History of Acu

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HISTORY OF ACUPUNCTURE IN CHINA

Acupuncture is a very ancient form of healing which pre-dates recorded history .The philosophy is rooted in the Taoist tradition

which goes back over 8000 years. The people of this time period would

meditate and observe the flow of energy within and without. They also

were keen to observe man's relations with nature and the universe. There

were many sages of this period, but the most legendary was Fu His, who

lived in the Yellow River area of China approximately 8000 years ago. By

observingnature, he formulated the first two symbols, a broken line and un-

broken line. These symbols represented the two major forces in the uni-

verse creation and reception - and how their interaction forms life. Thisduality was named yin-yang and they represent the backbone of Chinese

Medicine theory and application. Fu hsi then discovered that when yin-

yang fuse, a creative action occurs, and this gives birth to a third as-

pect. Fu His then pondered on how this triplicity occurs eight times and

this led to the eight trigrams and then 64 hexagrams of the I-Ching (Book

of Change).The I-Ching shaped the thinking for years to come and every influential

book on Chinese Medicine is based upon its fundamental philosophy.The

primitive society of China is divided into two time periods- The Old

Stone Age(10,000 years ago and beyond) and the New Stone Age

(10,000-4000 years ago).During the Old Stone Age knives were made of

stone and were used for certain medical procedures. During the New Stone

Age, stones were refined into fine needles and served as instruments of
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healing. They were named bian stone - which means use of a sharp edged

stone to treat disease. Many bian stone needles were excavated from ruins

in China dating back to the New Stone Age.

The most significant milestone in the history of Acupuncture occurred dur-

ing the period of Huang Di -The Yellow Emperor (2697-2597). In a famous

dialogue between Huang Di and his physician Qi Bo, they discuss the

whole spectrum of the Chinese Medical Arts. These conversations would

later become the monumental text - The Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperors

Classic of Internal Medicine).The Nei Jing is the earliest book written on Chinese Medicine. It was com-

piled around 305-204 B.C. and consists of two parts:

1. The Su Wen(Plain Questions) -9 volumes - 81 chapters The Su Wen in-

troduces anatomy and physiology, etiology of disease, pathology, dia-

gnosis, differentiation of syndromes, prevention, yin-yang, five ele-ments, treatment, and man's relationship with nature and the cosmos.

2. The Ling Shu (Miraculous Pivot, Spiritual Axis)- 81 Chapters The

Ling Shu's focus is Acupuncture, description of the meridians,functions

of the zang-fu organs, nine types of needles, functions of the acupunc-

ture points, needling techniques, types of Qi, location of 160 points.

Approximately 1000 BC, during the Shang Dynasty, hieroglyphs showed

evidence of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Bronze needles were excavated

from ruins, but the bian stones remained the main

form of needle.


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During the Warren States Era(421-221 B.C.) metal needles replaced the

bian stones. Four gold needles and five silver needles were found In an an-

cient tomb dating back to 113B.C. The Miraculous Pivot names nine types

of Acupuncture needles. The Historical Records notes many physicians

practicing Acupuncture during this time. Another milestone for this period

was the compilation of the Nan Jing (Book of Difficult Questions).The

Nan Jing discusses five element theory, hara diagnosis, eight extra meridi-

ans, and other important topics. From 260-265 A.D., the famous physician

Huang Fu Mi, organized All of the ancient literature into his classic text

-Systematic Classics of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. The text is twelvevolumes and describes 349 Acupuncture points.It is organized according to

the theory of: zang fu, Qi and blood, channels and colllaterals, acupunc-

ture points, and clinical application. This book is noted to be one of the

most influential text in the history of Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture was very popular during the Jin, Northern, Southern,Dynasties (265-581A.D.). For generations the Xu Xi family were known as

the experts in the art of Acupuncture. During this time period important

texts and charts enhanced knowledge and application. Acupuncture experi-

enced great development during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907)Dynasties. Upon request from the Tang Government (627-649A.D.), the

famous physician Zhen Quan revised the important Acupuncture texts and

charts. Another famous physician of the time, Sun Simio, wrote Prescrip-

tion with a Thousand Gold for Emergencies (650-692). This text includes

data on Acupuncture from various scholars. During this period Acu-

puncture became a special branch of of medicine and practitioners were


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named Acupuncturists. Acupuncture schools appeared, and Acupuncture

education became part of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279),the famous physician Wang Weiyi

wrote, The Illustrated Manual on Points for Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

This book included the description of 657 points.

