I believe the best way to do that is to inform you about some of the clinical case histories and challenges confronting those seeking treatment to rectify their specific disharmony, illness, pain or as often occurs in the case of elite sports people, optimize their performance potential.

Here are just a few examples of this potential, I trust these scenario’s will assist you in understanding some of the potential benefits of Japanese acupuncture.

Following is an excerpt from an e-mail kindly sent to me by a patient who has experienced significant health benefits from ongoing treatment.

This patient is a marine biologist who has recently traveled to San Francisco to spend a few months working with her colleagues stateside.

Hi Alan,
How are you? I hope you’ve been out in the water? I’m surfed out trying to get as many surf’s in as possible before heading to San Fran and hasn’t it been beautiful!

I just wanted to say thanks so much for your treatments, they have helped me enormously and I will miss coming in to see you over the next few months. The last treatment was fantastic – it seemed to clear away the nerve tingling and I felt a lot stronger. I wasn’t sleeping as well though but that’s probably to be expected with all the excitement around going overseas.

I’d love to continue acupuncture in San Francisco so if you do have some contacts for me I would really appreciate it. It has helped me beyond words so I’d love to keep it up and I will be sure to come see you again when I get back. I think half of the treatment is your presence and zest for life!

Hope you have a fantastic next couple of months and I’ll look forward to seeing you again when I get back!

As a practitioner this is a very satisfying and welcome communication indeed.

The correspondent works in a very demanding and results orientated field, often experiencing high levels of stress in an effort to meet externally imposed deadlines.

An entirely different perspective arises in discussing the clinical outcome for a patient who was diagnosed as suffering from a molar pregnancy, a condition whereby miscarriage is a 90% certainty.

Without going into details, after several treatments she is now very happily 23 weeks pregnant with an apparently healthy baby on the way according to her medical specialist.

In yet another case, the patient presented with an extremely painful and expansive episode of the shingles.

Whilst no miracle cure was at hand, there can be little doubt that regular Japanese acupuncture treatment aided in his full recovery from this debilitating condition in a relatively short amount of time.

A number of the physiotherapists with whom I practice at the Queensland Sports Medicine Center have sought treatment recently for difficulties in maintaining an extremely busy work schedule and focused fitness training as a result of impeded immune function.

Basically the more intense the training regime and the busier they were at work, the more often they were suffering from colds, flu’s and accompanying lethargy.

It is of no surprise to me that their condition appears to improve relative to the regularity of their treatment?

I often work in conjunction with the physiotherapists in an effort to bring about a more rapid and complete recovery of our patients.

One example of such cooperation is the work we have been doing to assist an ex-Australian cricketing legend prepare for the forthcoming IPL cricketing tournament in India.

Amongst other aspects of treatment, I believe Japanese acupuncture has been extremely beneficial in defusing much of the physical stress related to his increased training regime and the mental anguish associated with a making a decision regarding his involvement as a result of the security status of the tournament and concerns for his personal safety.

As well as recharging his energetic battery, Japanese acupuncture treatment also provided an extremely welcome refuge from the myriad of questions and potential outcomes that assuaged his mind during this most difficult of decision-making scenarios.

Last but not least, Emma Snowsill is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in the sport of Triathlon, an event that includes a 1500m swim, 40k bike ride and a 10k run.

Against the best female tri athletes on the planet, that implies insanely fit individuals with extra ordinary motors sharpened to a cutting edge by the hardness of competition and intense training, all striving to be at the absolute peak of their game for the ultimate reward for a competitive athlete, Emma won her gold medal in emphatic fashion at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

March 2010 and Emma has been struggling with persistent immune related problems for several months, including a diabolically compromised energetic status and repetitive breakdowns in her health resulting in continual colds and flu’s, a situation that saw her training regime severely compromised.

Over the last few months she has been receiving regular Japanese acupuncture treatment and her condition has improved markedly, to a point where she has recently been able to resume full training.

I believe regular weekly treatments have helped Emma  accelerate her training regime whilst maintaining a robust immune status.

By way of explanation, Emma missed a treatment a couple of weeks ago, whilst continuing to accelerate her training regime she flew to Melbourne where she was subjected to a radical climate change, the end result was that she attended clinic last Wednesday suffering from a sore throat, streaming sinuses, increased lethargy and she was justifiably concerned that her health was about to crash again.

In short, after three treatments Emma left for Abu Dhabi today to attend the http://www.laureus.com/awards/ in good health, no runny nose, sore throat greatly improved and energetically much stronger.

I’m sure you’ll agree this is a  preferable option when one is partaking in international travel and will see her able to enjoy this landmark event to the fullest.

As a practitioner of Japanese acupuncture the reality is that a majority of people through no fault of their own are totally ignorant of the diversity and power of this ancient healing modality.

Whilst most people are aware that acupuncture has the potential to help with neck, back, shoulder, knee, hip and ankle injuries and pain, headaches etc, most have little or no idea of its clinical diversity in the hands of an experienced and competent practitioner.

