL and he kept he just said take another pint right a so there there is some value in Therapeutic bleeding right we see that in men with hormone replacement we do, uh bleeding
Julie Michelson: in acupuncture yeah you
Tom Ingegno: know and and it's not taking pins and pins and just letting it you know we're not old school but there's some technique there and there
Julie Michelson: is.
Julie Michelson: Actually using Medicine not everything old was not Worthy
Tom Ingegno: had me do a lecture and I've done four for them the medical hospital system and the first one i did uh, they were like. Oh that was great can you come back and i go yeah and they're like. Okay can you come back around Halloween and i go all right.
Tom Ingegno: Let me show [00:30:00] these Guys how weird i am and they won't invite me back and i said how about i do a bunch of gros stuff from history that has Modern uh, coro. He was like I'm all in let's do that I'm. Oh, shit. He called me out
Julie Michelson: we talked about we
Tom Ingegno: talked about leach Therapy we talked about eating human placenta as a as a precursor to STEM cell replacement we talked about fecal Transplant because that has Chinese origin roots.
Tom Ingegno: Uh you know we talked about a whole bunch of weird. Things that like hey guess what maga Therapy is still being used today right y you know so so when we have the Modern evidence when we have the Modern research saying no Guys this is please keep this baby and don't don't dump all that back water out you know right uh and now it's starting to see these kind of Limelight things where we're like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, wow. This really does deserve. It's moment in the spotlight it does deserve to be Incorporated [00:31:00] and when we have those techniques that now as you were saying before technology has made so much more accessible
Julie Michelson: let me write the yeah
Tom Ingegno: it can be a both let me write the book i want you to be able to read that in a few hours.
Tom Ingegno: I'm gonna talk to you like its grandma teaching you i don't need to make this a scholastic activity where you're gonna have to take notes and find reference material and i wanna show you that this is intuitive. So where do you think they should go is a pretty good idea now the book also covers like the different types of cups that are available on the market and i mean you can go crazy and buy the a hundred Twenty dollars electric one or you can go on Amazon and go like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh here's Twenty of them for like ten bucks so i want you to have that ability to design it the way you want. And i just want you to have the information because that information is power and then you are empowered to live a better healthier life [00:32:00] and then honestly. If you end up on my table it makes my job easier why because you're doing more things to help you right health healthcare doesn't happen when you're in the office in an office right yeah you know it's all those things that you're doing outside right.
Tom Ingegno: Just like you don't go to the gym and do a bunch of sit ups and then go wear my six-pack abs or you go you know i had that green smoothie my cholesterol should be fine that one time you know it is that's a snapshot
Julie Michelson: somebody did say to me yesterday i had a salad this week i was this
Tom Ingegno: week it it is a constant.
Tom Ingegno: Yeah commitment to things it's not and it's not that oh, you have that coke or you have that big mac and now you're doomed right on the same token right but how what is the sum total of how we're living. Right and and you need to look at a big view of that so you know on one hand don't beat yourself up if you slip up right but on the other hand what are you doing on the Daily Weekly Monthly yearly [00:33:00] to improve your longstanding health and i think cupping could be.
Tom Ingegno: A significant part of that you learn the techniques you're able to help yourself and your family and friends and that that's something that you now have ownership of right there's no there's no additional cost 11 you learn how to use it you get some supplies and and that to me makes a great Medicine
Julie Michelson: it you said.
Julie Michelson: No you know i believe in all the things we talking about yeah ya. Ah, i have been mostly working from home for the past seven i usually in the clinic and about two months ago i was all of a sudden in the clinic every day. Ya en this particular clinic i can't wait to one [00:34:00] i have a in an office building on the second story window open and hay when i was creating my wellness lifestyle was very about things like morning sun like getting outside nature.
Julie Michelson: The point the goal just became so that i didn't even realize how much time i was outside during the just out
Julie Michelson: i.
Julie Michelson: The first two weeks i was sudden ya i could feel the inflamation i was exhausted i was [00:35:00] a i know enough to know you after. Rid of symptoms years ago i know people ask me all the time you misdiagnosed you know and I'm like no if i went back to how i was living i would totally be diagnosable again so i had to the next and not fluorescent lines and all the things you know but it was such a good reminder for me of.
Julie Michelson: Really how impactful just in nature and and how been created to live into our life so i love we lost touch with that like. Haven't able to successfully years last summer i made
Tom Ingegno: yeah
Julie Michelson: all the [00:36:00] time
Tom Ingegno: very different right it's very different when you are Growing it it's very different when your body's organized yeah
Julie Michelson: was it season was it because i we i don't know but i couldn't that probably combination of everything
Tom Ingegno: right i don.
