- By Hyo-Jung Kwon, Yong-Suk Kim*, Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, (Brain & Neurological Disorders and Pain), Kangnam Korean Hospital, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
- 2015, 5, 90-103 Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
1.2. Promotion and Control Cycles Leading to the Disease Type of Five Evils
The 50th issue of Nan-Ching explains the pathology of the Five Evils [15] [16] and the 69th issue of Nan-Ching describes the treatment for these evils. This method consists of, in a broad sense, the method of “tonificationsedation between deficiency and excess” as well as the method of “tonification-sedation between coldness and heat”.
Among the illnesses are the Depletion, Repletion, Destroyer, Weakness, and Regular Evils, and distinguished as thus:
- 1) Those (illnesses) coming from behind represent a Depletion Evil;
- 2) Those coming from ahead represent a Repletion Evil;
- 3) Those coming from what cannot be overcome represent a Destroyer Evil;
- 4) Those coming from what can be overcome represent a Weakness Evil;
- 5) If the respective depot is afflicted from within itself, it represents a Regular Evil.
In case of depletion, it should be filled, while in case of repletion, it should be drained. When neither repletion nor depletion is present, the illness should be removed from the conduits, meaning that in the case of depletion, one should fill the respective (conduit’s) mother, and in case of repletion, one should drain the respective (conduit’s) child. One must fill first and then drain afterward (Table 2).
One characteristic of Saam acupuncture is the addition of the control (governor) cycle—consisting of grandmother and grandchild elements—to the promotion cycle—consisting of mother and son elements. This method includes a new concept of the “governor Meridian” in the application of the law of the Five Elements based on the inter-destructive cycle.
Wang Sheng Xiu Qiu Si is another concept of the Five Elements [17]. Wang Sheng Xiu is a family and in a promotion cycle of the Five Elements, while Qiu Si is an enemy and in a control cycle of the Five Elements. In promoting the cycle of the Five Elements, a reinforcing method can be done while the control cycle of the Five Elements require a reducing method. It is meaningful that each Element promotes like a family in the promoting cycle while each Element reduces like an enemy.
Ross [6] calls acupoint selection of tonification and sedation among its own Meridians “Within Element treatments” and acupoint selection of tonification and sedation among other Meridians “Between Element treatments”. This selection, in what is called the Four Needle method, is based on the theory of promotion cycle of the Five Elements. He also explains the Eight Needle method which selects another acupoint based on the theory of the inhibition cycle of the Five Elements, in addition to the Four Needle method. He did not explain the originality of its treatments, but the selection is the same as Saam acupuncture.
1.3. The Six Energy Characteristics of Three Yin and Three Yang
To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the energy controlled by Meridians, both the Five Elements and Six Energy characteristics must be considered. The characteristic energy controlled by the Meridian is determined not only by the Five Elements, but also by the Six Energy attributes. Six Energies are the subdivision of Yin and Yang energies into three Yin and three Yang, namely Jueyin (“absolute Yin”), Shaoyin (“lesser Yin”), Taiyin (“greater Yin”), Shaoyang (“lesser Yang”), Yangming (“brilliant Yang”) and Taiyang (“greater Yang”).
They correspond to Wind, King Fire, Earth, Premier Fire, Metal and Water traits respectively. These Six Energies are subdivided into 12 energies mainly controlled by 12 Meridians that function as energy combined with the Five Elements energy in Meridians located in either the upper or lower extremities. For example, although both the Gall Bladder (GB) and Liver (LR) Meridian energies are Wood, GB energy is Shaoyang while LR energy is Jueyin from the Six Energy perspective. The LR Meridian energy is Jueyin combined with Wood, while the Pericardium (PC) Meridian energy is Jueyin combined with Fire (Premier Fire).
1.4. Five Elements
Most illness and disturbances are rooted in interruptions or imbalances in a network of Meridians. Interruptions comprise stagnation and irregularities, and imbalances are deficiency and excess [6]. A typical diagnosis in Saam acupuncture is one of four imbalances of a Meridian energy, which are deficiency, excess, cold or heat. A physician should first find out the Meridian in which the core imbalance of energy is located, and then determine which type the imbalance belongs to. For example, when the energy of Shaoyang, which is expressed as GB or Triple Energizer (TE) Meridian energy, is excessive it may be expressed as a dogmatic personality, sensitive mind or an inclination to give advice to others. When deficient, this energy may be
expressed as an atrocious personality, cold mind or a sense of inferiority. More specifically, the energy of GB is associated with centering energy, bright light, aggressiveness, activeness, braveness, dignity or an arrogant attitude, and with energy often compared to a wind power plant or a thunderbolt [18].
