NAJOM

In general, I think the effectsof moxibustion can be explained in three ways as follows: 1. Changesin the blood chemistry after direct moxibustion 2. Physical effectsof the heat Whole body treatment 3. The effects of acupuncture points The first thing that comesto mind when you say whole Be that as it may, Dr. Hara only highlights the changesin body treatrnentfor moxibustion is the Taikyoku Therapy of a combination the blood chemistry after direct moxibustion. The reason the Sawadastyle.r This is the method using points and specialeffectpoints based he reduced his treatment points to 5T36and eight points on of L1to 15 standard the back was quite simple. He confirmed through personal on the unique Sawadaapproach. In this approachmoxa is experiencethat the traditional practice of moxibustion on applied on the abdomen and lumbar areaand then on the 5T36actually was effective for longevity. In fact, as a result, upper back and the upper limbs and finally on the lower Dr, Hara lived to the age of 108. As for his choice of back limbs.2This approachtreats all the major joints and major points, Dr. Hara gave the following simple reasons: points adjacentto the spine,and coversthe whole body in a 1. They are excellentpoints in terms of anatomy,and are in balancedway. (Fig.1) a suitable location for long term application of moxibustion. GV2O so 2.UgLy moxa scarsare hidden by underutear, that people won't notice (the appearanceissue). 3. Moxibustion on the low back leavesone with a pleasurGV12 able sensation. 8.117 Even though his approachmay havebeensomewhatlimBl18 ited and his researchwas done in the L920s,Dr Hara's reCV12 Bl20 a searchon changesin the blood chemistrywith direct moxiBt23 I Bt52 bustion was a valuable contribution still applicable today. a His conclusive findings are part of the explanation of the CV6 therapeutic effectsof moxibustion, and they are as follows: 1. There is an increasein white blood cells. The white blood immediately after moxibuscell count begins to increase tion, and reachesa peak eight hours later. This peak is maintained for 24 hours. The number declines somewhat after three days, but it remainselevated for four to five days after moxibustion. The white blood cell count almost doubles with moibustion, but when applied conis tinuously for six weeks, the increase sustained for up Fig.1 to 13 weeks after moxibustion is discontinued. 2. The phagocytic activity of the white blood cells increases. For example, with typhoid bacilli the phagorytic activto points located over the When moxibustion is applied just 15 minutes after moxibustion. This acity increases in this way, blood circulation over the whole whole body tivity reachesa peak in two to threedays, and gradually body is rapidly improved, the blood becomesmore alkadeclines after that. Phagocyiic activity is greater than line, and the innatehealing power of the body is increased. normal for about a week after moxibustion but, when Thus, even chronic and intractable conditions that medical moxibustion is applied continuously, the increase in this doctors have given up on, gradually improve and health is activity continues for a longer period. restored amazingly quickly. 3. There is an increasein red blood cells and hemoglobin. This kind of treahnent,just as the term whole body treatFor subjects who had an averagehemoglobin ratio of ment implies, usespoints all over the body. There is very 78%just before moxibustion, the ratio increasedsteadily miss, and good results are almost certain, no Iittle hit or to reach a peak of 90"/"in eight weeks. Applying moximatter who performs the treatment. This is why, in my pracbustion continuously for 15weeks,it takes 22 weeks for tice, I often use the Sawada style treatment as a last ditch the red blood cell count to return to what it was before strategy for acupuncture and shiatsu patients who show no moxibustion. improvement after many treatments,or patients whose in4. The sedimentation rate of red blood cells increases. nate healing power is very weak due to extremedepletion. 5. Platelet count increases. 6. The speed of blood coagulation increases. Hara Moxibustion System 7. Blood glucose count increases. point selectionand treatIn contrast to the Sawadastyle 8. Blood calcium increases. the whole body, Shimetaro Hara M.D.3 mainment over 9. Serum complements increase. tained that it is possibleto treat the whole body with a total L0.The capacity to produce antibodiesincreases. could be of just ten points. He assertedthat all diseases Dr. Hara claimed that theseexperimental results were treated with his regimen of 5T36 and eight points on the produced by minute amounts of "histotoxin" (denatured back.{