Julie Michelson: No it there so much that we have moved away from helping move back and having this Conversations the things that people really you know morning sun sleep aj absolutely
Tom Ingegno: it is so crazy that we're questioning that i remember. Uh you know like in the fifties right. You know formula came out right and they like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, don't do that disgusting act you know use this thing in a can and then like you know like nine out of ten Doctors prefer came lights you know exactly around the time right do and who did it who did it affect. Not just the [00:37:00] boomers it's fucking us up like
Julie Michelson: can say you can say whatever you want
Tom Ingegno: I've been I've been good so far you should hear me you should hear me in clinic
Julie Michelson: we keep it real here you know i
Tom Ingegno: i think i think that's it right.
Tom Ingegno: Uh, we we say the the my my favorite expression. Uh from our Classical text is acupunctures and expression of humanity. So not only do i have to be who i am i have to honor who you are and there's that dance there's this interaction. And that's gonna be different if you see a different practitioner that's gonna be different with a different patient but we have to honor that to be able to get somebody results
Julie Michelson: absolutely and also not everybody is the right fit for everybody oh, no.
Tom Ingegno: I'm not everybody's acupuncture somewhat aware of not
Julie Michelson: everybody's sure you know so it is no i agree if we're not showing up genuinely [00:38:00] we're not helping anybody.
Tom Ingegno: And that's why i have three associates because they're all very different you know like you don't like me. Oh, you want somebody quieter over there
Julie Michelson: ya
Julie Michelson: it's so true. It's so true amazing well at the
Julie Michelson: know I'm gonna ask which is can be anything what is one thing.
Tom Ingegno: Ah ya so this this one comes with a caveat you have to be consistent ah and it doesn't have to be long every time a más some variation of this question my answer is always meditate. Ah you know i can't think of a more long term health practice that is free accessible to everyone and will help with just [00:39:00] about every goddamn thing we talked about here yeah.
Julie Michelson: Right you know
Tom Ingegno: and it costs absolutely nothing and if you are trying to stack it with other things you know walk outside put your feet on do it early in the morning and catch the natural red light yeah you can stack all those things together but develop et consistent doesn't have to be long we just i trust you know like a ten breaths don't even don't even.
Tom Ingegno: Set a timer if you can't sit down right but that will build it will become part of your life. Ah, I've been trying to meditate since nineteen ninety four. Ah, i just hit two thousand Twenty days consecutively this morning.
Julie Michelson: Uh amazing.
Tom Ingegno: The impact of having that consistency has given me some insight into it and i can't point to when i felt the benefit o even like quantify [00:40:00] exactly how much i feel but i know my head is working better i know my body's working better and it was because of that.
Tom Ingegno: Im sorry i i want i wanna preach about that all day
Julie Michelson: s it like really because it because all of those res have every it's too hard i can i love that you said i a it's a practice.
Julie Michelson: You don have to get
Tom Ingegno: you'll never you will never not have a thought
Julie Michelson: i I'm gonna say that you don't have a thought
Tom Ingegno: all the time while you are meditating the idea is not to be attached to it and to let it go and be gentle with yourself yeah
Julie Michelson: you know. So many so many when [00:41:00] people about my the beginning of my what was the thing and i i wanted to everything i didn't do things one at a time but when i finally.
Julie Michelson: Created a consistent Meditation practice was the first time over decade my pain better you i don know how i know it reduce inflamation and. So
Tom Ingegno: i i i i will tell you uh i i hope I'm not outing myself too much i i was talking with a a licensed social worker
Julie Michelson: and she goes
Tom Ingegno: oh, my god you have so much going on what do you do to relax i go.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, oh. Don't worry i meditate every day
Julie Michelson: and i just kept
Tom Ingegno: going. Ah she's like you don't slow down though I'm like no you gotta i got i only got so much time on this planet and i wanna be able to do [00:42:00] things yeah
Julie Michelson: you know so I'm
Tom Ingegno: gonna do the things to take care of myself so i can get that stuff done
Julie Michelson: we have. So can so we can impact others and thank you and giving improve not just their Physical health but their lives
Tom Ingegno: yeah
Julie Michelson: thank you.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, thank you so much and i i had if you can't tell i had. On the
Julie Michelson: i told you i i was like. Oh, this is gonna be so good
Julie Michelson: maybe you'll come back and join us again more than happy i there
Julie Michelson: For everyone listening, remember you can get the show notes and transcripts by visiting inspiredliving.Show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed This [00:43:00] episode as much as I did. I'll see you next week.
Julie Michelson:[00:01:00] Welcome
Julie Michelson: today we Tom
Julie Michelson: and the best author of the book un
Julie Michelson: Tom.
Julie Michelson: Clinic provides a multidimensional approach to reducing inflammation improving circulation and regulating the Immune system to help people thrive doctor Tom spreading his message of health using Modern research traditional practices and humor to make un [00:02:00] en today's Conversation we are talking about the Ancient roots of cupping Therapy.
Julie Michelson: To the use home and how lifestyle connected to nature bring about true wellness.
