emotional acupuncture

February 28, 2003

About the back-shu points for emotional disorders:

I attended a great workshop back in Nov 2002 given by Philippe

Sionneau. He has translated information about the classic use of

acupuncture for psychological disorders... this comes from about 20

standard classical texts. The book he wrote is still only in French,

unfortunately...

But one thing he brought up a couple of times is that there are a number

of ideas, theories, techniques that have been presented to us western

practitioners that are not classical. Which means someone made them

up. Sometimes the people that make them up don't tell you that they

made them up. The solution for the reader is to look for references and

sources for every piece of info. Most books aren't that well-referenced.

In any case, all that to say that there is some controversy surrounding

the usage of the outer back-shu points for emotional purposes.

According to Philippe, it's not in any of the classical books he studied.

Only one of the outer back shu was used for emotional disorders:

B44 for insomnia

I know that Giovanni uses them that way, but I have no idea where he got

that theory. No wait, I believe he says he drew that conclusion from their

name. Each one has the name of the 'spirit' related to the organ of the

inner shu point at the same level- e.g. B47 hun men is at the level of B18,

the Liver back shu.

However, a non-Chinese-speaker using a translation of the name

to infer and create point functions makes me doubtful... in fact, it has been

pointed out to me how in the 5 phase acupuncture style, several points are

misused based on mistranslation of their names and what we might call

over-emphasis or over-attribution from the translated name.

Philippe speculated that the points may have been named that way to

aid in the memorization of their location.

So, the jury is out, but I no longer use them for that purpose.

B

Brian Benjamin Carter

Editor, The Pulse of Oriental Medicine

Columnist, Acupuncture Today

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> Hy Anya, acupunture-wise there are the back-shu shen points for

> emotional issues, also the...

February 28, 2003

Dear Brian,

I too have never used them far that reason but for other reasons, however do you

mind mentioning something that Philipe mention from his work and the work shop?

I am Guatemala and obviously could not go to that or anyothers (so please do not

think that I am trying to be a cheapskate).

I am aware that st41 has been used in the pre western influence for emotional

aspects. Since Chinese medicine has a tendency not to separate the two (body

mind) too the same degree as say the western culture one would somehow " presume "

that many vital places (i.e.. holes - " acupuncture points " ) would exert some

multifactor-multidimensional influence-reaction-and reaction.

Hence making pattern discrimination and disease identification relevant also,

(disease according to Chinese medicine, and at times maybe western disease

concept?)

But also " presumably " some vital areas has been shown to work more on one aspect

- dimension of human life and body namely psycho-emotional-mental aspects, maybe

Ben Shen GB 13 and Shen ting Du 24?

They have the Shen and I also think it the shen - " spirit " character, however my

using them is not because of there names but because of books publish by

paradigm press and what senior clinicians or other people whom I had the

pleasure to meet before I went back to Guatemala.

Although there naming does help me remember the possible use for the points but

then again I at the moment do not remember the name of say kidney 4 (which has

been recorded in at least one pre modern times as useful " when want to close

doors and be inside all the time i.e.. indoors and not wanting to go out?)

And in there lay the query if you or any one else has any opinions on

" emotional " aspects and acumoxa treatment and or Qi kung and so forth because

here a lot of the people I have seen thus far have some emotional aspect

complicating the " painting " .

In a way once I have time will relay case histories for some more concrete

information but till then any further suggestions?

Marco

(Ps. Brian it seams that your yang qi can " fly at times " but I will refrain

from relay my so call training in TCM, suffice to say that I am trying to learn

more:-)

-

Brian Carter

Chinese Traditional Medicine

Friday, February 28, 2003 12:46 PM

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] emotional acupuncture