Volume 5, Number 3 | Fall 2010

Clinical Report 1 (Europe)
Shonishin in Europe (1)be used field-specifically. Depending on theThomas Wernicke
Therapeuticum rhein-main, Germany

therapist's professional background, as adoctor,

alternative

Shiatsu-practitioner,practitioner,

physiotherapist

or

Shonishin is presented in four parts

midwife, the patient collective, and thereby

1. Significance and development

the indications, are different. By way of example,

2. Theoretical basis of Shonishin

approximately 70-80% of all midwifes in Germany

3. Shonishin-study

do have an acupuncture education - and thereby

4. Future prospects

the qualification to absolve a further training inShōnishin. For them, Shōnishin offers great

1. Significance and development

opportunities to support newborn babies suffering

Spreading of Shonishinfromsuckingweakness,

abdominalpain,

In the past few years a steadily increasing

developmental retardation or even screaming

interest in Shōnishin has become noticeable alsobabies. In the event of a needle phobia, Shōnishin

outside Japan, especially in the German-speaking

is an alternative for pregnant women whilearea (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and in thepreparing for birth or as a supporting treatment

English-speaking area (USA, Great Britain).

for women who have recently given birth and

So what makes Shōnishin so popular withsuffer from involutional problems or plugged milk

therapists, parents and children? -Well, there

ducts. Unlike as for the midwives, the area ofare many reasons:application- Therapists reason their increasing interest incompletely different. Their focus is mainly on

it considering the fact that Shōnishin meetschildren with problems related to posture and thethe holistic aspiration and the treatmentmusculoskeletal system. On the other hand

successes speak for themselves.

pediatricians preferably apply Shōnishin with- They are appreciative that a theoretical basis

infants suffering from problems of the digestive

has been established which Shōnishin issystem, the respiratory system or developmental

based on (The theory will be focused on at adisorders, whereas allergies and neurodermatitis

later point).

are in the foreground with older children. General- Furthermore it is the simple and effective

practitioners are rather dealing with children or

way of treatment with Shōnishin whichadolescents whose range of topics includes

makes the treatment method very popularconcentration problems in school, ADHS orwith therapists.

enuresis.

- Children love this treatment as it has aofShōnishin

fororthopedics

isShiatsu-practitioners often apply Shōnishin inpleasant feel to them.

combination with baby-shiatsu or children-shiatsu,- The acceptance of Shōnishin as a treatment

in order to support them in their development.

method is very high with parents as they

Physiotherapists can show better successes in theappreciate

treatment of hemi paretic children, as the usuallythegentle,non-invasive

increased tonicity can be decreased by additional

proceeding very much.
Anotherreasonfor

thespreadingof

Shōnishin is that this treatment method cantreatment

withShōnishin

andthereby

thechildren become more treatable.

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

15

Volume 5, Number 3 | Fall 2010

2. Theoretical Basics of Shonishin

Education and Quality Standard
There are no regulated educational criteria so

Energetic Development Modelfar. The offer ranges from one-day courses toIn order to be able to establish a "new"training courses of several days' duration. In thetreatment method in Europe, it needs aninterest of the small and big children, highexplanatory model. During more than 20 years ofquality standards in Shōnishin education should

practical work of the author and his wife, thebe defined.

following development model has evolved andFor that reason the Shōnishin education offeredby the author (Fig. 1) is based on current research

proved its worth as a basis for the therapeutical
approach for treatment with Shōnishin.
This development model unites the knowledgeof the traditional Japanese medicine as well as of
the Western health sciences. A fundamentaloftraining in a meridian therapy (e.g. acupuncture)

psychology and developmental physiology withis the educational requirement. Explaining theknowledge and experience of the traditional

knowledge about children's development from theChinese and Japanese medicine. It states that

Western and from the Eastern perspective is anaccording to the motoric and sensory development

important part of the education. Communicatingstages, each energetic stage of development does

the course contents will need a training at least ofbuild

six days' duration and additional further trainingsdevelopment.

authorisonneurosciences,apreviouslydevelopmental

gainedstageofEspecially meridians play a super ordinate role

in regular intervals.
The

modernaspiringtoa

university

certification for the Shōnishin education.

