Underlying Theories of Acupuncture Treatment (32)
Five Fingertips Acupuncture Technique (FFAT): Treats Hearing Loss
By Brandon SJ Oh, L.Ac.
One of the benefits of applying meridian controlling acupuncture is a gentle but effective treatment method for the elders with chronic fatigue and weakness due to aging or chronic symptoms. In general, chronic symptoms related to the aging process tend to weaken the lower body. The technique is not limited to the elders. The meridian controlling acupuncture technique could be applied to children to help develop bones and muscles.
The lower Energizer Control Method could treat the symptoms related to lower body function, such as various menstrual problems, urinary incontinent, urinary infection, and even chronic fatigue.
▲ Procedure
∙Procedure 1: ST36(족삼리)→GB40(구허)→K7(부류)→GB27(오추)→CV4(관원).
∙Procedure 2: ST36(족삼리)→SP6(삼음교)→GB27(오추)→CV4(관원)→CV3(중극)→CV2(곡골).
∙Procedure3: ST36(족삼리)→GB41(족임읍)→SP6(삼음교)→SI3(후계)→GB27(오추)→CV4(관원)→CV3(중극)→CV2(곡골).
I frequently use procedure 3, explaining how qi will be controlled with procedure 3. First, using ST36 which is belonged to the Yang Ming meridian. The Yang Ming meridian has plenty of qi and blood, and the ST36 has the role of harmonizing acupuncture points and acts, bringing qi from the upper body to the lower body. GB41 helps the function of ST36 by stabilizing qi movement toward to lower energizer and controlling qi circulation on the belt vessel and the lower stomach. Adding SP6 on the yin meridian takes the role of collecting qi delivered by ST36 and GB41 and delivering the qi to the lower stomach and balances qi movement in the lower stomach.
The reason I added GB27(오추)→CV4(관원)→CV3(중극)→CV2(곡골) is to concentrate qi in the lower stomach by stimuli functions of the belt vessel and conception vessel.
▲ Five Fingertips Acupuncture Technique(FFAT)
Five Fingertips Acupuncture Technique (FFAT) is the technique that could be applied to take care of symptoms like hearing loss due to aging. The technique was separately applied to the Small intestine, Triple burner, and Gall bladder meridians.
The most common symptom due to aging is hearing loss. The FFAT is a technique to take care of it.
Applying the FFAT is differentiate and diagnoses to find the cause of hearing loss among the Small intestine, Triple burner, or the Gall bladder meridian.
▷ Small intestine: Hands + Taiyang (Coldwater) + Small intestine (fire)
The nature of the Small intestine is a mixture of ‘cold water’ and ‘fire.’ Unbalance between ‘cold water’ and ‘fire’ would cause generate ‘empty heat,’ which works as a pathogen and has characteristics of ascending. Also, the meridian is one of the yang meridians, which always moves upward but not downward. Therefore, the lower part of the body easily becomes cold. If qi in the Small intestine keeps ascending it cause coldness on the lower stomach and heat on the head or the face. To confirm the location of the symptom, check tenderness on the SI11. Tenderness on the SI11 indicates that a pathogen is in the Small intestine meridian. Checking tenderness on SI11 is also used to treat muscular pain, also.
▷ Triple burner: Hands + Soyang (Ministerial Fire) + Triple burner (Ministerial Fire)
Unevenly distributed ministerial fire causes uneven distribution of the heat. If the same thing happens in the human body, symptoms like the stagnation of fluid and neurological problems will be shown. To confirm the existence of a pathogen is check simultaneous tenderness on CV5 and CV17.
▷ Gall bladder: Feet + Soyang (Ministerial Fire) + Gall bladder (Wood, Yang)
Deficiency of summer-heat causes empty wind (虛風). Symptoms related to the Gall bladder, such as muscle spams and over-exciting mood, resemble the image of a wind shaking branches of a big tree. If a pathogen stays in the Gall bladder meridian, tenderness is shown on the GB21.
How to apply the technique: Finding the Five Points
Use the practitioner’s hand of the opposite of the symptom. For example, if a patient has a symptom on the right, a practitioner should use the left hand to find points near the ear. To find five acupuncture points based on the technique, first place the practitioner’s thumb on the patient’s SI19, put the second finger on or near GB8 or GB9, and then put the fifth finger on TE17. The rest of the two fingers, the third and the fourth will be located where you feel a little ditch or hollow of the surface of the skull.
How to insert needles on the Five Points: Inserting needles on the same side of the symptom.
To treat the Triple burner, TE8 → the Five points → TE21
To treat the Small intestine, SI3 → LI11 → the Five points → SI19
To treat the Gall bladder, ST36 → GB41 → K12 → the Five points → GB2
