FROM THE "ASK THE ACUPUNCTURIST" COLUMN IN THE HOPKINTON CRIER!!!

SHAKUJU THERAPY (NON- NEEDLE ACUPUNCTURE!)

Q: I have never tried acupuncture because I HATE NEEDLES. Is there a way to get the benefit of acupuncture without needles?

A: This is a common question, and actually there are several way to treat disease and receive the health benefits of Acupuncture & Chinese medicine with no needles. One method that I will discuss briefly here is a time tested, very successful method called Shakuju therapy, also called "Acupuncture Core Therapy". This style of treatment is a popular acupuncture methodology in Japan that is increasingly taught in the academic schools and colleges of acupuncture.

Shakuju Therapy is the lifelong work and study of Japanese master Kobayashi Shoji who has practiced for well over 30 years. Master Kobayashi calls his work Shakuju Therapy because it is a combination of two essential concepts. The first concept is "Shaku" which refers to stagnation of deep (core) vital energy, and "ju" which is a concept that refers to superficial stagnation of vital energy. The definition of health in acupuncture & Chinese medical theory is the balanced free flow of vital energy. Therefore, the situation of stagnation of energy is a disease promoting state. Shakuju corrects this stagnation of energy and, as a result, corrects the diseased state of the patient.

When Kobayashi treats patients with this method he asks "what is our purpose in treating patients?" An obvious answer would be to eliminate suffering. However, from the practitioners' perspective the purpose of treatment goes beyond the elimination of suffering. The wider perspective is to improve the condition of the patient in order to prevent falling back into a disease state.

Kobayashi has refined the essence of this technique from his study of classical Chinese teachings on the vital energy system, and has developed a unique method of acupuncture core treatment without needles. Using the flexibility of the basic tenets of acupuncture, Kobayashi applies them to clinical situations. He has reassembled the fragments of ancient transmitted teachings and condensed them to their intrinsic core significance. Acupuncture Core Therapy is a reliable and significant methodology for achieving remarkable clinical results. It achieves this by using these classical patterns and directing the body's energy with the intention of the "needle" (actually a non-insertive tool called a Teishin) and the choice of point selection.

Shakuju Therapy is a method that employs treatment based on diagnosis of the pulse according to classical Chinese pulse diagnosis, and the condition of the abdomen (called the "hara"). Therefore, effective treatment gathers information from the pulse and abdomen and combines it with the state of the vital energy in the body to compose a treatment protocol for that unique individual. Furthermore, both the concept, and the methodology, of this system of Acupuncture Core Therapy combine three fundamental elements of the body's vital energy system: the hara (or abdomen), which is the body's center of physiological vital force; the spinal energy system, which is the original source of our being and our link with other realms of consciousness; and Qi Gong (the parent exercise of Tai Chi), which is the development of the body's ability to intentionally store, concentrate, and distribute & activate vital energy with willful intention.

Using the classical Chinese medical text called the Nan Jing as a foundation for understanding this method, and by stimulating the back energy control points, symptoms of stagnation (pain with pressure, fullness, tightness, etc.) on the abdomen are positively changed or eliminated. This positive abdominal change reflects the correction of the diseased energy pattern and the return to health. Furthermore, this abdominal change is clearly noticeable to the patient as well as the practitioner during and after the treatment. Therefore, usually when I am finished treating a patient with a Shakuju Therapy treatment, the patient is surprised at how much immediate change has taken place WITHOUT the use of inserting a needle.

For more information or QUESTIONS about other non-needle techniques please call 508-435-8184 or write to us at info@RootandBranchOM.com. I hope this little insight into time tested natural healing methods has inspired you to take a step toward your improved health & vitality.

Sincerely,