PracticalMoxibustionTherapy(7)

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proteins), which stimulated an increasein blood constitunts and their activity. Furthermore, he enlisted the concept of homeopathyto explain that, while large amounts of "histotoxin" frombigburns are harmfuI to thebody, minute from the continuous application amounts of this substance of moxibustion was actually beneficialand useful for maintaining health. Moxibustion of 5T36 Moxibustion on 5T36 has been famous in Japan since the olden days as a regimen for health and longevity. In the Edo period (1596-i868)a farmerby the name of Manpei in the district of Mikawa is said to hve lived to the age of 300 by applying moxibustion on 5T36religiously. Manpei was summonedat the ageo196 to be questionedby officials on his secretto longevity. When he was 242he was invited to the opening of the Eitai Bridge in Edo. In addition to Manpei's extraordinary longevity, many members of his famiiy lived to an extremely old age. In Japan there is an old saying,"Don't go on a trip with anyone who doesn't moxa 5T36." (This came from a time when most kavel was by foot.) Dr. Hara is reputed to have said that regular moxibustion on 5T36 would "destroy doctors." His approach involvesbuming sevenrice grain sizedcones(about 2-5mm at the baseand 5 mm high) on adults and one to three on little children. If done everyday, this would mean buming more than 5110coneson both legs in a year- The generation of small amounts of "histotoxin" in this way enhanceshematological functions to its highest possible level, and is thus effective in promoting health. The reason Dr. Hara suggestsrice grain sized conesis becausethe combustion temperature of these cones is between 70 and 80 degrees Centigrade,which he considers to be the most effective temperature for the production of "histotoxin-" Furthernore, Dr. Hara stated that this practice of moxibustion on 5T36 could be continued even after a Person had a stroke, or hematemesis, hemorrhaging in the intestinal tract. Moxibustion on Eight Points o the Back Once a person has become used to direct moxibustion with regular application on 5T36and mastersthe technique, Dr. Hara recommended starting moxibustion on the eight points of the back. He described the Iocation of the eight points of the back as follows: "four points (horizontally) in line with the fifth lumbar vertebra and four points on two parallel lines roughly corresponding to the second and ourth sacralforamina." (Fig. 2) In practice,he drew an inverted triangle with the Jacobyline (connectingboth iliac crests)and tw lines from the tip of the coccyx going to the lateral ends of the Jacobyline. The first four points are on the two ends and the trisected points of the Jacobyline (4, a, b, B). Another two points are points of intersection (c, d) on the lines AC and BC when two vertical lines are drawn down from points a and b. The last two points (e, f) are the midpoints on the veical lines ac and bd. Dr. Hara's approach to using theseeight points for people new to moxibustion was to start out with fewer cones to prevent over treatment. He recommendedthree methodsThe first method was to do only one to three conesper point 20 on the very first treatment. On the second are day sevencones aPplied on just the uPPer points(A,a,b,B). On the third day seven cones are applied on iust the four lower points (c, d, e, f). So seven cones are aPplied on eachpoint for one week, alternating each day between the upper and lower points. On the second week sevenconesare applied to the upper points every day while the sameis applied to the lower points on every other day. On the third week all eight points are treated with seven conesevery day. Dr. Hara stated that the above one week period could be increasedto ten days or shortened according to the patient's condition. The duration of treatment is a minimum of one month and up to severalyears like tuberculosis. for chronic diseases His second method is especially for children, depleted patients, or those in a weakenedstate due to prolonged illness. In this method, sevenconeseach are applied on the points, alternating every week between the four uPPer points and the four lower points. The duration of treatment is from severalweeks to one year. h:rthe third method, the eight points on the back aretreated six to eight weeks in the Spring and Fall, and they are not treated in Summer and Winter. Moxibustion on 5T36,however, is continued throughout the year. This way the effect of moxibustion is maintained all through the year. For children Dr. Hara stated that moxibustion on 5T36 was sufficient, and if points on the back were to be added, it should be limited to the a and b points or the a, b, e, and f points at the very most. The number of conesfor children is one to two conesfor those one to two years old, three to four cones for those three to four years old, five to six cones for those five to six years old, and seven cones for those seven years and older. Dr. Hara stated that, for adults, heatnnentof the ten points (5T36and eight points on the back) was harmlessand beneficial regardlessof how many years it was continued. DrHara maintained that just the above ten points were suffiincluding pulmonary cient to deal with almost all diseases tuberculosis, diabetes, high blood Pressure,neurological disorders, heart disease,gynecological disease,arthritis, neuralgia, goiteq,venereal disease,and even typhoid feverThe only disease he considered untreatable was cancerFeatures o the Hara moxibustion system The features that distinguish the Hara moxibustion system from other approaches are as follows: 1. The amount of treaknent (number of points) is lessthan that in the Sawadastyle. 2. The intention from the beginning is long term application of moxibustion.

