Acutonics Institute of Integrative Medicine

Case Studies

The Case Study approach to learning is one of the oldest methods used to gain knowledge in medicine. Its use can be traced back to Hippocrates, Asclepius, and the writings of Galen. These early physicians placed emphasis on careful observation and the recording of signs and symptoms. In Acutonics® we incorporate the use of a case studies as a foundation to our educational programs and as a way to document, discuss and learn from our clinical experiences. Through the use of narrative, careful observation, questions, effective interview techniques, and systematic review and evaluation of information, valuable contributions to knowledge are achieved. Case studies are explored in depth throughout our training, although specific emphasis on this methodology is covered in Acutonics Level VI: Case Studies, Clinical Documentaries.

Specific case study examples that incorporate the use of Acutonics can be found in Acutonics: There’s No Place Like Ohm, Sound Healing, East Asian Medicine and the Cosmic Mysteries, and in the Acutonics From Galaxies to Cells Case Study Companion Guide.

In addition to case study documentation regarding the efficacy of Acutonics, a range of research projects, some of which incorporate a case study approach, have also been conducted. 

Studies Conducted Include: 
Franklin, E. F. (2014). Acutonics® self-care program and stress: Multiple case study exploration of an intervention to ameliorate symptoms of severe stress and compassion fatigue in nurses. (Order No. 3628163, Saybrook University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 259. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1559942695?accountid=35915. (1559942695).

Burke-Kelly, Mary (2014). The perceived pain reduction effects of Acutonics versus traditional needle acupuncture. Acutonics Institute of Integrative Medicine, LLC, research conducted in partial fulfillment of requirements to become a Certified Acutonics® Practitioner.

Morani, V. (2015). Acutonics® Ohm Unison Self-Care Protocol and Workplace Stress: A pilot study exploring the use of a sound-based intervention to reduce symptoms of stress at work as measured by the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire – 4DSQ. Acutonics Institute of Integrative Medicine, LLC, research conducted in partial fulfillment of requirements to become a Certified Acutonics® Practitioner.

Gallagher, C.M. (2010). The effects of Acutonics® on perceptions of Joy. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Clayton College of Natural Health.

McAlister, S. (2009). Vibrational frequencies in wound healing. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 5(3), 147. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2009.03.012 

A Sample of Books that Cite Acutonics:
Carey, D., & de Muynck, M. (2007). Acutonics: There’s No Place Like Ohm: Sound Healing, East Asian Medicine and the Cosmic Mysteries. Vadito, NM: Devachan Press.
Carey, D., Franklin, E.F, Ponton, J. Ponton P, Michelangelo (2010). Acutonics® from Galaxies to Cells: Planetary Science, Harmony and Medicine. Vadito, NM: Devachan Press.
Gehl, J.T & Micozzi, M.S. (2017). The Science of Planetary Signatures in Medicine: Restoring the Cosmic Foundations of Healing. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press
Gehl, J. T. (2019). The Return of Planet Sedna: Astrology, Healing and the Awakening of Cosmic Kundalini. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press
Micozzi, M.S. (2019). Fundamentals of Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine, 6th Edition, St.Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Wakefield, M.E. & Michelangelo (2020). Vibrational Acupuncture: Integrating Tuning Forks and Needles. Philadelphia, PA: Singing Dragon Press.
Numerous articles have been published about the Acutonics methodology. To receive further information on available articles or the above cited research email info@acutonics.com.

Heart Palpitations

Submitted by Frances Dachelet, RN, LAc, Acutonics Practitioner

J a forty-year old married man sought treatment for intermittent heart palpitations that had been active over the previous month. He reported that when his heart started to race he felt anxiety, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

J a forty-year old married man sought treatment for intermittent heart palpitations that had been active over the previous month. He reported that when his heart started to race he felt anxiety, shortness of breath, and chest pain. He was admitted to the hospital the first time it happened and had a complete heart work-up that was negative for myocardial infarction or any specific heart problem. J had been married for one year and was the father of a six-month old baby boy. He worked full time as a physician’s assistant in an emergency care setting and found his work busy and rewarding.

J had a long family history of alcoholism. His father had been physically abusive to him, his siblings, and mother. J received some therapy in the past to deal with particular childhood problems.

J admits that he hides and covers many of his feelings with humor and sarcasm. He worries about being a good enough father, husband, and physician’s assistant. When he doubts himself he uses alcohol to calm his worries. He admitted to having a problem with drinking, although he had reduced the number of times he drank to excess.

