Types and Styles of Acupuncture
•Five Element Acupuncture (Worsley Method)
•Traditional Chinese Style (TCM) Acupuncture
•Japanese Style Acupuncture
•Korean Hand Acupuncture
•Ear (Auricular) Acupuncture
STYLES OF ACUPUNCTURE
There are several different acupuncture styles in practice throughout the world today. Your acupunturist may practice using one or more of these methods to determine where to place acupuncture needles. Learn about these different acupuncture methods and discover any preferences you may have.
5 Element Acupuncture
Most of the early acupuncturists in America, who were not ethnically Chinese, did not practice a Chinese style of acupuncture. These acupuncturists were unable to study in China, because at that time (1950 - 1980), the cold war was raging and the bamboo curtain was drawn. Hostilities between the U.S. and China made it impossible for Americans to study there. Instead, many Americans studied acupuncture in England with Professor RJ Worsley.
There they learned a style of acupuncture known as classical Five Element Acupuncture. Five Element Acupuncture believes that the health of a person’s whole body, mind and spirit must be understood by the acupuncturist to effectively diagnose the an illness. Acupuncture based on symptoms alone is shunned.
Five Element Acupuncture is largely based on a single theory of Chinese medicine, known as 5 Element or 5 Phase theory.
Today there are still practitioners of Five Element Acupuncture trained by the students of RJ Worsley, however the national acupuncture examination, as well as all state acupuncture examinations, are based on more comprehensive systems which some call TCM-style acupuncture. This style of acupuncture draws on several different theories of Chinese medicine.
The dominant type of acupuncture practiced throughout the Americas and China today draws from a several medical philosophies. It is known as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), or by some as Eight Principals or 8 Pathogenic factors acupuncture. This style of acupuncture draws its methods from theories of the 8 Principles, Yin and Yang, Qi and Blood, the 5 Emotions, as well as the 5 Elements. This allows for a wide range of practice.
Japanese style acupuncture is attributed Waichi Sugiyama, known as the "blind acupuncturist". Sugiyama invented the insertion tube, a simple device enabling the acupuncturist to quickly and painlessly insert an acupuncture needle. Today, insertion tubes are used by most acupuncturists outside of Asia. The tube allow the use of extremely thin needles. Japanese acupuncture is known for its technique of using shallow insertion of very thin needles.
Sugiyama also advanced the technique of abdominal diagnosis, using a five-element basis for diagnosing imbalances. Abdominal diagnosis is another unique aspect of today's Japanese acupuncture.
Koryo Hand Therapy (KHT) was originated by Dr. Tae Woo Yoo in the early 1970s. It theorizes that the hands are a micro-cosmos of the body. Thus the human body can be manipulated by stimulating points on our hands. According to KHT, there are over 300 acupuncture points on our hands. These acupuncture points may be stimulated by using Needles, Press-Tacks, Moxa, Magnets, and other instruments. The practice is quite simple and can be learned quickly. Koryo Hand Therapy is now practiced worldwide.
Ear Acupuncture for Weight Loss or Addiction
Ear acupuncture is known as Auricular acupuncture. Like the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, the ear is considered a map of the body upside down. The ear lobe is the head and top of the body, and the upper portions of the ear relate to the lower parts of the body. Ear acupuncture can be used for any ailment, but is the principal method used for weight loss acupuncture and in treating addiction or substance abuse. Some states allow weight loss and detox therapists to practice ear acupuncture with minimal training.
Acupuncturists will choose acupuncture points in the ear much the same way acupuncture points are selected on the body. Or some acupuncturist may select ear points according to their their sensitivity by pressing them using a point finding tool. Selected points can be stimulated with fine needles.
Often, an acupuncturist will insert a "press tack" or place an "ear seed" on the acupuncture point. These are covered with tape, and will remain in place until the next visit. The patient is instructed to repeatedly press on the point when cravings arise.