Julie Michelson: Dr Tom, welcomee to the podcast.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, thank you so much for having me
Julie Michelson: i am so excited for this Conversation and i have. Like eight thousand questions for you
Tom Ingegno: that's all right I'll answer 'em all this as i can
Julie Michelson: you're so accommodating um i i would love to know how listers get to know you a little bit you know how did you get into what i would call kind of like Ancient healing modalities or even just like true healing modalities but well yeah what about you here
Tom Ingegno: i its like i love telling the story cause i think it.
Tom Ingegno: You know it helps people relate to where you're at you [00:03:00] know um, so i was i was you know Growing up thinking i was gonna be a medical doctor right you know that that's it right you wanna help people go into western Medicine because i didn't know there was any other kind of Medicine. Ah and you know when i was in College and ah god well this was before College in high school my grandfather was a pharmacist and he was counting out pills one day.
Tom Ingegno: And he actually was you know kind shaking his head while he was doing an old school with a. Uh like a had like a spa i worked in a
Julie Michelson: pharmacy i remember yeah and then you had
Tom Ingegno: you had the ones that you would dump back into the main bottle and then the ones you would fill into the prescription so he counts 'em out and he looks at me and he goes uh.
Tom Ingegno: God these things cost five dollars a pill he has to take three of them a day for the rest of his life the guy that happened to be doing it was like a a day labor you know hops on the back of the truck at at you know home Depot and gets hand in cash at the end of the day [00:04:00] and you know my grandfather.
Tom Ingegno: Uh. I'm italian. Ah, but he always used to refer to the latinos that came into his pharmacy as his his people's people right like there was a there was this really similar way that immigrants from both places were treated. Uh yeah you know we were expected to do the manual labor and not give back talk and do all this stuff and you know he he always was trying to look out for them.
Tom Ingegno: Uh and he said you know this guy this is such a big chunk of this guy's budget. Uh and he looked at me and he goes you know there's gotta be a better way and I'm hoping you find it and then you know i block that out you know he died a better year later and I'm sitting in College one night and uh that popped into my head and at the time i happened to be taking a tai chi elective.
Tom Ingegno: Uh you know like an after school kinda like here's a 11 a week class and. I was in a Chinese philosophy course [00:05:00] it was very interesting to me because that Chinese philosophy bleeds into all different aspects of life so it's not just. You know oh, this the thing so in art music writing even the calligraphy has these concepts of balance and oh, this is too young this is too young and certainly that's in the mar art too am fast forward a couple de junior year and in that.
Tom Ingegno: Winter inter session i received a post in an acupuncture school
Julie Michelson: and it was it
Tom Ingegno: was about ten minutes from my parents' house it was oh and to tell you the truth I'm going next week and I'm super excited i get to see somebody that i studied with and actually stayed with in Vancouver for uh two weeks about Twenty years ago and go meet up with some of my old buddies.
Tom Ingegno: Ah from acupuncture school but after that two weeks i was enrolled and i never looked back you know i saw i went to that open house and i was like this is it. Ah you know and [00:06:00] that that's pretty much you know fast forward Twenty. So about Twenty six and
Julie Michelson: half years i know i don't know how this happens
Tom Ingegno: i had at some point
Julie Michelson: i get it yeah well you know and thank goodness cuz look at the contribution you're making well we're
Tom Ingegno: we're trying you know it's it's a big push it's it's a lifestyle you know it's you can't just do this. Halfway you have it is it that said like find something you love and it kill you or something like that whatever that is like it's funny because East asian Medicine is all about this concept of yang.
Tom Ingegno: Living life fully and robust as long as you can right right
Julie Michelson: and that's the whole point i i think the most Brilliant thing that accidentally ever that i wanna live [00:07:00] well right like it's not about how old i didn't think I'd to see fifty so im really grateful and blessed to be fifty five and living life to its fullest but yeah i love that you.
Julie Michelson: This is the difference in my mind. I mean there's so many differences but the the the Perspective this we and we're talk about. Kind of you know how old you know acupuncture cupping all of this is right this is like a return to the root humans have known Works for a long time yeah ah, but this mentality of you know the back to you know back to your grandfather right.
Julie Michelson: Ah, a i can keep doing what I'm doing. Living the way living and somebody else is fix it for me and so i love that you brought that up because even you know going to your clinic and [00:08:00] getting these amazing treatments that work and we're gonna talk about the ah you have to be living.
Tom Ingegno: I my mentor was was very uh, uh.
Tom Ingegno: Strict with that let's say you know uh, he he kinda i almost said raised there but i think that's an appropriate word you know he raised me and and and my colleagues and look you you. It was almost like martial arts like you keep doing this until until you you own it and you know he would always say things like there's no advanced techniques just basic ones practice to perfection which is like directly from Chinese martial arts you know these what we do over and over again it it doesn't just become a habit it becomes ingrained in who we are sure and uh with that.
