- By ChangShik Yin*§, Hi-Joon Park+, Younbyoung Chae+, Eunyoung Hat+, Hun-Kuk Park+, Hyang-Sook Lee++, HyeongCyun Koh§, SungKeel Kang§; SunMi Choi=, YeonHee Ryu= and Hyejung Lee+.
- *Department of Acupuncture, CHA Biomedical Center, College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University, Seoul 135-081, Korea
- +TKM Research Group, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea
- ++College of Oriental Medicine, Sangji University, Wonju 220-702, Korea
- §Department of Acupuncture, Kyung Hee Medical Center, Seoul 130-702, Korea
- =Department of Medical Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, Korea
- Neurological Research, 2007, Volume 29, Supplement 1 S11
Sasang constitutional medicine describes four constitutions, Taeyang, Taeeum, Soyang and Soeum, which indicate constitutional energy discrepancies among major organs (Table 2). According to the Sasang constitutional theory, an aggravated energy discrepancy among major organ energies is the underlying causative imbalance’ of superficial pathologic conditions.
Dr Jae Ma Lee, founder of the Sasang constitutional medicine, gave his patients different combinations of herbs based on their respective constitutions, even if they came to him with apparently similar diseases5’7·8. Rather than dealing with thousands of different diseases, practitioners could deliver four simple types of treatment for diverse illnesses aimed at recovering the energy balance of the constitution. Dr Jae Ma Lee’s original system of Sasang constitutional medicine lacked an acupuncture treatment for four constitutions. To fill this gap in the clinical application of acupuncture, Dr Byeong Haeng Lee developed the Taegeuk acupuncture based on the Sasang constitutional medicine.
Taegeuk acupuncture provides acupuncture prescriptions for the correction of the underlying energy discrepancies that are assumed in Sasang constitutional medicine. Dr Byeong Haeng Lee suggested that observation of reactions to acupuncture stimulation of the HT meridian points might be helpful in determining the type of constitution that the patient belongs to, because HT energy plays a central role in controlling other organs in the system of Sasang constitutional medicine”.
For example, the constitutional characteristics of the Taeyang constitution come from the discrepancy between a large lung and a small liver energy. According to the Taegeuk acupuncture theory, Taeyang constitution is considered to be in a state of Metal excess, which may be regulated by stimulating acupuncture point HT8, the Fire acupoint of the HT meridian. Fire suppresses Metal from the perspective of ‘Geuk’ cycle relationships of the Five Phases. Similarly, people with the Taeeum constitution have a large liver and small lung energy, and are considered to be in a state of Wood excess, which can be regulated by stimulating acupuncture point HT4, the Metal acupoint (Table 3).
Taegeuk acupuncture provides acupuncture prescriptions for each of the four constitutions described in Sasang constitutional medicine, which aim at a tonification of deficient energy of the small organ as well as sedation of the excessive energy of the large organ using the source points of the relative meridians.
Imbalances of Taeyang constitution, for example, can be treated by acupuncture points LR3 (+) and LU9 (-), where (+) indicates tonification and (一) indicates sedation. Imbalances of Soeum constitution, however, can be treated by acupuncture points SP3 (+) and Ll4 (-), instead of Kl3 (―), based on the principle that the kidney should not be sedated (Table 3). Regardless of the specific diseases that the patient has, recovering the balance of energies is considered essential for the treatment and continuing optimum health of the patient.