He also casted two bronze statues on which meridians and points were en-

graved for teaching

purposes. The Ming Dynasty (1568-1644) was the enlightening period for

the advancement of Acupuncture. Many new developments included:

1. revision of the classic texts

2. Refinement of Acupuncture techniques and manipulation

3. Development of Moxa sticks for indirect treatment

4. Development of extra points outside the main meridians

5. The encyclopedic work of 120 volumes- Principle and Practiceof Medicine was

written by the famous physician Wang Gendung 6.1601 - Yang Jizhou

wrote Zhenjin Dacheng ( Principles of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. This

great treatise on

Acupuncture reinforced the principles of the Nei Jing and Nan Jing. This

work was the foundation of the teachings of G.Soulie de Morant who

introduced Acupuncture into Europe.

From the Qing Dynasty to the Opium Wars (1644-1840), herbal medicine

became the main tool of physicians and Acupuncture was suppressed.

Following the Revolution of 1911, Western Medicine was introduced and

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology were suppressed. Due to the large


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population and need for medical care, Acupuncture and herbs remained

popular among the folk people, and the "barefoot doctor" emerged.

Acupuncture was used exclusively during the Long March (1934-35) and

despite harsh conditions it helped maintain the health of the army. This led

Mao Zedong, the leader of the Communist Party, to see that Acupuncture

remained an important element in China's medical system. In 1950 Chair-

man Mao officially united Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western

Medicine, and acupuncture became established in many hospitals.

In the same year Comrade Zhu De reinforced Traditional Chinese Medi-cine with his book New Acupuncture. In the late 1950's to the 1960's Acu-puncture research continued with - further study of the ancient texts, clinic-

al effect on various diseases, acupuncture anesthesia, and acupuncture's ef-

fect on the internal organs.

From the 1970's to the present, Acupuncture continues to play an important

role in China's medical system. China has taken the lead in researching all

aspects of acupuncture's application and clinical effects. Although acu-

puncture has become modernized, it will never lose its connection to a

philosophy established thousands of years ago.


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The Twelve Regular Channels

The twelve regular channels are a general term for the three yin and

three yang channels of the hand and the three yin and three yang

channels of the foot.

1.Flow sequence :

The lung channel originates from the middle and descends to

connect with the large intestine

(1). It turns around the upper orifice of the stomach

(2), passing through the diaphragm

(3) and enters the lung, forming part of the lung channels System

(4) From the lung it flows upward to connect with the throat

(5) and exits transversely from the arm pit

(6). It then travels along the anterior-medial aspect of the upper arm(7), passing the cubital region and arrives at the Cunkou

(8), the radial side of the wrist containing the radial artery for pulse

palpation. Passing the

thenar eminence

(9), it travels along the radial border of the palm ending at the medi-

al side of the tip of the thumb,

(10).The branch separates from the

(11) near to the wrist and goes directly to the radial side of the tip of

the index finger,

(12) where it joins with the large intestine channel.

Main pathological changes: Cough, asthma, hemoptysis, sore

throat,


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pain and fullness of the chest, pain in the clavicular region, pain

along the anterior-medial aspect of the arm, and shoulder pain.

2.Flow sequence :

The large intestine channel starts from the tip

of the index finger, (1). Running upward along the radical

aspect of the index finger, it passes through the inter-space of the

first and second metacarpal bones, and ascends along the lateral

anterior aspect of the upper arm to the highest point of theshoulder (2). It then travels along the anterior border of the

acromion up to the seventh cervical vertebrae (3), then descends to

the supraclavicular fossa (4) and enters the thoracic cavity to

connect with the lung (5). It passes through the diaphram (6) and

enters the large intestine (7), forming part of the large intestine

channel system.The branch from the supraclavicular fossa travels upward to the

neck

(8) and to the cheek (9), and enters the lower teeth (10), then it

curves around the upper lip and exits at the corner of the mouth

(11), where it crosses the opposite large intestine channel of the

Hand at the philtrum (12). it ends at the side of the nose,

(13) where is connects with the stomach channel of the

Foot

Main pathological changes: lower toothache, sore throat, epistaxis,

runny nose, dryness of the mouth, swelling and pain of the neck,

pain or motor impairment of the anterior-lateral aspect of the arm,

etc.