Tom Ingegno: That's where we see Skill that's where we all have our expression so there's an expression that i absolutely love new patient especially [00:09:00] if they acupunc ten acupuncture so we're all trying to express this Medicine in the best way we can so the people that I've studied with for years and i came up with they'll do a completely different treatment if you see them of.
Tom Ingegno: You know but that's the beauty of it's
Julie Michelson: the art and the Science and im guessing that every patient on your table gets the same treatment.
Tom Ingegno: No absolutely not even if they say the same things you know even even something as simple as back pain which we see all day it's like yeah
Julie Michelson: no
Tom Ingegno: yours is a little different.
Tom Ingegno: Okay. Well you know why did you do this instead of that i don't know i felt like it no there's a reason you know this is how you presented right you know and and today is different than the next time i see you
Julie Michelson: right right no which is. You know getting back to this personalized treatment right yeah which is amazing i wanna talk [00:10:00] a little bit i wanna kind of dive into the book a little bit.
Julie Michelson: Okay, yeah yeah sure because i have learned so much about from you i always. Thought it was an Ancient practice yeah
Julie Michelson: practitioner. Ah who was also un MD but studied en china for years and years and years and and so i was like wait what talk about like what you know for people out there I'm sure i forget cuz they live in this bu right yeah. Um, they probably are people who are like what is cupping yeah let's start there and then and then we'll just see where we go.
Tom Ingegno: So so we're about i know when we're Recording this a different time but we're about uh, two weeks away from the summer Olympic starting and the biggest. Ah. [00:11:00] Was four years ago with Michael Phelps he home her Baltimore. He the and he had over body and that's when hit did something back in. Oh six she showed up to a like a red carpet event with a backless dress and had copping marks people all thought she was sick but within that.
Tom Ingegno: Is the use of a vacuum and some kind of jar, cup, traditionally they were buffalo horns pieces of bamboo Clay pots ah that creates a vacuum and pulls the skin away from the fascia the fascia away from the muscle and allows for more blood to circulate into that tissue. What we're doing there is really we're trying to reduce inflammation but we have all these other side Effects we get Fresh blood to the tissue we're getting more oxygen more [00:12:00] nutrients and even Pharmaceuticals right we're getting if you do have supplements or drugs in your bloodstream they're gonna flow to that tissue better uh, so the bruise uh, which really technically isn't a bruise because it's not like a a blunt force trauma it doesn't hurt and those are the cap the Surface rupturing from the pressure.
Tom Ingegno: The bruise isn't where the first magic happens that happens deeper in the tissue and Studies show up to six inches deep right so we can really get yeah
Julie Michelson: so we we heard you explain about you know how we can breathing issues and it seems if you don't really understand what's what's going on it's like well how does.
Julie Michelson: My back help my lungs but you know this whole I'm thinking of all these different word final to Circle back and understand the importance of release release and [00:13:00] and getting into all these layer and like getting ad adhesions to release
Tom Ingegno: move yeah yeah moving yeah yeah and and it's always interesting to me because you know acupuncture as a system is.
Tom Ingegno: As a formalized system is about Twenty seven hundred years old we know we have texts going back we we have references going back nine thousand years to something called Needle Therapy no description Beyond that so we can't really say when acupuncture started. But we know that we have records acupuncture texte that ask you
Julie Michelson: we trace back
Tom Ingegno: so so.
Tom Ingegno: Ah we know the oldest texte that we currently have and there was probably things written down beforehand but we lose them the time and Wars and cultural [00:14:00] shifts and all those things but fifteen fifteen BC we have the Evers which is egyptian. And we know that cupping was written about but they wrote Surgical procedures down and we still do some of the same techniques today in Modern hospitals.
Tom Ingegno: Ah, so cupping was written about their persian Physicians were using it.
Tom Ingegno: Medicine so we have all of these kind in that kind of mediterranean northern Africa, eh you know middle Eastern area and I'm reading a book now on another technique from acupuncture which is called moa bustion and we found these scrolls and oh my god like acupuncture evolved and it's even older and we didn't know this and we didn't know that so what we know is that.
Tom Ingegno: People were traveling East West north South a trade right so we don't even know how these ideas got to china but in [00:15:00] about three hundred three fifty ad don't quote me on that right there was a Chinese physician that was writing about cupping and he was saying y you know i know this sounds so beneath all of you right because we're we're Doctors.
Tom Ingegno: Know and this was done in homes this was done and still classically is a across the world before you even went to see a professional right right and he goes this is so great and you Guys are you Guys are missing this so we shouldn't look our nose down at this we should incorporate this and it's been about since three hundred a d.
Tom Ingegno: That that acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine practitioners have been including kpe.
Julie Michelson: Which is amazing um and what i love about. Your book and what you're doing es you know hay it would be really difficult for me to get to your clinic on a regular because i live in colorado right and so [00:16:00] it again the power this whole my whole mission is about empowering people to take control of their health right that's why we're here having the Conversation and so i love.