Alan

Alan Jansson is an internationally recognized teacher and practitioner of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture.  For well over a decade, independent of and in conjunction with Masakazu Ikeda sensei and Edward Obaidey, Alan has presented, convened and hosted more than 40 Traditional Japanese Acupuncture workshops in Australia, New Zealand and USA. Driven by a strong desire to promote the consumer friendly nature, clinical efficacy and potency of Meridian Based Traditional Japanese Acupuncture, Alan is a staunch advocate of practically based workshops and draws upon his 25 years clinical experience and 14 years post and undergraduate teaching in a concerted effort to lift the bar globally in the clinical application of this most amazing medical art.

Join him in Exploring the Art of Acupuncture in the 21st century at : http://www.Worldacupuncture.com

She had been suffering from with this potentially dangerous condition since the previous Sunday, unable to keep fluids or solids on board she was becoming increasingly dehydrated in spite of her best efforts to compensate by ingesting extra quantities of these essential elements.

The situation was delicate to say the least, especially in light of her being in the latter stages of her pregnancy and being sleep deprived as a result of her constant diarrhea.

As a long standing patient she had experienced many successful outcomes for a vast variety of health issues in the previous 5 years, as such she had no reservations about the potential of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture to help her to recover.

Upon questioning it became increasingly obvious she was suffering from what we know in Traditional Japanese Acupuncture as Spleen Deficiency Yang Deficiency syndrome.

Using a silver needle with a very light superficial insertion I tonified the Spleen and Pericardium meridians via the points Sp.3 – Pe.7 in addition to tonifying the Stomach meridian via ST.36.

The insertion depth for all these points was no more than 1 mm and there was absolutely  no mechanical stimulation of the needles whatsoever.

This root treatment was followed by insertion of the back shu points Bl.14 – 18 – 23 – 58 and 9 cones of tonifying tonetskyu/rice grain moxibustion was applied to the points Bl.20 and GV.3 (Du.3).

After treatment was performed on my way back from clinic I was served a delicious meal and some fine wine before arriving home at 11pm.

Definitely a long day at the coal face.

Next day Jackie let me know that the diarrhea had completely stopped and she was left with slight nausea only.

I remain astounded regarding the efficacy of Traditional Japanese Acupuncture and it is experiences such as the above that continue to inspire me in my efforts to communicate this efficacy to those interested in continuing to refine their practice of acupuncture and assist their patients in an optimum fashion.

All the Best,

Alan

In your present article you are mentioning that scarring moxibustion at SP-6 is also effective for lower back pain.

I am concerned about the use of SP-6 during pregnancy.

Can you please comment about that?.

Thanks a lot,

Helena.

Dear Helena,

Thank you for your question regarding the use of rice grain moxibustion on Sp. 6 during pregnancy.

We DO NOT have to scar the patient !

From my experience and the guidance that I have received from Ikeda sensei, the skilled application of rice grain moxibustion upon Sp.6 during pregnancy is both safe and extremely beneficial in balancing the blood and Qi of the patient.

He specifically mentions this procedure for symptoms of constipation, hemorrhoids,lower back pain and edema during pregnancy . See page 233 – 234 of his awesome, clinically based  text, ‘The Practice of Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion.’

Strong needling techniques, Kyutoshin or needle head moxibustion, and dispersive techniques in general should be avoided in  pregnancy.

I appreciate your question, interest and commitment to improving your understanding and implementation of Traditional Acupuncture.

Hope all is well in your world, feel free to ask questions anytime.

The discussion forum at World Acupuncture will be up and running in the near future and I look forward to communicating through that format also.

Kind Regards,

Alan.

Images of Some Bub’s Who Have Indirectly Benefited from Tonetskyu or Rice Grain Moxibustion on Sp.6 in my clinic.

Hope all is good with you.

I have spent much of this week uploading, downloading, editing and rendering video of Adam Gries treatment of Joe who is recovering from a severe spinal cord injury.

Stay tuned for that one, both Adam and Joe are writing accompanying pieces to go with the video.

Debra Bett’s http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/ has asked me a few very relevant questions regarding Traditional Japanese Acupuncture for childbirth and I have done my best to answer her questions.

Hi Alan
Thanks for the positive write up !
Have tried to find the breech moxa but stumbling around on your website – would like to put the list your site and how to get to the breech part on a powerpoint slide – if thats ok with you can you send instructions – I did find the nausea moxabustion – very interesting – will try that with the next stubborn case – I take it that its five rice grain moxa’s per foot – or do you diagnostic criteria for when to use or how many rice grain moxas to use ?
Great to meet you and thanks again for the kind words
Debra

Hello Debra,

It appears that I have led you up the garden path re breech moxa video, having 40 odd published videos I can become a little confused about what is published and what is not.

I believe I do have video of the scarring moxibustion for breech babies but will have to search my video library to find it, my apologies.

However the technique is not dissimilar to that used for nausea and morning sickness except we are using BL.67 instead.

Re Nausea I have found the extra point on the sole of the foot below ST-44 to be quite good, however you will notice that in the following excerpt Ikeda sensei recommends alternative points.