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3. Flow sequence :

The stomach channel of the Foot starts from the lateral

side of the nose (1). It flows upward to the bridge of

the nose where it meets the urinary bladder channel of the

Foot (2). Turning downward along the lateral side

of the nose, it enters the upper gum (3). Curving around the lips

(4), it meets Chengjiang, Ren, at the mentolabial groove (5). Then

it travels to the posterior aspect of the mandible passing through

the Daying (6) ascending in front of the ear and following the

anterior hairline (7), it reaches the forehead (8).The facial branch deviates from the anterior aspect of the Daying

and runs downward to the Renying (9). It runs along the throat and

enters the supraclavicular fossa (10). Going downward it passes

through the diaphragm, enters the stomach (11), forming part of the

stomach system, and connects with the spleen (12).

The straight line of the channels separates the supraclavicularfossa and runs downward along the middle mammillary line (13). It

travels to the side of the umbilicus (14) and descends to the

inguinal groove, where it enters Pt. Qichong (15).

The branch bifurcating from the lower orifice of the stomach (16)

descends to the deep layer of the abdomen and joins the previous

straight line of the channel at Pt. Qichong (15). Running downward

it travels along the anterior aspect of the thigh and reaches the

knee (17). From there is continues further down along the anterior

border of the lateral aspect of the tibia to the dorsum of the foot

and reaches the lateral side of the tip of the second toe, Lidui

(18). Another branch splits from Pt. Zusanli (19), and descends

downward to enter the lateral side of the middle toe (20).


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The branch from the dorsum of the foot parts from Chongyang (21)

and

flows anteriorly to the medial side of the tip of the great toe,

Yinbai (22), where it communicates with the spleen channel of the

Foot-Taiyin.

Main pathological changes: borborygmus, abdominal distention, ed-

ema,

stomach ache, vomiting, diabetes, deviated mouth and eyes, sore

throat, epistaxis, high fever, perspiration, headache, mania, and

pain along the course of the stomach channel.

4.Flow sequence :i (1). It travels along the medial aspect

of the foot at the junction between the red and white skin, ascends

anteriorly to the medial malleolus (2) up to the medial aspect of

the leg (3). It crosses and goes in front of the liver channel of

the foot-Jueyin 8 cun above the medial malleolus. passing throughthe anterior medial aspect of the thigh (4), it enters the abdomen

(5) and the spleen (6), forming part of the spleen system, and

connects with the stomach. From there it traverses the diaphragm

(7), and runs alongside the esophagus. It arrives at the root of the

tongue (8) and spreads over the lower surface of the tongue.

The branch goes from the stomach up through the diaphragm and

flows

into the heart (9) to join the heart channel of the Hand-Shaoyin.

Main pathological changes: epigastric pain, abdominal distension,

vomiting after eating food, belching, loose stools, jaundice,

lassitude, heaviness of limbs, stiffness of the tongue, coldness,

swelling and pain of the lateral side of the lower limb, motor

impairment of the big toe, etc.


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Alongside the esophagus, it passes through the diaphragm (7),

reaches the stomach (8) and enters the small intestine (9) forming

part of its channel system.

The branch separates from the supraclavicular fossa and ascends

to

the neck (10) and further up to the cheek (11). Going through the

outer canthus, it turns into the ear, Tinggong (12).

Another branch deviates from the cheek. Running upward to the

lower

border of the infraorbital region, it reaches the inner canthus Pt.Jingming (13) to communicate with the urinary bladder channel of

the

Foot-Taiyang.

Main pathological changes: Ringing in the ears, yellowish eye

coloring, sore throat, swelling and pain under the jaw and in the

neck, shoulder and upper external arm pain, abdominal pain anddistension, frequent urination, etc.

7. Flow sequence :

The urinary bladder channel of the Foot-Taiyang originates from the

inner canthus, Jingming (1). Passing through the forehead, it flows

up to the vertex and meets the du channel at Pt. Baihui of Du (2).