Julie Michelson: That you putting in the hands of people getting it back in the home. Ah, a and we we'll talk a little bit about different you know i i certainly although i could because i i live with a physician who you know love the challenge of you know using fire yeah yeah yeah um, but but and that's this beautiful thing where.
Julie Michelson: Modern technology
Julie Michelson: Science Medicine into and
Tom Ingegno: make it more accessible it's accessible it's not
Julie Michelson: it's not dangerous and so you know i [00:17:00] i just i love that i i think that that is like the biggest gift that you're giving people. Somebody who gets
Tom Ingegno: we're gonna do the fire like I'm pas on an opportunity to play with fire yeah
Julie Michelson: heard so talk about that because because experience cupping. You know en message or whatever very different from the ritual of i received with the Chinese Medicine doctor yeah and there is i loved what you said because when i clients we with mindset.
Julie Michelson: And it is in this because some of the most impactful things people can do is stuff that even i used to w and the Science out right and [00:18:00] so what you are doing clinic the fire cupping and the and I've heard you talk about. You know taking. Wow, you have
Tom Ingegno: done a deeper dive on me
Julie Michelson: using using you know that.
Julie Michelson: Show. I think is what you called it yeah yeah a and but but you you know you explain it's not just this is an ego thing no and
Tom Ingegno: why not if that's what the that's what's gonna get you that ten percent extra relief. Yeah y look i got this special thing done yeah you know my mentor used to say this he he wasn't a marketer.
Tom Ingegno: Uh, but he always had a busy practice probably because he had so many Devoted students going like you know you gotta see my teacher. Uh, but you know when when we asked him like you know how the hell do we get a practice started yeah he goes look. Uh. You know you you Guys are starting out you don't have you know the best clinical [00:19:00] Skill yet right you develop that over time but you know maybe the guy across the Street from you doesn't have uh as nice of an office space maybe maybe they're not playing good music maybe your table is a little bit more comfortable y you know and and all of that adds into the effect and when we look at what we're doing with like.
Tom Ingegno: A lot of the techniques that we offer classically were playing with the autonomic nervous system right getting that Vegas nerve to settle down why because that gets that gets the blood vessels open that gets better circulation that reduces inflammation you know that helps Repair the gut that helps regulate uh brain wave activities neurotransmitters hormones it hits every system it's called the Vegas nerve cuz it wanders everywhere right so.
Tom Ingegno: If if we can play that up if we can turn that up we'll get better results without having to like do like crazy heavy lifting right why wouldn't you do
Julie Michelson: that right. Ah, i love it [00:20:00] i love it and i love that you you know i i was thinking. Okay, inflammation while you were talking about because mm-hmm, es especially today and I'm sure en every time in civilization.
Julie Michelson: Ah, but in particular. The chronic stress load yeah you back then it was a cute we beautiful
Julie Michelson: how. Y i have found have that gift of like. Oh here's how you get you know let's help you into the sympathetic state yeah yeah because you can't heal if you're not in the sympathetic state
Tom Ingegno: and and society is designed to keep you in that sympathetic state now almost right you know. Yeah. Oh, my god this is something to be afraid of and you're like i didn't even know that was a thing five minutes ago you know now I'm terrified and
Julie Michelson: now we're making up stuff to be afraid of like we didn't have enough stuff to be afraid of [00:21:00] already you know in the eighties and
Tom Ingegno: the nineties they used to say paper tigers right you know and it was like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh my boss is going to kill me right no the boss isn't gonna kill you you might get chewed out but your brain is going. Oh, my god I'm dying you know if i don't get this assignment done or something and now. It's literally like you know the five o'clock news do you know what's killing you now i don't i don't.
Julie Michelson: Yeah i learned before i even knew anything i noticed in my twenties i grew up in new jersey so my local. Okay. The new York City news my news network. Oh god i have
Tom Ingegno: flashbacks coms with jersey jingles and like a.
Julie Michelson: Oh god
Tom Ingegno: I'll do that in the with the car in the car with my wife I'm like. Hey you remember the Milford plaza.
Tom Ingegno: I do i remember the song too and i was like that's such such a niche commercial anyway i I'm justr
Julie Michelson: well no it's so [00:22:00] it's so what i noticed i moved like i moved to Miami yeah and i don know if what was happening en Miami eighty nine but it was like living in an episode of caps. Ya you know always and and the reason I'm bringing it up is because you would think if the new York City news you know wasn't bad.
Julie Michelson: That was when i notice. Oh, my gosh i can't watch the news at i don't sleep was when i left to Miami i was like whats going on in new York City any
Tom Ingegno: any day yeah you know which is so crazy everyone thinks it's it's so it's a it's a horror show and you're like
Julie Michelson: no, no,
Tom Ingegno: no
Julie Michelson: hay it is one of like the first.
