Case Study of Bisoma Acupuncture Using Yang Points

By David Lee, L.Ac.

Acupuncture can be so simple that you will be a master practitioner just by following Bisoma Acupuncture. Yes, I am making a big claim. Like other acupuncture techniques, you can treat a wide variety of pain, inflammation, and dysfunction. The advantage is that you only need to know 10 Transporting Shu points. As you know, the benefits of five-element points are immediate, dramatic, and lasting.

The first set of 5 horary points LI1 (metal), UB66 (water), GB41 (wood), SI5 (fire), and ST36 (earth) apply to the 70% of population. Let’s call this Metal-Order since the first point on the Jing-Well begins with metal. The second set of horary points GB44 (wood), SI2 (fire), ST43 (earth), LI5 (metal), and UB40 (water), which is named Wood-Order, apply to 30% of the population. These points are ingrained in an individual from birth because it is in the constitution, which does not change over one’s lifetime. 

This alternate labeling of five-element points was proposed by Lee Dongwoong in his text Physical Constitution by Yin-Yang Theory, published in 1999.

Case study 1. Chronic left sciatica with pain in buttock and leg due to lumbar arthritis since 1983. The pain was worse with sitting and prolonged standing, occurring almost daily for the last 3 years. Left-side yang horary points in Metal-Order of LI1, UB66, GB41, SI5, and ST36. Each treatment was helpful. After the 9th visit, he played his favorite hobby tennis with minimal aggravation and quick recovery.

Case study 2. Severe right shoulder pain and limited range of motion after throwing softball underhanded many times as a pitcher in several practices. Right-side yang horary points in the Metal-Order of LI1, UB66, GB41, SI5, and ST36. The patient had 6 acupuncture treatments in a span of 8 days. The first treatment had immediately reduced the pain and he was able to sleep much better that evening. Each succeeding treatment was additionally helpful in reducing intensity, frequency, and duration. By the 6th visit, he had a full range of motion and only had a minor discomfort in the anterior deltoid. 

Case study 3. A persistent low-grade low back tension for 30 years. It was easily aggravated to a moderate to severe level if he did not regularly stretch and exercise. He rarely went over one month without having a major low back episode. The first two treatments of Metal-Order of LI1, UB66, GB41, SI5, and ST36 on right-side of body were immediately helpful, but the intense pain easily came back. On the 3rd visit, a switch to Wood-Order of GB44, SI2, ST43, LI5, and UB40 also immediately helpful but the stability of improved state was even better. At the 9th visit, he reported no sensation of any tension in 75-80% of time. One of his favorite exercise is riding a mountain bike on trails. In the past, he occasionally had an attack of a gripping lumbar pain in the mountains leaving him stranded. With this much improvement, his daily quality of active living had increased along with a higher confidence on his bicycle in the mountains. 

You can use this same Bisoma protocol also for asthma, allergy, drug withdrawal, hot flashes, migraine, neuropathy, and vertigo. Bisoma’s effect is as good as any distal acupuncture. The advantage of Bisoma is that the correct points are more quickly identified. Therefore, the treatment is more reliable, predictable, and reproducible.