Pain Overview
Pain has a purpose. It is to center the spirit and to draw attention to areas of the body that have stagnated.
People see therapists generally for two reasons. Pain and low energy.
Pain is caused by a blockage to the channels, of Qi or Blood, or both, while low energy, is caused  by low circulation in the channels.
There are 3 stages of pain.
1. Pain to set limits in the world. Babies find out what not to do by finding out what causes a blockage to circulation in their body. The blockage often shows by bleeding or bruising (internal bleeding). Also by what to eat and not to eat (too much green fruit causes Qi blockage).
2. Pain to set limits in movement. Athletes "push the pain barrier", and train "until it hurts". In elderly people too much movement causes pain because the nourishing energy is lower.
3. Pain with no movement. The most severe blockage or stagnation. In the acute stage the bodies energy is trying to remove the blockage- this leads pain. In the chronic stage- the body has decided it too difficult- usually because of other commitments, so it has sectioned off that part of the body and put it in the too hard basket for now. Lack of tone results.

Excess pain and Deficiency ache.  Excess is sharp and happens when a person puts energy into a region (muscle or joint to order to move it, when a full condition (stagnation) already exists. The extra energy causes pain before or during movement. Deficiency ache occurs afterward, the region is activated and does the work, however the circulation isn't there to nourish and sustain the muscles and joints and with the extra exertion, can't keep up. This particularly low circulation is pushed as the circulation is re-established causing an ache. Similarly premenstrual pain or dysmennorhea  pain is an excess condition. Aches afterward is a deficient condition.

Pain on exertion- excess condition
Pain after exertion- deficient condition.

Blood is considered very internal- however when it stagnates it descends and turns very physical.

When needles are inserted, a dull feeling called De Qi is the optimal sensation. This is the same as the empty pain, indicating a resurgence of Qi through the channel. (stimulation).

Pain is an obstruction at any level. For instance emotional pain, or emotional scars is an energy obstruction at an emotional level.
Where pain is, is where the obstruction is. This is an AH SHI point. Western medicine talks about pain more distal from pressure on nerves.  Eastern keeps saying- " The obstruction is at the site of the pain". Radiating nerve pain is possible from pressure on a nerve, it is just overated in the Western system because they haven't a circulation system in place to depend on.
Interpreting X-rays is also a controversial issue. Very often when pressured for a diagnosis, exaggerations are made to explain pain in an area.

Perverse factors entering the body all cause excess conditions. It is when they interfere with the flow of Qi in the body that they can cause pain.

When the body has stagnation and a person is given a treatment, the person may feel pain initially after the first treatment because the stimulated energy is trying to push through the stagnation.
Stagnations can heat up locally to try and draw more circulation into themselves. Another way of looking at this is that the body can't get the needed nourishing cooling energy into the area so it Heat  up. Either way the increase in activity hopefully will clear the stagnation. However the power of clearing stagnations of course depends on the amount of circulating energy.

Stagnation of Qi and Blood

Stagnation of Qi- more concerned production of energy organs.	Stagnation of Blood- more concerned with locomotion/trauma.
Pain more vague- effected by emotions Comes and goes. Can't locate exactly. eg. Indigestion. Abundant sputum. Opression. Shoulders drawn. Abdomen distended. Bitter saliva. Constipation or Diarrhea P- full, hard superficial. Causes: Emotions. Diet. Impediments. Deficient Qi.	Pain more severe- not effected by emotions. More constant. Can locate exactly. eg Bruises, spains. Darkening complxion. Spider naevi. Angioma T- purplish areas. Causes: Heat. Cold. Stuck Qi. Deficient Qi. Trauma.

When treating pain
Diagnosis
What type of pain? Pain or ache. People sometimes have trouble describing pain and it is always relative.
Length of time had pain.
What makes worse. What makes better?
Where- which channel, over which organ?
What time of day worse better?- Chinese clock and higher circulation day lower night.

Treatment
Excess- sedating treatment. Anticlockwise. Draw energy out. Red skincan appear around the needle
Deficient- tonify. Clockwise. Induce energy in . White skin can appear near needle.