J eats a vegetarian diet and has hot meals with his family that his wife prepares. He reported consuming too much dairy and cheese and had gained weight since getting married. He acknowledges the need to drink more water and will go for long periods of time when he doesn’t drink liquids at all during a day, then has beer or cocktails at night.

He was assessed energetically with:
Shen disturbance (agitation of the spirit)
Imbalances of the Liver Spleen and Kidney energies
Intergenerational alcoholism
Heart chakra issues
Fear

At the first treatment J came in with heart palpitations and was visibly uncomfortable and frightened. Treatment strategies for this visit were to calm the spirit, slow the heart rate and breathing, and strengthen the Kidney energy to anchor the energy of the Heart and Lungs:

The treatment was started with the Ohm tuning forks for grounding, centering and stabilizing Kidney energy. Tuning fork intervals were applied to points for calming the Spirit and nourishing and balancing the Heart energy.

Grounding on Kidney points was repeated and J reported feeling calm and a sensation he described as his heart slowing down. He was less anxious and visibly relaxed on the treatment table.

Extraordinary vessels were used to address the intergenerational issues, drawing on their primordial connection to Source to open to those deep seeded childhood issues. Tuning fork combinations for deep opening, balancing and healing (Ohm/New Moon, Mars/Venus and Ohm/Chiron) were used to break through the familial issues.

The session ended with additional grounding, using Kidney points located on the feet. He reported feeling calm and rested.

Dietary, hydration and exercise recommendations were made to J.

J reported no palpitations or panic symptoms following his first treatment.

Subsequent treatments focused on nourishing Kidney energy and balancing the nervous system while continuing to address familial patterns and to provide nurturance.

High octave tuning forks were added and sounded above the body to clear and heal in the body’s subtle energy field.

The energy of a sacred geometry was created by activating specific points with tuning forks for grounding and opening to the cosmos, and aiding in transformational work and for deep nurturance.

Balancing tuning fork intervals were applied to the points that influence the Heart and the Heart Chakra to calm and nourish the heart and spirit. (Mars/Venus)

Points that create energy circulation and that balance the Liver were treated with intervals that disperse the Liver stagnation, and create smooth flow of Liver energy and aid in transforming addiction issues.

Treatment for the intergenerational issues was again addressed using the same extraordinary vessel as in the first treatment. Tuning forks for dissolving, breaking through and healing old addiction patterns were utilized.

High octave tuning forks were used off the body in the field to clear dense familial energy patterns from the etheric fields.

The treatment ended by grounding the energy shifts, using Kidney points on the feet.

J reported that after his first treatment the palpitations did not return. Though he still experienced occasional stress and anxiety he felt much better. He continued to work on his diet and stopped drinking alcohol. He was investigating an outpatient rehabilitation program and considering treatment.

Lower Back and Hip Pain

Submitted by Judy Bernard MAc, LAc, Certified Acutonics® Practitioner, Senior Acutonics Faculty

J is a 60-year-old woman who came in with a complaint of low back pain and hip pain that, at times, radiated to her knees. She had experienced the pain for about twelve years, since a fall at work. She had been diagnosed with a bulging disc at her forth and fifth lumbar vertebrae region.

J is a 60-year-old woman who came in with a complaint of low back pain and hip pain that, at times, radiated to her knees. She had experienced the pain for about twelve years, since a fall at work. She had been diagnosed with a bulging disc at her forth and fifth lumbar vertebrae region. Her work responsibilities required her to stand on her feet for most for the day and by the end of the day, just walking was painful. She had gained weight over the years and wanted to loose weight but was unable to exercise due to the pain. Recently, J has been experiencing depression and hopelessness at times, which she describes as feeling “weighted down, without a light”. Her elderly mother is in poor health with a short life expectancy and lives about an hour away from her. Her handicapped daughter stays with her on the weekends. J is in a good marriage and very much in love with her husband. She would like to change jobs and work for herself.

I assessed J with an energetic pattern of Kidney qi deficiency that presented as lack of support, adrenal burnout, emotional and physical exhaustion, fear of the future and a feeling of collapsing under the weight of her responsibilities. She also displayed a pattern of stagnant gallbladder energy manifesting as hip pain and an inability to move forward in her life.

Ohm forks were used on points to ground and nurture and to create a safe and secure starting place. These included Kidney points and other energy building points.

Specific Extraordinary Vessels (vessels that allow access to the body’s deepest energies) were chosen, and treated with tuning fork combinations, to address weakness and stagnation of energy in the spine, to strengthen the Kidney energy and to assist her in moving forward.

The pattern of stagnant gallbladder channel energy was addressed using tuning fork intervals for dispersing stagnation on points along the outer side of the leg from hip to foot.

