This months meeting boosted a rare pleasure: the chance to see Yokota Kanpu Sensei’s treatment. Even more rare was that he explained his treatment in entirety as well as took questions from the group. It was an incredible learning experience.
This month also boosted the second session of the new introductory course. It started a little earlier than normal so that the new members would have the opportunity to observe Yokota Sensei’s demonstration.
The introductory course is composed of two parts: the first half is a all around introduction to the philosophy of Iyashi no Michi. Over five sessions it covers the basic, four, core study modules. This month covered one of the more difficult ones: the Shang Han Lun. This book is not usually studied by acupuncturists so our presenter (an upper level practitioner) took extra special care to really map out the points of the book, how to study it and how to utilise to visually imagine what is happening within the patients body. (SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS)
While the introductory course was going studying downstairs the mid and upper members of the group began their meeting by first sitting in a zen meditating together. A patient case was presented by a mid level practitioner and then discussed with the group. (SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS)
All levels reconvened after their separate lectures where completed to view Kanpu Sensei his demonstration. Two of the introductory course members where chosen as patients. One was very sensitive in order to properly relate the hibiki of the technique to the group. The second was not particularly sensitive to show that even when the patient doesn't feel the hibiki the treatment can work if the practitioner’s hand is fine tuned to feel the current of the patients ki.
DEMONSTRATION
PATIENT 1
The patient had become sick 3 years earlier from unknown causes and was planning to have abdominal surgery next month. For now she is asymptomatic.
METHOD
Two experienced practitioners assessed the patient first.
PULSE
Overall depressed, slightly fast, the right quan pulse is slightly superficial.
Tongue: Enlarged, white fur, dry
Hara: Heat in the chest region, below and above the umbilicus is hard and bloated (full), Pernicious influence on both sides of the umbilicus
TREATMENT
Fist a question was posed: How far can Yokota Sensei send the ki with just one needle?
Yokota Sensei did surface needling at one point on the right arm. Afterward the depressed became more powerful. This was proof the treatment worked on the whole body. The two previous senior acupuncturists that had previously assessed the patient than retook the pulse and stated that it was slower and softer.
“There is always a difference between practitioners and they're needling but it is important for everyone to be able to change the body with a minimal amount of stimulation.”
The hara had also changed drastically. The tight areas that previously presented were gone leaving a soft hara.
The Patient than stated that the place where she had felt uncomfortable (in her abdomen) was gone. With one needle and one point Yokota Sensei was able to change the area that the patient was planning on having surgery on.
“There is no need to strongly needle at a problematic place.”
The treatment was finished by pulling the ki down into the feet using a Hiki Bari technique. To do this he rapidly twisted and manipulated the needle superficially while having the patient open and close her left hand. It ended when she felt the ki move through her left abdomen.
He then checked with the patient to see if there was any place that was still bothering her. He answered her request by doing a superficial, dispersing technique on her chest and also her mid-back to help dispel heat that bothered her when she lied down. After this the patient said she felt better.
Again the two veteran acupuncturists reassessed the patient to find that all areas previously presented in the hara where gone.
Q&A
Q: When you pull the ki into the leg where do you feel it?
A: That is hard to explain. Everyone feels things differently and in different places. You should practice feeling and refining your senses. It is extremely important to be able to feel when the ki changes and moves through the body.
PATIENT 2
The second patient presented with back pain in the right hip/buttock region. She had surgery on this place 30 years previous at which time she removed a cancerous growth and had a bone transplant. In February of this year she caught a cold that presented with a severe cough. The coughing spells had brought on a serious back pain.
Her cough and pain receded but she still feels pain when she turns over and gets up.
METHOD
As before, two experienced practitioners assessed the patient first
Pulse: Depressed and weak
Tongue: Deep red, no fur, dry
Hara: Heat in the chest region, below the umbilicus is hard and bloated (full), Pernicious influence around the umbilicus, a tight line of muscles(s) on the right abdomen.
TREATMENT
Yokota Sensei than did his hara assessment. He concluded that the functionality of the upper burner of the right hand side of the body was strong and the lower burner was weak.
His treatment began with surface needling on the right arm in order to change the condition of the right lower abdomen. He then needled on the left arm and the tight line of muscles that previously presented in the hara softened. There was still a recessed hard point so he continued to needle on the arm until it went away.
Yokota Sensei than went on to treat her side and back. Afterward he had asked the patient to move in the way that had previously caused pain. She still had pain when she stood up so he had the patient repeatedly bend in half and then stand up while he did a moving needle technique. Yokota Sensei than used a hikibari technique to pull the ki downward while the patient was bending forward.