A branch splits from the vertex and goes bilaterally down to the

upper corner of the ear (3). The straight line enters and connects

with the brain from the vertex. It exits the brain at the neck

region (4) and bifurcates into two lines. One line runs straight

downward (1.5 cun lateral to the mid-line of the back) to the lumbar

region (5), entering the body cavity to connect with the kidney and

join with the urinary bladder (6), forming a part of its channel


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system. From there it descends along the posterior aspect of the

thigh and ends in the popliteal fossa (7). Another line from the

posterior aspect of the neck runs downward along the medial border

of the scapula (3 cun lateral to the back mid-line) (8). Passing

through the gluteal region (9), it meets the proceeding branch

descending from the next region to the lumbar region in the

popliteal fossa (10). From there it descends to the posterior aspect

of the gastrocnemius muscle (11) and further to the lateral

posterior side of the tip of the little toe, Zhiyin (12), where it

communicates with the kidney channel of the Foot-Shaoyin.Main pathological changes: dysuria, enuresis, mania or depression,

malaria, eye pains, lacrymation on exposure to the wind, nasal

obstruction, runny nose, epistaxis, headache, stiffness of the neck,

pain of the lower back and hip region and along the course of this

channel on the posterior side of the leg.

8.Flow sequence :

The kidney channel of the Foot-Shaoyin starts from the interior

aspect of the little toe (1), and runs obliquely towards the sole,

Yongquan (2). Emerging from the lower aspect of the tuberosity of

the navicular bone (3), it travels behind the medial malleolus and

enters the heel (4). Ascending along the medial side of the leg (5),

it passes the medial side of the popliteal fossa and goes further

upward along the posterior-medial aspect of the thigh (6).

Penetrating through the vertebral column of the lumbar region, it

enters the kidney (7), forming part of its channel system, and links

with the urinary bladder (8).

The straight line of the channel comes out from the kidney. It


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ascends passing through the liver (9) and diaphragm (10), enters

the

lung (11), and runs alongside the throat (12), ending at the root of

the tongue.

A branch springs from the lung, links with the heart (13), and flows

into the chest to communicate with the pericardium channel of the

Hand-Jueyin.

Main pathological changes: shortness of breath, dyspnea, cough,

hemoptysis, dizziness, vertigo, dryness of the tongue, sore throat,

low back pain, frequent urination, enuresis, spermatorrhea,impotence, dysuria, constipation or diarrhea, irregular

menstruation, pain of the lumbar spine or along the posterior-medial

side of the thigh, weakness of the lower limbs, feverish sensation

of palms and soles, etc.

9.Flow sequence :The pericardium channel of the Hand-Jueyin originates in the chest

(1). It enters the pericardium, then descends to pass through the

diaphragm (2). Running through the abdomen, it connects success-

ively

with the upper, middle, and lower jiao.

A branch springs from the chest (1) and emerges from the costal

region to a point 3 cun below the anterior axillary fold, Tianchi

(3). It then ascends to the axillary fossa and along the medial

aspect of the upper arm (4), it runs downward between the lung

channel of the Hand-Taiyin and the heart channel of the Hand-

Shaoyin

(5). After emerging in the cubital fossa, it goes further downward


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to the forearm between the tendons of the m. palmaris longus and

m.

flexor carpi radialis (6). It enters the palm (7) and passes along

the middle finger to its tip, Zhongchong (8).

Another branch splits from the palm at Pt. Laogong (P. 8) (9), runs

along the ring finger to its tip, Quanchong (10) and communicates

with the sanjiao channel of the Hand-Shaoyang.

Main pathological changes: palpitation, irritability, pain in the

precardiac region, stuffy chest, mental disorder, swelling and pain

of the axillary region, spasm or contracture of the elbow, feverishsensation in the palm, etc.