Intervals for balancing energy were applied to additional points to influence the hip and side of the leg and for overall circulation of energy in the body.

Three octaves of an interval to promote healing were applied along the gallbladder channel on the side of the leg. 

An interval (Ohm/Saturn) that supports the structure of the body was applied along the spine from top to bottom along with additional intervals and points to support the core energy of the body

A high octave combination of forks (Ohm/Chiron), was used in the field over the spine tracing sacred geometries.

After the First treatment J reported feeling lighter and experiencing less pain. In the second treatment additional planetary tuning fork frequencies were introduced to activate and clear stubborn stagnation.

The third treatment introduced a combination of tuning forks (Ohm/Mercury), to aid in increased communication among her body, mind and spirit. High octave frequencies were also used over the spine to activate a new matrix of stability and well-being.

After five treatments, the pain was almost gone in J’s back and hips and only returned when she was very tired. J was laid off from her job and decided to take a little time off for herself. She expressed the intention that her next job be a four-day workweek and to value the enjoyment of life and of having fun.

Sprained Ankle

Submitted by Susan Goldstone, LAc, Dipl Ac, MA, LMBT, Certified Acutonics® Practitioner, Senior Acutonics Faculty

A female patient came in 5 days after she had sprained her left ankle. She also had severe pain in her foot and into her heel and Achilles tendon. She wore an orthopedic support boot.

A female patient came in 5 days after she had sprained her left ankle. She also had severe pain in her foot and into her heel and Achilles tendon. She wore an orthopedic support boot. She stated that she had been moving in too many directions in her life and doing too many things. She said that she got the message to slow down and focus! She had been in her head, not fully present or in her body, overworking her nervous system and going through a major transition and re-patterning of her life.

My assessment was that the patient was suffering traumatic injury resulting in pain and energy stagnation in her left foot effecting muscle (controlled by the spleen), tendons (controlled by the liver/gall bladder), and bone (controlled by the kidney). Her pulses indicated a constitutional nervous system of a tense person who was working on overdrive.

The treatment objective was to support, nourish, stabilize the injury, and relieve the severe pain, while also providing support to the patient in balancing her overextended life.

It should be noted that in these treatments, the lower octave forks were used. The reason for this is because the low forks work well on the lower part of the body and work deeper in the body.

The treatment opened with the Ohm Unison tuning forks on KID 1, Gushing Spring (on the bottom of the foot) for grounding.

Extraordinary Vessels, which connect with deep energies of potentiality were treated with interval combinations to open and balance the right and left sides of the body and to relax “overcharging” of the nervous system and create energetic and cellular reformatting.

Tuning fork intervals were used on points on the feet and lower legs to open energetic pathways and disperse stagnant/stuck energy to relieve pain.

Opening and dispersing intervals (New Moon 5th and Zodiac 3rd) were also used to circulate stagnation in the overall flow of energy in the body.

Intervals with correspondence to bone and connective tissue (including Saturn) and to overall structural support were chosen not only for physical structural support, but support for the patient, to create a foundation for her life process.

Other interval combinations were employed to promote physical and emotional/spiritual healing, for awareness of ability to move forward and to tonify and stabilize the patient’s feel and for grounding.

The patient experienced significant pain reduction with some discomfort remaining. 

Follow up sessions focused on points and intervals to disperse stagnation and inflammation (including Mars energy for clearing inflammation) and for supporting and grounding energy (Ohm/Earth Day). The extraordinary vessels were employed again to create deep access to balance and support. Three follow-up sessions were performed over the period of a week. At the end of the series of sessions, the patient reported that her ankle and foot were pain free and that she felt stronger and more supported on a psycho-spiritual level.

Respiratory Distress-COPD

Submitted by Paul D. Ponton, MAc, LAc, Certified Acutonics® Practitioner, Senior Acutonics Faculty

A sixty-five year old woman, came for treatment because she was experiencing difficulty breathing. She had a history of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Her chronic condition had been exacerbated by air travel and recent exposure to cigarette smoke.

A sixty-five year old woman, came for treatment because she was experiencing difficulty breathing. She had a history of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Her chronic condition had been exacerbated by air travel and recent exposure to cigarette smoke. She said she also had exacerbations of her condition from stress and that she suffered from frequent sinus congestion. She quit a long time smoking habit, after having been diagnosed with COPD eight years earlier. When the condition was bad, as it was at this visit, she had thick, yellow mucous that was difficult to expectorate. When she entered the office she was relying on a portable oxygen bottle to assist her breathing and she had to stop every few steps and rest, supporting herself by leaning against the wall or against furniture. She said that she had had chronic fatigue since the age of twelve that she attributed to mercury toxicity. She also reported having been diagnosed with high levels of lead in her body. She was taking Prozac to control depression that she also attributed to mercury toxicity.