To make sure that this was enough treatment he then asked the patient if she still felt pain. She still had localised pain near her sacrum so he had her turn over and continued the treatment. After one needle Yokota Sensei had the patient stand up and check her pain again. She reported having no pain standing up or sitting. This concluded the treatment.
FOLLOW UP
A few days later I asked the patient how her pain was. She reported that she felt much better.
CONCLUSION
The case focused on excess in tight, painful muscles even though the pulse was deficient.
It is imperative to accurately access the condition of each area of the body. Helping the patient to feel better is perhaps more than the techniques that treat deficiency and excess.
Q&A
Q: What advice would you give the patient concerning their daily lifestyle?
A: The patient should avoid letting her body to get cold because it will cause the muscles to tense. Burn moxa on any areas that hurt and stretch often. He also recommended herbs that would be beneficial to her condition.
-Although only two demonstrations were planned there was enough time for one more patient-
CASE 3
Numbness in the lower limbs caused a L5 to S1 herniated disk. The numbness gets worse when driving.
TREATMENT
The treatment began with a superficial, surface needling technique on the left arm. Yokota Sensei than did superficial, surface needling at two places on the abdomen. Since the patient was very sensitive this was enough stimulation to sufficiently treat.
He then treated her lower back with the same technique and pulled the ki down into the legs. Since there was a problem wit.h the right back he did the technique on the left leg. While he was doing the technique he had the patient move her repeatedly squeeze her hands into a fist and retract her right foot and then relax. After the technique was completed the patented reported feeling lighter and that her numbness was gone.
THANK YOU YOKOTA SENSEI FOR THE INCREDIBLE DEMONSTRATIONS!!
MIDDLE LEVEL GROUP: PATIENT REPORT AND REVIEW
Hori Sensei graced us with a presentation on one of his current patient cases this month:
PATIENT COMPLAINT
Palpitations and a gait disorder
PATIENT DIAGNOSIS
Pernicious heat of the chest Heart ki (for undefined reasons)
PATIENT DESCRIPTION
67 year old, male
TREATMENT
SUBJECTIVE
The patient legs felt heavy when walking. The trigger to this was unknown and the heaviness would gradually increase. He also had extrasystole palpitations that accompanied pain in his chest1.
OBJECTIVE
I decided that the symptoms of the lower limbs was not a functional one. Rather a deficiency of the legs and blood toxins near the feet that caused poor circulation. The palpitations where caused from pernicious heat in the chest and stagnant blood toxins.
Assessment: Treatment was based on the assessment.
ASSESMENT/PLAN
As planned the treatment ended when the symptoms disappeared. A year afterward the patient returned to my clinic. The patient was diagnosed with a genetic brain deformation and was told that it was to blame for the wobble he had when walking after our treatment had come to an end. At that time the patient thought, “Somethings funny here,” and it turns out something was. This experiences reaffirmed for me that recognising that something is off is extremely important. In this case, a brain deformation.
The patients also cured the cold he felt in his lower burner and limbs by using a belly band. Small life style changes make such a big difference!
CONCLUSION
As written on the paper I passed around the changes of the patients life energy is explained very well.
It was also interesting to note that the pernicious heat in the patients chest had caused his emotional instability. This indicated a painful chest with heart palpitations (ref. Three Huang Heart-Clearing Decoction with Three Yellow Color Herbs Patient Profile (三黄瀉心湯, San Osha Shinto, San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang)(Rhubarb 1.0-2.0g, Scutellaria root 1.0-1.5g, Coptis rhizoma 1.0-1.5g).
“It is so important to look back at old patient cases and reorganise them so that they are easy for you to understand and learn from. “
Presenting this case today was a really great opportunity for me to reaffirm this practice.
GROUP PRACTICE AND TEACHER TRAINING
For group practice members of the introductory group split off from the other lower and mid level practitioners. While they were learning the basics of reviewing and assessing a patient hands on the lower and mid level practitioners worked on toward their individual goals to improve their practice. Individual goals are based on each members check sheet obtained after completing the introductory, five course sessions. They must follow and have marked each sections marked off on by a more experienced teacher of Iyashi no Michi in order to move onto the next level.
This month Kanpu Sensei walked around and gave advice to the practitioners in order to help them along in their studies. It was an incredible experience to get his advice but everyone was a little bit nervous and really excited about having their practice critiqued by him.
* This round of the introductory course has been filled. If you are interested in participating please contact us about the next round which begins in October. (Courses are offered in Japanese ONLY).