Julie Michelson: Connections i made i wasn't in the wellness space i [00:23:00] wasn't aware of much ah, but i it was notice and that was better absolutely
Tom Ingegno: you know if it bleeds it leads and then well now it can't even be a little paper cut anymore you have to lose a limb right right you know to get people's attention so even when it's like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh that sucks but it's not that big of a deal. They will they will turn it into like oh everyone's everyone's gonna lose a life over here you know this is horrible yeah and that's that that's unfortunate because like there's also this thing where i don't think we've ever been safer in our entire lives right
Julie Michelson: like there's so much beauty and there's so much and and and again and and then you.
Julie Michelson: Ah you get i do sometimes in that mindset of like you know i mean technology look at look at us on on yeah having this beautiful Conversation that people around the world are gonna [00:24:00] get to listen to and watch right so we forget that back to the cupping of like technology. Because who in the home
Tom Ingegno: you know i always call it grandma's Medicine right and that's how it was introduced to me right you know it was always you know and and it didn't matter what culture people came from right everyone any time I've talked any oh god yeah and slight variations on the technique yeah but at the end of the day it was the same thing
Julie Michelson: right yeah.
Julie Michelson: Which is beautiful and so and and i don't know that without technology of of and we'll talk a little bit about like the different kinds of cups and and um, but i. I don't know that we would get. Faire back
Tom Ingegno: i know plenty of [00:25:00] Families whose grandmother first generation or off the boat still doing it I'm never. Grandmother not to do it no
Julie Michelson: I'm not talking about that I'm talking about the people that have never heard of cupping and they wanna learn and start like that's not where you're you should start yeah
Tom Ingegno: you know leave that leave that to the professionals leave that to the people you know and and it's funny because i I'm gonna tell a story in one of my associates is gonna kill me, uh, but there's a reason we have not.
Tom Ingegno: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. There's a reason why we have those trash can with the lid in our clinic now
Julie Michelson: yes
Tom Ingegno: way we laid out the room the rubing alcohol that we dipped the torch into is right next to the garbage.
Julie Michelson: And she
Tom Ingegno: goes uh, i accidentally, uh, lit the garbage can on fire I'm like. Oh, i did that twice should probably the new case we
Julie Michelson: should maybe rethink this laout [00:26:00] you
Tom Ingegno: know and and it's
Julie Michelson: you professional
Tom Ingegno: and and you know that's that's the thing i probably shouldn't admit that right i look like a lunatic but no.
Julie Michelson: I actually think it first of all you're human. Yeah and we knew we were gonna have fun today and secondly if if it is happening with you right like yeah imagine what's happening to people right exactly yeah
Tom Ingegno: yeah thanks
Julie Michelson: to the tip of the garbage can with the lid that's yeah well
Tom Ingegno: you know i would say if anyone was ever going to try it make sure there's nothing flammable around and that includes like you know you wouldn't even think if you're doing something on somebody's.
Tom Ingegno: Upper back of shoulders well make sure their hairs outta the way right you shouldn't you shouldn't have to say that but like those products are pretty flammable and hair doesn't hold up against he
Julie Michelson: and it is attach your head it is.
Julie Michelson:[00:27:00] Your face who you some this
Tom Ingegno: this is most likely to get uh food stuck in it fortunately at
Julie Michelson: least. Ok, if you need a snack you all set thats fantastic i love it so so. How did was your mission to get back into the household the what the
Tom Ingegno: so it's funny because there's there's so many things that are happening right now right we're at a time where like ai is gonna like just just completely re change the world and you know i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing right we're gonna have some problems with it but that's any new technology we have problems with and.
Tom Ingegno: Were also seeing this return to to like. Natural therapies right half the services i offer in my clinic i feel like if if people were outside seasonally more they [00:28:00] wouldn't need but we're not like that we go car to office to you know back to car you know to back to home and and we're not. Exposed to the elements anymore and we're not you know putting our feet on the ground and i know that sounds a little woowoo but like there there's some Studies on grounding and you know of Studies
Julie Michelson: yeah yeah yeah you know so
Tom Ingegno: but it's still not mainstream and and you still kind of look like the out there person when you're doing it and.
Julie Michelson: On the ground barefoot i mean how is that
Tom Ingegno: right i you know and and for me it's like no you don't understand as long as we've been human beings we've had a relationship to nature and even before we've been human beings right. Uh our brains were the same as they were like. I don't even know how many millions of years ago but like since we've been homo sapiens we've had the same brains right so we've had these abilities [00:29:00] to think and problem solve and process these things so I'm not saying every Ancient technique is well founded I'm not saying we should start jumping on uh you remember the old school sketch Steve Martin was a Barber.
Tom Ingegno: On SNL and he kept he just said take another pint right a so there there is some value in Therapeutic bleeding right we see that in men with hormone replacement we do, uh bleeding
Julie Michelson: in acupuncture yeah you
Tom Ingegno: know and and it's not taking pins and pins and just letting it you know we're not old school but there's some technique there and there
Julie Michelson: is.