in this respect. They represent a communication
network which connects the child with its outside
world. Via this connection the meridians enable
the integration of reflexes and stimuli. Thereby,
theyarealso

responsiblefor

thechild'sdevelopment of posture, movement, patterns ofbehavior and personality. This knowledge about
the interpendences between motoric, sensory andenergetics opens new points of view on children'sdevelopment,

which

resultsin

specifictherapeutic approaches. It becomes particularlyexciting when the interconnectedness between
meridiansand

Westerndevelopmental

physiology- and psychology becomes visible.
Especially then, when it becomes noticeable
which meridian respectively which meridians
control which stage of development and what
happens, if a disorder occurs in that level ofinterconnectedness. This knowledge forms theFig. 1: Practicing with dolls

16

foundation for treatment of children of all ages
with Shōnishin.

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 5, Number 3 | Fall 2010

Development of the Meridians

Sidewise Circulation (Fig.2) - Most everyday

As well as the locomotor system and themovements are based on rotation of the body. In

sensory system, the energetic system hasn't

the baby age, turning over from the back to thedifferentiated itself completely at the time of thebelly and the other way around later on are thebirth. According to the motoric and sensorial

first rotation exercises and are originated fromdevelopment, a maturation of the meridians takes

the sidewise circulation. This includes the bodily,place gradually. Therefore stimuli are needed, on

mental and social flexibility.

which the not yet specified meridians react indifferent ways- or even don't react. Only with theachievement of school readiness the meridian
system can be regarded as fully developed.
Three Circulations
On closer inspection this may be summed up as follows:
For a start, during the first year of a child's life,in each case four of later twelve main meridians
are cooperating in community, so that there arethree groups, each consisting of four not yet
differentiated meridians. The three circulations
known from TCM do develop out of the existing,Fig.2: Sidewise Circulation

undifferentiated "meridian pool".
Each of the three circulations has its own

Rear Circulation (Fig.3) - The baby's development

specific development- and life theme:

step from resting on a forearm while lying on its

Front Circulation (Fig. 1) - This one provides thebelly to the quadrupedal posture, or even taking

impetus for finding the own center, regarding

an upright position in order to leave the bed inmotor functions as well as the emotional realm.

the morning as an adult, are qualities of the rear

Feeling the own limits and those of others arecirculation. The impulse for the inner and theaspects of this circulation, too.

outer erection is originated from this circulation.

Fig. 1: Front circulation

Fig.3: Rear Circulation

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

17

Volume 5, Number 3 | Fall 2010

Six Axes (Keiraku)
With ongoing development a readjustment
takes place as well as on the motoric and on theenergetic level - The quadruped turns into a biped.
For that reason a "top" and a "bottom" come into
existence. At the same time a readjustment of themeridians, communicating with each other, takes
place within the corresponding circulations - itcomestoa

top-bottom-connectionofthecorresponding Yin- respectively Yang- meridians,
the so called six axes. These have fully developed
when the child's verticalisation (full ability tobring the pelvis into an upright position) is
completed at the age of about two years.
Five PhasesWith an increasingly differentiated andcontrolled emotional expression and arefinement of the motoric capabilities, another"pairing" of meridians has been enabled whichtakes place when reaching school readiness.

18

Now the child is able to receive stimuli to agreater extent, to get in touch with and to reacton its environment, and to communicate with itusing an individual pattern of action and reaction.
Duringthethreecirculations
aninside-outside-connection of the meridiansdevelops in addition to the already existing
top-bottom-connection- the five phases.
Now the meridian system can be regarded as
being fully developed. So in the time from birth
until reaching school readiness, motoric skills,
sensory, emotion, socialization and enrgetics havedeveloped step by step, whereby each step ofdevelopment is built on the previous one.
The Shōnishin therapist should know and takein consideration these facets and correlations ofdevelopment. For that reason specific diagnostic
methods are required in order to find out in eachcase at which stage of energetical development adisorder or disease occurred for the first time.
Therapeutic treatment will be applied adjusted tothis step of development.

The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)