The Taiwan Report

6. Moxibustion

Although Moxa was available in all clinics, it was not seen in use except once or twice. This is because (a) the smell of moxa smoke is a nuisance in a crowded clinic, and (b) patients are shown by the nurse how to apply moxa at home. The points for moxibustion (if required) are circled with biro or felt pen. Moxa is considered helpful in: Asthma, chronic G/I problems, general malaise, physical development problems (ill-thrift), arthralgia, rheumatism, obstetrics (to turn the baby in-utero) moxa BL67.

7. Cupping

Was not observed in VGH. It was seen in two cases in CMC. It was applied for 1-3 minutes (over the needles) until the skin became red-purple. The cups were then removed but the needles were left in situ for the usual 20 minutes. Both were cases of lowback syndrome and the cups were applied bilaterally in the area of BL23-34 (4 x 2 cups in one patient and 3 x 2 in another).

8. AP in paralysis/paraplegia

At both VGH and CMC, workers told me that AP and herbal medicine can greatly help many patients suffering from paralysis as a sequel to CVA or in peripheral paralysis due to trauma. They also mentioned facial paralysis as being a good indication for AP. The number of patients which I observed being treated for post-CVA paralysis was small - one in VGH and two in CMC. There was general agreement that sensory paralysis on the affected side abolishes the needle sensation (DeQi) and there is little value in needling the affected side. In that case, needles are put in theunaffected side at key points such as GB34, ST36, BL40, GB30, LI04, TH05, LI11,GB20,21. Facial paralysis, slurred speech or absence of speech, etc are treated by local needles. GV15 (YaMen) is a dangerous point (mutism) if needled too deeply.Scalp motor points on the contralateral side are often combined with body points.

9. Scar therapy

"Anything that happens along or near the course of a main Channel influences thatChannel and the organ that bears its name" (Felix Mann).

Many authors emphasise the role of scars as causes of referred pain, functional disorders and (in late stages) organ disease in man (1,5,6,7,8,9) . Scars also may cause similar problems in animals (2,3). In Germany, scar therapy (especially scar infiltration with procaine solution) has been used for decades to relieve pain and other disorders triggered by the scar (4). The relationship was observed quite independently of AP. The reaction to scar injection was often instantaneous. Problems which had existed for months or years disappeared in seconds, the "Sekunden Phanomen" of Huneke (4).

Acupuncturists have noted that injuries, bruises, or bad scars (especially if heavily fibrosed, twisted or keloid) along the course of a Channel may cause functional symptoms associated with the Channel or its organ. If the scar remains untreated, the symptoms may progress to physical (organic) pathology of the organ. Furthermore, theChannel above and below the scarred Channel ("mother" and "son" in the Qi cycle:LU - LI - ST - SP - HT - SI - BL - KI - PC - TH - GB - LV - LU) may be involved as a secondary effect. For example, I treated a man who had a very twisted scar across theBL Channel on the right thorax. He complained of recurrent intermittent symptoms over 8 years including: haematuria, haemorrhagic cystitis, right sciatic area pain and lumbar pain, right scapular and shoulder area pain in the area of BL Channel, right headache near the BL Channel, right eye conjunctivitis, right ear tinnitus, right arm pain/spasm in the SI Channel area and pain in the little finger. Orthodox treatment by eye-, ear-, orthopaedic-, cardiac- and internal disease specialists over years had only temporary effects and symptoms continued to recur (usually singly) at intervals. All the symptoms related to KI, BL, KI, Channels, but mainly to BL. (In the Qi cycle, the sequence is SI->BL->KI. A block in BL would give excess in SI and deficiency in KI, as well as excess in the upper part and deficiency in the lower part of BL Channel). Scar therapy (physiotherapy, massage and needling of the scar), with needling of theBL Channel, eliminated all the symptoms and the patient remained well.

This is a most important concept! Bruises, injuries and scars may cause disease. The blockages include: moxa scars, surgical scars (external and internal), injury (external and internal), cuts, local fibrosis (cicatrization due to abscess, carbuncle, etc. Reinhold Voll taught that individual tooth sockets relate to specific areas and that socket inflammation/scars, dental caries, etc may cause reflex pathology in the associatedChannels and organs.

A routine part of anamnesis should be to question the patient or client as to the existence of any scars, bruises or injuries on the body and to examine the location of these injuries in relation to the location of the other symptoms and the time of occurrence of the injury in relation to the time of onset of the symptoms.

Not all scars need cause problems. Longitudinal scars are not as serious as transverse (they are less likely to cut as many nerves or Channels). Well healed (clean) scars are not as dangerous as thickened, twisted, keloid scars, or scars which have painful spots to pressure.

Scar therapy can use simple needles (under the scar, or at each end), ultrasound, physiotherapy, laser or procaine injection or B12 injection along the scar. The concept is to restore energy flow through the scarred area and to reduce size, thickness and adhesion in the scar. One to three treatments are usually sufficient.

Seeing many scars on patients in Taiwan, I was amazed that I did not see a single case of scar therapy. On questioning my colleagues in the Clinics, I was told that the concept of scar therapy was not widely known in Taiwan. Perhaps this section may awaken interest in this valuable therapy ?