10. Flow sequence :

The sanjiao channel of the Hand-Shaoyang originates from the tip of

the ring finger, Guanchong (1). It travels upward between the fourth

and fifth metacarpal bones and along the dorsal side of the wristand the lateral side of the forearm between the radius and ulna, it

passes through the olecranon (2). Then it runs along the lateral

aspect of the upper arm and reaches the shoulder region (3) where

it

travels across and behind the gall bladder channel of the

Foot-Shaoyang. Crossing over the shoulder, it enters the

supraclavicular fossa (4) and spreads in the chest to connect with

the pericardium (5). It then proceeds through the diaphragm (6)

down

the abdomen, and communicates with the upper, middle, and lower

jiao

forming a part of the sanjiao channel system.


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A branch springs from the chest (7) and runs upward exiting from

the

supraclavicular fossa, and ascends to the neck (8). Running along

the posterior border of the ear (9), it crosses from the superior

aspect of the ear to the corner of the forehead (10). Then it turns

downward to the cheek and terminates in the infraorbital region

(11).Another branch arises from the anterior aspect of the ear 912).

It

crosses the former branch at the cheek and reaches the outer can-

thus(13) to link with the gall bladder channel of the Foot-Shaoyang.

Main pathological changes: deafness, ringing in the ears, sore

throat, pain of the outer canthus, swelling of the cheek, pain of

the retroauricular region, shoulder and lateral aspects to the upper

arm and elbow, dysuria, edema, enuresis, abdominal distension,

etc.

11. Flow sequence :

The gall bladder channel of the Foot-Shaoyang starts from the outer

canthus, Tongziliao (1) and ascends to the corner of the forehead,

Hanyan (2) and then winds downward to the retroauricular region,

Fengchi (3). It then runs along the lateral side of the neck

emerging in front of the sanjiao channel of the Hand-Shaoyang (4).

It traverses behind the sanjiao channel of the Hand-Shaoyang at the

shoulder region and travels further down to the supraclavicular

fossa (5).

The retroauricular branch passes through the ear (6) and emerges

in

front of the ear at the posterior side of the out canthus (7). A


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branch comes out from the outer canthus (8), runs downward to the

Daying (9) and meets the sanjiao channel of the Hand-Shaoyang at

the

infraorbital region 910). Descending and passing through the Jiach

(11), it reaches to the neck and enters the supraorbital fossa to

meet with the main line of the channel (12). From there it further

descends and enters the chest (13), passes through the diaphragm

to

connect with the liver (14) and enters the gall bladder (15),

forming part of its channel system. It then travels interiorly inthe hypochondriac region, emerging at the lateral side of the lower

abdomen near the femoral artery in the inguinal region (16). Then it

curves along the margin of the public hair and runs transversely

into the hip region, Huantiao (17).

The straight line of the channel travels downward from the

supraclavicular fossa (18), and further down to the axillary region(19). Along the lateral side of the chest (20) and through the free

ends of the floating ribs (21), it meets the former branch at the

hip region (22). It then travels downward along the lateral side of

thigh to the lateral side of the knee (23). Further descending along

the anterior aspect of the fibula (24), it reaches the lower end of

the fibula, and the anterior aspect of the lateral malleolus (25).

Following the dorsum of the foot, it terminates at the lateral side

of the fourth toe's tip, Foot-Qiaoyin (26).

The branch splitting from Foot-Linqi (27) runs between the 1st and

2nd metatarsal bones to the hairy area of the big toe, Dadun (28)

where it communicates with the Liver channel of the Foot-Jueyin.

Main pathological changes: alternate chills and fever, bitter taste

in the mouth, blurred vision, vertigo, hypochondriac pain, migraine,


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pain in the supraclavicular fossa, pain of the outer canthus and

axillary fossa, malaria, pain along the lateral side of the thigh,

knee and leg, pain and motor impairment of the fourth toe, etc.

12.Flow sequence :

The liver channel of the Foot-Jueyin originates from the dorsal

hairy region of the big toe, Dadun (1). Ascending along the dorsum

of the foot, it flows further upward to the anterior aspect of the

medial malleolus (2) where is crosses behind the spleen channel of

the Foot-Taiyin to the area 8 cun above the medial malleolus (3).Then it runs upward to the medial side of the knee (4) and along the

medial aspect of the thigh (5) into the pubic hair region (6). From

there it curves around the external genitalia and travels up to the

lower abdomen (7). Alongside the stomach, it enters the liver (6),

forming part of its channel system, and connects with the gall

bladder (9). Then it proceeds upward to pass through the diaphram(10) and disperses in the costal and hypochondriac region (11).