Julie Michelson: Actually using Medicine not everything old was not Worthy
Tom Ingegno: had me do a lecture and I've done four for them the medical hospital system and the first one i did uh, they were like. Oh that was great can you come back and i go yeah and they're like. Okay can you come back around Halloween and i go all right.
Tom Ingegno: Let me show [00:30:00] these Guys how weird i am and they won't invite me back and i said how about i do a bunch of gros stuff from history that has Modern uh, coro. He was like I'm all in let's do that I'm. Oh, shit. He called me out
Julie Michelson: we talked about we
Tom Ingegno: talked about leach Therapy we talked about eating human placenta as a as a precursor to STEM cell replacement we talked about fecal Transplant because that has Chinese origin roots.
Tom Ingegno: Uh you know we talked about a whole bunch of weird. Things that like hey guess what maga Therapy is still being used today right y you know so so when we have the Modern evidence when we have the Modern research saying no Guys this is please keep this baby and don't don't dump all that back water out you know right uh and now it's starting to see these kind of Limelight things where we're like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, wow. This really does deserve. It's moment in the spotlight it does deserve to be Incorporated [00:31:00] and when we have those techniques that now as you were saying before technology has made so much more accessible
Julie Michelson: let me write the yeah
Tom Ingegno: it can be a both let me write the book i want you to be able to read that in a few hours.
Tom Ingegno: I'm gonna talk to you like its grandma teaching you i don't need to make this a scholastic activity where you're gonna have to take notes and find reference material and i wanna show you that this is intuitive. So where do you think they should go is a pretty good idea now the book also covers like the different types of cups that are available on the market and i mean you can go crazy and buy the a hundred Twenty dollars electric one or you can go on Amazon and go like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh here's Twenty of them for like ten bucks so i want you to have that ability to design it the way you want. And i just want you to have the information because that information is power and then you are empowered to live a better healthier life [00:32:00] and then honestly. If you end up on my table it makes my job easier why because you're doing more things to help you right health healthcare doesn't happen when you're in the office in an office right yeah you know it's all those things that you're doing outside right.
Tom Ingegno: Just like you don't go to the gym and do a bunch of sit ups and then go wear my six-pack abs or you go you know i had that green smoothie my cholesterol should be fine that one time you know it is that's a snapshot
Julie Michelson: somebody did say to me yesterday i had a salad this week i was this
Tom Ingegno: week it it is a constant.
Tom Ingegno: Yeah commitment to things it's not and it's not that oh, you have that coke or you have that big mac and now you're doomed right on the same token right but how what is the sum total of how we're living. Right and and you need to look at a big view of that so you know on one hand don't beat yourself up if you slip up right but on the other hand what are you doing on the Daily Weekly Monthly yearly [00:33:00] to improve your longstanding health and i think cupping could be.
Tom Ingegno: A significant part of that you learn the techniques you're able to help yourself and your family and friends and that that's something that you now have ownership of right there's no there's no additional cost 11 you learn how to use it you get some supplies and and that to me makes a great Medicine
Julie Michelson: it you said.
Julie Michelson: No you know i believe in all the things we talking about yeah ya. Ah, i have been mostly working from home for the past seven i usually in the clinic and about two months ago i was all of a sudden in the clinic every day. Ya en this particular clinic i can't wait to one [00:34:00] i have a in an office building on the second story window open and hay when i was creating my wellness lifestyle was very about things like morning sun like getting outside nature.
Julie Michelson: The point the goal just became so that i didn't even realize how much time i was outside during the just out
Julie Michelson: i.
Julie Michelson: The first two weeks i was sudden ya i could feel the inflamation i was exhausted i was [00:35:00] a i know enough to know you after. Rid of symptoms years ago i know people ask me all the time you misdiagnosed you know and I'm like no if i went back to how i was living i would totally be diagnosable again so i had to the next and not fluorescent lines and all the things you know but it was such a good reminder for me of.
Julie Michelson: Really how impactful just in nature and and how been created to live into our life so i love we lost touch with that like. Haven't able to successfully years last summer i made
Tom Ingegno: yeah
Julie Michelson: all the [00:36:00] time
Tom Ingegno: very different right it's very different when you are Growing it it's very different when your body's organized yeah
Julie Michelson: was it season was it because i we i don't know but i couldn't that probably combination of everything
Tom Ingegno: right i don.
Julie Michelson: No it there so much that we have moved away from helping move back and having this Conversations the things that people really you know morning sun sleep aj absolutely
Tom Ingegno: it is so crazy that we're questioning that i remember. Uh you know like in the fifties right. You know formula came out right and they like.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, don't do that disgusting act you know use this thing in a can and then like you know like nine out of ten Doctors prefer came lights you know exactly around the time right do and who did it who did it affect. Not just the [00:37:00] boomers it's fucking us up like
Julie Michelson: can say you can say whatever you want
Tom Ingegno: I've been I've been good so far you should hear me you should hear me in clinic
Julie Michelson: we keep it real here you know i
Tom Ingegno: i think i think that's it right.