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3- The use of acupuncturepoints is viewed assomething to be studied late1,when moxibustion on 5T36and the eight points on the back are not effective. I believe that these features of the Hara system, which make it a very simple approach, are the reasonsit has endured so long among the commonpeople of Japan. From time to time I have a patient who tells me "I did moxibustion for one or two years and cured such and such." I am often surprised when I inspect the moxibustion scars on these people because the scars are often in places that couldn't possibly be an acupuncture point. Yet it still worked, so it is an undeniable fact that direct moxibustion has an effect no matter where you apply it. This can be explainedby the samelogic asthe generalized effectof foods and medications. It is a result of the effect of direct moxibustion (the influence of denatured proteins) extending to the whole body. This effectprompted Dr. Hara to state,"In direct moxibustion there areno acupointswhich exist witho-utthe specialeffect of proteins."s This, of course,refers to the chemical effect of moxibustion on the body, and does not take into account the localized physical change at the sight of stimulation or the acupuncture point. Nevertheless,the systemic effect of moxibustion, which "works no matter where you !Y*," is quite impressive and not to be overlooked. This effect makesmoxibustion ideal for home therapy and this global effect accountsfor its popularity amonq the common people. And I myself make a practice of applying moxibustion on 5T36everyday along with my wife in the hopes that maybe I can be like Manpei the farmer. Notes 1. Edward Obaidey, "Taikyoku Therapy: Sazaada Styte TreatmentStrategy", NAIOM, March 1996,p. 12. 2. Shirota, Bunshi, Shinkyu Shinzui (The TrueEssence of Acupuncture and Moxibustion),Ido.no-Nippon Sha, 1976,p.18. 3. ShimetaroHara, M.D. was bom in 1883. He enteredthe Kyoto PrefectureMedical Specialty School in 1901and becamea doctor. He begandoing research around 1924 at the Public Health Sectionof the Kyushu University Medical School. Starting with his study of hematological effects after the injection of oxygen, he went on to conduct moxibustion researchincluding, "the hematological effectsof moxibustion." After that, he becamea lifelong advocate of moxibustion on 5T36 as a method of health promotion and freedom from disease.He practiced this method himself and proved its remarkableeffectsby living to the age of 108. IIhenhe passedaway on June 18,199'1,, had been the oldest living Japanese he man for two months. (The Japanesehave the lbngest life expectancyin the world.) 4. Hara, Shimetaro,Manbyo-ni-Kiku OkyuRyoho (Moxibustion TherapyEffectizte AII Diseases),listugyo-nofor Nippon Sha, 1933,p. 133. 5. Ibid, p.1M. (luly L996,kanslated by Stephen Brown)

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