I assessed her shortness of breath as being caused by phlegm heat obstructing the lungs.

Because the patient was to be in town for only one more day, the focus of the treatment was to relieve the acute respiratory distress she was experiencing-to support and strengthen the lungs and resolve phlegm heat.

The New Moon 5th interval was applied to an acupuncture point on her upper back used to treat asthma to open the lungs. To clear heat from the lungs another point was chosen, on the upper back using the same interval. Additional tuning fork intervals were used on the upper back to strengthen and heal the lung energy and to improve the ability of the lung energy to circulate normally. This same sequence was applied to a point used for deeply rooted illnesses and providing tonification to the lung as well as for strengthening the lung’s yin energy and clearing heat and resolving phlegm in the lung.

Extraordinary vessels and tuning fork intervals were chosen to open the lungs, and the to provide healing energy to the lungs and chest.

The strengthening interval (Mars/Earth Day) was used to boost energy and enhance immune response. 

Ohm/Full Moon was used on the Source Point for the Kidneys, to nourish the yin energy and provide cooling to the acute heat condition.

Tibetan bowls were sounded on and over the patient’s chest and lungs to clear congestion in the area.

The treatment was concluded with a gong sound bath focusing on Mercury to harmonize the lung energy, Jupiter to provide expansiveness to the lungs and Neptune to promote moistening to thin the thick, sticky phlegm.

The patient’s breathing began improving from early in the treatment and continued to improve throughout. At the end of the session she no longer felt the need to use her oxygen tank and was able to walk across the room unassisted.

She e-mailed me two weeks later, after returning home to report that her condition had continued to improve in the days following the treatment and asked for a referral to an Acutonics® practitioner near where she lived.

Stress and Panic Attacks

Submitted by Jude Ponton, DC, MAc, LAc, Certified Acutonics® Practitioner, Senior Acutonics Faculty

L is a 54 year-old woman with chief complaints of stress and anxiety and a western medical diagnosis of panic attacks. She experienced chest tightness, jaw tightness, anxiety and episodes of intense stifling heat from the waist up.

L is a 54 year-old woman with chief complaints of stress and anxiety and a western medical diagnosis of panic attacks. She experienced chest tightness, jaw tightness, anxiety and episodes of intense stifling heat from the waist up. An evaluated by a cardiologist found no evidence of cardiac disease. 

L’s stress level increased when her husband experienced a health crisis. She was also the primary care giver for her father in law, who has Alzheimer’s disease and who lives with the client and her husband. L experienced sleep disturbance worrying that her father in law would get up and have a fall or other accident in the night. L also traveled across the country periodically to check in on her ailing mother.

L’s health history included multiple surgeries and medications related to a series of gynecological problems and sinus problems. She began to avail herself of more alternative health care options starting about ten years earlier and since, relied mostly on herbs and dietary supplements along with naturopathic and chiropractic care. L felt extremely energetically sensitive. She did not tolerate acupuncture well, even with very few needles. She reported being greatly affected by electromagnetic energy that caused her to feel ungrounded and physically agitated.

I assessed her as having stress resulting in rising liver energy creating heat and agitation. She also had low Kidney energy affecting her gynecological health and creating lack of grounding.

This client was so sensitive that even placing tuning forks on acupuncture points was too intense for her; so all the forks were used over the points in the subtle energy fields.

Extraordinary Vessels were chosen to nourish her Kidney energy and address gynecological health and grounding issues and to address intergenerational stresses utilizing tuning forks calibrated to frequencies of the Full Moon and Venus.

Acupuncture points were selected to restore smooth flow of liver energy in the body applying tuning forks in a figure eight geometry sequence.

Heart and Kidney points were stimulated with forks to calm her spirit and reduce anxiety (New Moon and Neptune).

Chakras were grounded from crown down to root for additional grounding and to balance the nervous and endocrine systems

Tibetan bowls were placed around the treatment table and sounded to produce a sound bath to calm her anxiety and balance her energy

After the initial session, the patient reported feeling more grounded and having fewer and less intense episodes of heat and chest tightness. Her sleep had improved. Additional follow-up sessions, similar to the approach used in the first treatment, were done at 1-2 week intervals

The client reported significant improvement in her sleep patterns and energy. Over the course of six treatments the heat sensations and chest and jaw tightness totally resolved. She reported a reduction in stress and was using mantra and meditation to help her to maintain calmer and more stable energy.