Ascending along the posterior aspect of the throat (12), it emerges

in the nasopharynx region (12) to connect with the "eye system"

(13). Extending further upward, it exits from the forehead (14) and

meets the Du channel at the vertex (15).

A branch arising from the "eye system" descends to the cheek (16)

and curves around the internal surface of the lips (17). another

branch separating from the liver (18), passes through the diaphragm

and enters the lung (19) to link with the lung channel of the

Hand-Taiyin.

Main pathological changes: pain and distension of the hypochondri-

um,


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stuffiness of the chest, vomiting, diarrhea, vertex headache,

hernia, dysuria enuresis, pain and distension of the lateral lower

abdomen, lumbago, irregular menstruation, mental disorders, etc.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ACUPUNCTURE

A common question that an acupuncturist is asked is

"How does acupuncture work?" To understand this itis essential to understand the philosophy and postu-

lations on which acupuncture is based. The tradition-

al Chinese explanation is given below while the mod-

ern scientific explanation is given in the next

chapter.

THE PHILOSOPHY AND PRINCIPLES OF ACUPUNCTURE

The Chinese postulated that there is an energy flow

in every living being that is responsible for life. They

called this energy the Chi force. This energy is ana-

logous to the Indian concept of 'prana' or life force

and permeates all creation. The Chi (pronounced askee) flows through the body in channels called acu-

puncture meridians. Every meridian influences an or-

gan and there are different meridians for the heart,

liver, lung, large intestine, stomach, urinary bladder

etc.


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Some acupuncture meridians are negative in orienta-

tion while others are positive in orientation. The

Chinese call these the Yin and the Yang. Yin and

Yang are relative terms in comparison with each oth-

er. Just as there is no darkness without light, no

white without black there is no Yin without Yang and

vice versa. Yin and Yang are also considered to be

female and male respectively and both of these con-

tain some amount of the opposite principal. This is il-

lustrated in the diagram of the symbol of Yin andYang given below.

The Yin meridians originate in hollow organs like the

stomach, large intestine, small intestine, urinary

bladder and the gall bladder. The Yang Meridians ori-ginate in solid organs like the heart, lung, liver, kid-

neys, and spleen.

In a person who is healthy, the Chi flows through all

the channels smoothly and the Yin and Yang are in a

state of dynamic equilibrium. This means that even

though there are temporary fluctuations in the Yin

and the Yang, the net energy is in balance. In a per-

son who is sick, the energy flows are obstructed and

unbalanced causing either an excess or a deficiency

of Yin, or an excess or a deficiency of Yang. Acupunc-

ture achieves its curative effect by clearing the ob-

struction in the flow of Chi and balancing the energy


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flow. Once the flow of energy is restored to normal,

the person becomes and remains healthy.

WHAT IS AN ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIAN?

An acupuncture meridian is a line of energy, which

connects all the acupuncture points related to a par-

ticular organ. On every meridian there are acupunc-

ture points, which increase or decrease the energy

in the meridian to adjust the flow of Chi through it.

When a needle is inserted into an acupuncture point

and manipulated strongly, pain is caused which radi-

ates upwards or downwards along a definite route.

This route passes through a series of acupuncture

points, all of which are able to influence the same or-

gan. The linking of these points established lines ofrelated points from which the concept of acupunc-

ture meridians and collaterals developed. The vertic-

ally distributed lines were designated as meridians

while their branches were called collaterals. The

names of these meridians indicated the relationship

between certain sets of points and the internal or-

gans.

According to traditional Chinese Acupuncture books,

there are 12 main meridians, 15 collaterals and 8 ex-

tra ordinary meridians interwoven in a network

which link the internal organs, the body surface, the

head and the limbs into one integrated whole. This


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integration gives acupuncture tremendous flexibility

in being able to treat an illness in any part of the

body from any other part of the body. This concept

of an integrated whole, which seems alien to many

people, enables acupuncturists to treat a problem

like a backache from points on the hand, ear, face,

scalp, foot or back.

