The elements of balance
Acupuncture as Engineering
An engineer looks at a complex system in terms of forces, circuits, and structural tension. If a bridge shows stress in one area, a good engineer looks at the distribution of load across the entire span to find where the true source of tension and the real problem.
Imagine an unskilled worker trying to solve the problem of the stress cracks in the bridge by only patching the cracked concrete - no matter how good the concreting job, the result would be a structure of hidden problems waiting to escalate.
Your body operates under the exact same laws of biomechanics:
The Vector Analogy: Tuning a Stringed Instrument
Think of your muscles and fascia like the strings of a grand piano. Each line runs the length of the instrument under precise tension.
If a string becomes hyper-tight in the middle, it creates an uncomfortable, harsh vibration. Plucking that exact tight spot causes more irritation.
Instead, a Balance Method acupuncturist goes to the tuning peg at the far end—your hand, wrist, or foot.
Clinical Case: Releasing Long-Term Restriction
To see this engineering principle in action, l’ll describe a patient I saw in my clinic recently.
A 56 year old woman suffering from long-term post-breast cancer surgery intercostal pain had heard I might be able to help her and came to give it a try. For years, she had been experiencing aching, restricted movement and intermittent sharp pains between her ribs around the surgical area. Physical examination found it tightly restricted and painful on pressure.
Instead of needling the sensitive chest, I used the Tan Balance Method to map the exact coordinates of the restriction. I located the precise "mirror point" on the leg and then the arm that matched the geometric position of the chest pain.
The moment the needle engaged that distant anchor point, the tension in the chest noticeably uncoupled and the chronic discomfort began to ease. She felt this immediately as reduced pain on pressure and increased range of movement.
Why We "Chase the Pain"
The body is dynamic, not static. In the case mentioned above, as the primary chest restriction released, the remaining tension shifted laterally into the front of the shoulder which then required selection of an additional point to address it.
In the Balance Method, we call this "chasing the pain."
When tissue restrictions unlock, the remaining discomfort can migrate. Because the pain moved to a new anatomical coordinate, its "equal and opposite" balancing point also changed. I calculated the new vector, selected a different distant area to balance the shoulder, and worked to release the secondary restriction taking into consideration location, depth and characteristics of the restriction, in this case as the local area of discomfort felt ropey, and hard, i was looking for similar feeling tissue on the balancing channels and body zones.
3 Common Distal Point Zones Used in Clinical Practice
Every zone of discomfort has a unique, specific position on the opposite side of the structural frame to balance it.
Here are three common examples of how Tan Balance System maps these distant switches, noting that points on balancing body areas and acupuncture channels are found that directly match the specific area of pain being treated in terms of location, depth and physical characteristics.
The Wrist Crease balances the Neck: Used for “Wry” neck, stiffness from computer work, traumatic injury like whiplash (and because its not directly needling into the cervical spine its very safe and well tolerated).
One-Third up the Forearm balances the Centre of the Chest: Ideal for intercostal neuralgia, rib pain, tightness from surgical scar tissue, palpitations and asthma.
The Knee area balances the Eyes and Temples: Used frequently to clear localized tension from migraines, stress headaches, or eye strain.
Finding Your Balancing Point
Pain is rarely an isolated event. It is a system-wide warning light telling us that a circuit is overloaded.
The Tan Balance Method works because it respects the mathematical symmetry of the human body.
If you want to experience a logical system that rewires discomfort from the root without touching your sore spots it’s an incredibly effective and fascinating system to try.
About the Author
Siegrid Delaney is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncturist, Herbalist, and Functional Medicine Practitioner based in Crows Nest, Sydney. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she specialises in using the advanced Dr Tan Balance Method to decode and resolve complex chronic pain patterns as part of a holistic, systems-based approach to health. Learn more about working together at siegriddelaney.com.au.