I often use up to 20 cones of moxa on this point but that is just my experience.

Re breech rice grain moxa on BL 67 I believe Ikeda sensei is referring to expediting a relatively normal birth when he mentions 3-5 cones of moxibustion.

In clinic I often use many more cones when the baby is in breech position and the Gynecologist is putting the heat on the mother to have a C-section.

I believe it is important for the mum’s psychological well – being to stimulate the movement of the baby ASAP .

Takes a lot of the pressure off, indeed with Megan this was the case especially since she was carrying a big baby weighing in at 10lb 8 oz.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Here is an excerpt from Ikeda sensei’s brilliant book

THE PRACTICE OF JAPANESE ACUPUNCTURE AND MOXIBUSTION

Classic Principles in Action

IKEDA MASAKAZU

Translated by

EDWARD OBAIDEY

EASTLAND PRESS • SEATTLE

Treatment

It is said that scarring moxibustion at M-LE-1 (ura nai te/li nèi ting) is good for morning sickness, but I have not found it to be particularly useful. I have found that it more effective to treat hard points located just lateral to BL-58 until they soften.

I also personally do not treat points on the upper body if there is nausea, as I believe that these disperse the yang qi, which is a very precious commodity for pregnant women.

However, Fukaya, the master of moxibustion, recommended scarring moxibustion at GV- 11, GV-10, CV-18, and CV-17.

As a preventive measure against miscarriage, salt moxibustion is recommended at CV-8.

This is done by burning moxa cones on a bed of salt that has been packed into the navel until the patient feels the warmth. The treatment can be done either before conception or during the pregnancy.

Edema during pregnancy can be treated by scarring moxibustion at SP-6; however, I find that KI-8 is more effective.

Colds during pregnancy are treated as a pattern of Lung deficiency/yang deficiency/heat.

After the root treatment, contact needling should be administered on the upper back and shoulders.

At the same time, tonifying LU-5 and shunting LI-4 will also deal with the stiff shoulders that develop secondary to a cold during pregnancy.

Applying scarring moxibustion at SP-6 is a well-known technique for nourishing the fetus and encouraging the health of the mother.

To my knowledge, the first person to present this publicly in modern times was Ishino Shinyasu, a doctor who published an article on this subject in the Journal of the Japanese Oriental Medical Society in 1960.

It was also mentioned in Edo period texts.

The technique should begin in the third month of pregnancy. If the mother feels good during the treatment, 30 to 50 moxa cones can be safely burned. However, if the point location is incorrect, the treatment can feel very hot to the mother. This is a sign to stop and relocate the point again.

This is true for moxibustion in general during pregnancy.

Scarring moxibustion at SP-6 is also effective for lower back pain, constipation and hemorrhoids during pregnancy.

If the hemorrhoids do not respond to the treatment, then administer scarring moxibustion on LU-6 instead;

If the constipation does not respond to the treatment, then administer scarring moxibustion on SI-4 instead. The pattern that is commonly seen in cases of lower back pain is Liver deficiency/yin deficiency/heat. In

addition to the root treatment, contact needling and heat perception moxibustion over the

local area, plus needling to BL-58 and BL-59, should be performed.

During pregnancy, I do not retain needles in the lower back.

If the birth looks as if it is going to be delayed, I usually recommend that the mother take leisurely walks, as this helps the fetus to descend and encourages a safe birth.

If this ineffective, the fetus is either in a breach position or this is the mother’s first baby, both of which can result in a difficult birth.

Scarring moxibustion using three to five moxa cones at BL-67 should be administered to facilitate the birth.

I hope this post helps with some of the treatment issues regarding acupuncture and moxibustion during pregnancy and childbirth.

Have a good one,

Alan

She was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions and severe bleeding five weeks premature to the expected birth date of her 2nd baby.
Tonification of the kidney meridian and importantly, in such an energetically delicate situation, the judicious application of rice grain moxibustion in conjunction with extremely gentle, tonifying traditional acupuncture saw her precarious situation improve overnight and resolve within 36 hours.

9 days later and I am pleased to report her improvement has been maintained and it looks very much like she will go the full term.

She provided some very interesting feedback about treatment.

As you might imagine, relatively high anxiety levels usually accompany the possibility of a premature birth.

The patient’s anxiety manifested as an overwhelming tightness in the chest and throat, classic signs of deficient heat with it’s origins in kidney deficiency.

When my venerable assistant, Andrea applied 11 cones of tonifying tonetskyu (Rice Grain Moxa) to the point Kid.1 the patient experienced spontaneous relief from these symptoms and with the appropriate root treatment and back su points needled an eventual resolution of Braxton Hicks contractions and untimely uterine bleeding.

When used appropriately and applied skilfully, Tonetskyu can be an extra-ordinarily powerful clinical tool, well worth the effort required in it’s administration.

No post tomorrow, the 2nd day of summer in Oz and the beach beckons.

To my colleagues in the northern hemisphere I trust that the stalagmites and stalactites show mercy on you this winter.

Have a good 1,

Alan