Each organ has two meridians one on each side of

the body. This implies that the acupuncturist cantreat a disease by inserting acupuncture needles on

any side of the body. In localised problems like a

pain in the knee acupuncture needles may be inser-

ted on the opposite knee if the pain does not permit

the insertion of needles in the required place. In a

person suffering from herpes it is often unfeasible to

place needles in the affected area so the opposite

side is used to treat the herpes. Similarly, a person

with a fractured leg in a cast can have his pain dra-

matically relieved and his recovery hastened by in-

serting needles in the other leg.

The following case will illustrate this principleclearly. Rajesh's leg had been amputated two years

before he came to see me, yet he still had pain and

itching in the amputated part of the leg. This type of

pain is called phantom limb pain and is impossible to

treat with Western medicine. It was impossible in

this case to treat the patient with needles in the


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same leg, as he did not have one! So needles were

placed in the opposite leg to relieve the pain and

Rajesh felt much better.

Some acupuncturists say that about 60% of diseases

can be cured by placing needles on the affected side,

30% can be cured by inserting needles on the oppos-

ite side, and 90% can be cured by putting needles on

both sides. This is why acupuncturists insert needles

either on the affected side, the opposite side, or onboth sides depending on what he thinks will yield

the best results.

WHAT IS AN ACUPUNCTURE POINT ?

An acupuncture point is a specific spot on the skin,

which reflects disturbances in the internal organs.The same acupuncture point can also be used to

treat disorders in that organ. The location of each

point is specific and has certain definate therapeutic

properties. Treatment at these points can prevent

the development of diseases in the related organs.

Most acupuncture points lie along acupuncture me-

ridians. Each acupuncture point can be used to treat

several diseases as it influences several organs both

through the main meridians and their collaterals.

Acupuncture points were given descriptive names,

which indicated their function and made them easy

to remember. One point, for example is named


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"Zusanli" which means Godly serenity" and is used to

treat stress, anxiety. insomnia and high blood pres-

sure.

HOW TO DETECT AN ACUPUNCTURE POINT

An acupuncture point can be detected by using a

galvanometer to measure the electrical resistance of

the skin. An acupuncture point, which requires treat-

ment, is often tender and has a lower electrical res-

istance as compared to the surrounding skin. To de-

tect an acupuncture point, the probe is passed over

the skin and when a sensitive acupuncture point is

located, the galvanometer shows deflection. This in-

strument is often used by less experienced acupunc-

turists to determine the exact location of an acu-

puncture point.

The galvanometer is also used by experienced acu-

puncturists on the fingers, the feet and the ears, to

make a precise diagnosis of the cause of the patients

illness This is an exceedingly accurate method of

diagnosis, which can predict an illness much before

it actually occurs. However this form of diagnosis re-

quires a great deal of skill and experience, as it is

prone to many errors. The results are affected by the

amount of moisture on the skin, the salinity of the

skin and the pressure applied on the skin. Too much

pressure on the probe can cause a deflection on the


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galvanometer while too little pressure may fail to de-

tect a sensitive point.

KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Acupuncture points can also be detected by a tech-

nique, which was developed almost sixty years ago

by Semyon Kirlian in the Soviet Union. He accident-

ally placed his hand between a photographic plate

and a high tension electric Spark, and found a pic-

ture on developing the plate. The picture was unusu-

al in that it showed an aura as well as several bright

spots on the skin. This discovery gave rise to the sci-

ence of Kirlian photography.

Kirlian repeated this experiment and found that sim-

ilar points were present on other parts of the body,as well as in plants and animals. Kirlian saw that

these points appeared to be arranged in straight

lines. One day, a chance visitor to his laboratory who

was familiar with Chinese medicine suggested that

perhaps he had managed to visualise the acupunc-

ture points and meridians. When he compared his

photographs with Chinese charts of acupuncture

points, he found that his points and the acupuncture

points were identical. Colour photographs taken with

this technique may show a series of green dots, blue

dots, or red dots arranged in lines which correlate

well with charts of traditional acupuncture points.


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This technique has been used in Hungary as a meth-

od of early diagnosis. The patient is stripped and

made to lie on a photographic plate of the same size

as his body and a high speed Kirlian photograph is

taken The presence of any bright spots on the photo-

graphic plate can help to diagnose illnesses which

the patient has and can even help to predict ill-

nesses which he may develop in future.