Tom Ingegno: Uh, we we say the the my my favorite expression. Uh from our Classical text is acupunctures and expression of humanity. So not only do i have to be who i am i have to honor who you are and there's that dance there's this interaction. And that's gonna be different if you see a different practitioner that's gonna be different with a different patient but we have to honor that to be able to get somebody results
Julie Michelson: absolutely and also not everybody is the right fit for everybody oh, no.
Tom Ingegno: I'm not everybody's acupuncture somewhat aware of not
Julie Michelson: everybody's sure you know so it is no i agree if we're not showing up genuinely [00:38:00] we're not helping anybody.
Tom Ingegno: And that's why i have three associates because they're all very different you know like you don't like me. Oh, you want somebody quieter over there
Julie Michelson: ya
Julie Michelson: it's so true. It's so true amazing well at the
Julie Michelson: know I'm gonna ask which is can be anything what is one thing.
Tom Ingegno: Ah ya so this this one comes with a caveat you have to be consistent ah and it doesn't have to be long every time a más some variation of this question my answer is always meditate. Ah you know i can't think of a more long term health practice that is free accessible to everyone and will help with just [00:39:00] about every goddamn thing we talked about here yeah.
Julie Michelson: Right you know
Tom Ingegno: and it costs absolutely nothing and if you are trying to stack it with other things you know walk outside put your feet on do it early in the morning and catch the natural red light yeah you can stack all those things together but develop et consistent doesn't have to be long we just i trust you know like a ten breaths don't even don't even.
Tom Ingegno: Set a timer if you can't sit down right but that will build it will become part of your life. Ah, I've been trying to meditate since nineteen ninety four. Ah, i just hit two thousand Twenty days consecutively this morning.
Julie Michelson: Uh amazing.
Tom Ingegno: The impact of having that consistency has given me some insight into it and i can't point to when i felt the benefit o even like quantify [00:40:00] exactly how much i feel but i know my head is working better i know my body's working better and it was because of that.
Tom Ingegno: Im sorry i i want i wanna preach about that all day
Julie Michelson: s it like really because it because all of those res have every it's too hard i can i love that you said i a it's a practice.
Julie Michelson: You don have to get
Tom Ingegno: you'll never you will never not have a thought
Julie Michelson: i I'm gonna say that you don't have a thought
Tom Ingegno: all the time while you are meditating the idea is not to be attached to it and to let it go and be gentle with yourself yeah
Julie Michelson: you know. So many so many when [00:41:00] people about my the beginning of my what was the thing and i i wanted to everything i didn't do things one at a time but when i finally.
Julie Michelson: Created a consistent Meditation practice was the first time over decade my pain better you i don know how i know it reduce inflamation and. So
Tom Ingegno: i i i i will tell you uh i i hope I'm not outing myself too much i i was talking with a a licensed social worker
Julie Michelson: and she goes
Tom Ingegno: oh, my god you have so much going on what do you do to relax i go.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, oh. Don't worry i meditate every day
Julie Michelson: and i just kept
Tom Ingegno: going. Ah she's like you don't slow down though I'm like no you gotta i got i only got so much time on this planet and i wanna be able to do [00:42:00] things yeah
Julie Michelson: you know so I'm
Tom Ingegno: gonna do the things to take care of myself so i can get that stuff done
Julie Michelson: we have. So can so we can impact others and thank you and giving improve not just their Physical health but their lives
Tom Ingegno: yeah
Julie Michelson: thank you.
Tom Ingegno: Oh, thank you so much and i i had if you can't tell i had. On the
Julie Michelson: i told you i i was like. Oh, this is gonna be so good
Julie Michelson: maybe you'll come back and join us again more than happy i there
Julie Michelson: For everyone listening, remember you can get the show notes and transcripts by visiting inspiredliving.Show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed This [00:43:00] episode as much as I did. I'll see you next week.
settings
Divider Text
My Guest For This Episode
Connect with Dr. Tom Ingegno
Dr. Tom Ingegno
Dr. Tom Ingegno, DACM, LAC, is the best-selling author of The Cupping Book: Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Healing. Dr. Tom owns and operates Charm City Integrative Health, a multifaceted clinic NYT bestseller and futurist David Houle called the "Future of Medicine." His clinic provides a multidimensional approach to reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and regulating the immune system to help people thrive. In addition to nearly a quarter century of clinical experience, Dr. Tom has taught at two universities of East Asian Medicine and served as Chair of the Maryland Board of Acupuncture. He was the director of acupuncture for a chain of wellness centers in the mid-Atlantic. Dr. Tom has been featured in both consumer and professional media, spreading his message of health using modern research, traditional practices, and humor to make complex theories and treatments understandable.
Popular Episodes
Episode [Block//Episode Number]
Aired on: [Block//Air Date %F j, Y%+0]
Aired on: [Block//Air Date %F j, Y%+0]