The scope of Saam acupuncture can be extensive because of its diverse laws, such as the promotion and inhibition (control) cycle among the Five Elements and its connected Meridians. A Meridian consists of three parts, that is, arm or foot, the more or less of Yin and Yang, and one of Six Organs (Zang) and Six Bowels (Fu). When applying the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, the essence of what we are after is the energetic movements of disharmonies which are fleeting. The Eight Guiding Criteria make it possible to systematically analyze all data that are gathered in a consistent manner, and thus measure a patient’s pattern of disharmony against the major patterns of Chinese medical pathology [14].
2. Method of Acupuncture Treatment
The Five Shu points distal to the elbow and knee correspond to the Five Elements and have been used in clinical treatments depending on each acupoint’s different effects and indication. The combination of Five Shu Points used in Saam acupuncture includes two tonification points and two sedation points. The former, which correspond to the “mother element” according to the law of the Five Elements, tonify the energy of the corresponding channel and Organ. Therefore, the tonification points are needled with stimulation by the tonifying method in Meridian or Organ deficiency conditions.
Each of the 12 Meridians can be subdivided into four types—deficiency, excess, cold, heat—resulting in 48 basic pre-established acupuncture prescriptions, each of which are selections of the Five Shu points. Each Five Shu point corresponds to one of the Five Elements. Traditional use of the Five Shu points incorporates the promotion cycle relationship of the Five Elements where, for example, Wood nourishes Fire and Fire nourishes Earth. As an example, an energy deficiency of the Heart (HT) Meridian (i.e. Fire Meridian) may be corrected by needling on the Wood acupoint (HT9) of the Meridian with a tonification method, based on the above theoretical premise. In Saam acupuncture, acupoints are also selected using the control cycle relationship of the Five Elements as well. For example, Water suppresses Fire and Fire suppresses Metal. To correct the example of Fire deficiency, the Water acupoint (HT3) of the Fire Meridian should be sedated. Saam acupuncture practice would also simultaneously modulate other relative Meridians selected by the theory of the promotion or control cycle relationships, which is necessary for whole-body balance. In the above example, the Wood acupoint of the relevant Wood Meridian (LR1) should be needled using the tonification method, and the Water acupoint of the relevant Water Meridian (KI10) should be needled using the sedation method.
In deficiency condition, tonify the Mother Element. One should select the Mother Element Five Shu point on the Meridian in question for tonification. For instance, in the case of Lung Meridian deficiency, the Mother Element of the Lung is Earth (Earth is the Mother of Metal), and thus the tonification point of the Lung Meridian would therefore be the Earth point of the Lung Meridian, namely LU9 [7]. In excesses situation, the Child Element on the Meridian in question should be sedated. In the case of the Lung Meridian, the Child Element of the Lung is Water (Water is the Child of Metal), and thus the sedation point of the Lung Meridian would be the Water point on the Lung Meridian, namely LU5. The same principle holds true for the other eleven regular Meridians. The four needle method [6] consists of the Within-Reinforce-Tonification point and the Within-Reduce- Sedation point, which are tonification and sedation of Gao-Wu [7], as well as the Between-Reinforce-Element point and the Between-Reduce-Element point, which are tonification and sedation among other Meridians. They are used in Saam acupuncture in the same way.
Saam acupuncture makes use of the tonification and sedation points along the promotion cycle as well as points along the control cycle in cases of deficiency and excess; and along the fire and water Meridians in cases of heat and coldness. The basic rules, based on the writings of Nan-Ching [15] [16], are those of the promotion and control cycle relationships. In the case of any Meridian’s insufficiency (weakness), the points of its mother and its own Meridians should be tonified and the points of its governor and its own Meridians should be sedated. In the case of any Meridian’s excessiveness (fullness), the points of its governor and its own Meridians should be tonified and the points of its son and its own Meridians should be sedated [14].
References
- [6] Jeremy, R. (2004) Acupuncture Point Combination. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
- [7] Wu, G. (1980) Gatherings from Eminent Acupuncturists-Zhen Jiu Ju Ying. Shinmunfung Publisher, Taipei.
- [14] Seem, M.D. (1991) Acupuncture Energetics. Healing Arts Press, Rochester.
- [15] Chang, S. (1912) Chiao-cheng t’u-chu pa-shih-i Nan-Ching. Hung-pao chai shu-chu, Taipei, 6-11.
- [16] Unschuld, P.U. (1986) Nan-Ching—The Classic of Difficult Issues. University of California Press, Oakland, 474-617.
- [17] Lee, I. (2007) A Study on the Basic Forms and Principles of Saam’s 5 Phase of Acupuncture Method. Journal of the
Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society, 1, 19-51. - [18] Kim, H.G. (1992) Handbook of Saam Acupuncture. Shinnongbaekcho Press, Seoul.