HOW ARE INTERNAL ORGANS TREATED ?

As the internal organs are not easily accessible for

treatment with acupuncture, they are treated by us-

ing meridians, which pass through or influence the

organ. For example, lung diseases like asthma and

chronic bronchitis can be treated using points on the

meridians, which pass through the lung. The largeintestine meridian is used to treat disorders in the

lung as it passes through the lungs on the way to the

intestine.

The large intestine meridian starts near the nail of

the index finger and travels up the finger on the side

of the thumb over the outer aspect of the arm. It

passes through the shoulder over the throat to the

nose. After passing through the nose, the meridian

plunges inwards and passes down through the

throat and the lungs to the large intestine. The me-

ridian has a total of twenty points along its course

on the skin. These superficial points are used for


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treatment required for any of the organs which lie

along the path of the meridian

A disruption of the energy flow through this meridi-an may cause bleeding from the nose, colds, sore

throats, or pain in the arm, shoulder, elbow or wrist.

Because of its internal linkage with the large intest-

ine, it may cause abdominal pain or diarrhoea. An

excess of energy in the large intestine meridian can

cause pain along its course. It may also cause stiff-ness of the shoulder, dizziness, distention of the ab-

domen and constipation, while a deficiency of Chi in

this meridian may cause diarrhoea, shivering and a

dry mouth. All the above mentioned conditions can

be treated using points on the large intestine meridi-

an.

THE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK

The Chi flows through each organ at different times

as illustrated in the diagram of the biological clock

given on the next page. Each organ is prone to suffer

problems at the time when the Chi is flowing

through it. For example, The flow of Chi through the

large intestine meridian is maximum between five

a.m. and seven a.m. which is why most of us pass

stools early in the morning. The flow of Chi in the

lung meridian is maximum between three a.m. and

five a.m. so patients with asthma often suffer at-

tacks at this hour. This concept of a biological clock


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has been confirmed by research in the last thirty

years, which shows that the functioning of all organ-

isms synchronises with an internal clock.

THE TEST OF A GOOD ACUPUNCTURIST

The expertise of the acupuncturist is put to test in

deciding exactly which acupuncture points need to

be stimulated or sedated to achieve a particular ef-

fect in each patient. The efficacy of acupuncture

treatment depends on the selection of the correct

acupuncture points for each patient and the accur-

acy with which the needles are placed. This is partic-

ularly important because each patient requires indi-

vidualised treatment depending on the cause of the

problem which will differ from patient to patient

even though their symptoms may be the same.

It is possible for a particular set of symptoms to be

created by different mechanisms in different indi-

viduals. The skill of the acupuncturist lies in identify-

ing the true cause of an illness and the appropriate

acupuncture points to be used for its treatment. For

example a person with a stomach-ache may have a

disorder which originates in any one of a dozen or-

gans and may be due to an excess or deficiency of

either Yin or Yang. Asthma may be caused not only

by a disorder in the lung but also by an obstruction

in the energy flow in the liver and lung meridians

which precede and follow the lung meridian. Simil-


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arly the urinary bladder or kidney meridian may be

used to treat asthma especially when the patient is

treated in the afternoon.

There are a total of eight hundred and twenty-six

classical acupuncture points available for treatment.

In addition there are one hundred and thirty six acu-

puncture points in the ear. In the last few years acu-

puncturists have discovered over a hundred new

acupuncture points in the scalp, ear, nose, face,hand and foot. Therefore the acupuncturist has over

a thousand acupuncture points to choose from while

treating a patient.

A good acupuncturist is able to assess each patient

and decide which acupuncture points will be effect-

ive in curing the disease in the shortest possibletime. The efficacy of treatment with acupuncture is

thus directly proportional to the skill and expertise

of the practitioner. An expert acupuncturist may use

a few needles for this purpose while a novice may re-

quire thirty to forty needles and still be unable to

achieve the desired effect. Often patients consult aninexperienced acupuncturist who relies on set for-

mulas to treat diseases irrespective of the cause.

Naturally in these cases the results are unsatisfact-

ory.


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Documents

History of Acu