Volume 6, Number 3| Fall 2011

Clinical Report (Japan)
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for the Victims of
the Great East Japan Earthquake after One and Half Months
from its Occurrence
Raita Takasaki and Takashi Otsuki
Department of Acupuncture, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences

submerged knee-deep under water. During our visit
to the site we were led to areas where the road used
for removing the wreckage had to be raised byseveral dozen centimeters as a measure against
submersion. Wreckage around buildings had alreadybeen removed, but the rescue activities did notproceed due to insufficient heavy machinery and

1. Introduction
A friend of one of the authors, Takazaki, lost apersonnel (Photo 1). The acquaintance who guided us,

factory for processing shark fins that had been run

stopped his car near a pachinko (vertical pinball game)by the family for three generations through theparlor at the entrance of the bay and explained, thattsunamiJapan

there are still people in there, that have not been

Earthquake. Sparked by this event he planned torescued. In the vicinity there were also other shops

initiate acupuncture and moxibustion volunteer

where rescue activities had not yet been carried out

work as part of the recovery and reconstruction

and over the entire area hung an intense stench ofprocess in the region where victims of thesludge and other materials (Photo 2).

causedbytheGreat

East

earthquake disaster live. Treatment location was theKesenuma general sports facility (K-WAVE), thelargest refuge in the region. Immediately after theearthquake disaster about 1,000 people sought
refuge here, but when we visited the site on April 30
about 600 still sought shelter there. Many of thesepeople suffered from a high level of disaster induced
stress. Moreover, the unfamiliarity of cohabitationand the restoration work caused many people tocomplain about mental and physical symptoms.
While describing in this paper one of the moststriking of these symptoms, we also give an outlineof our activities on site.

Photo 1

2. Situation in the disaster area at that time
In addition to the devastating damage a giant
tsunami in the city Kesenuma located in thenorthern part of the Miyagi prefecture, caused heavy
oil from the oil tanks installed at the entrance of thebay spilled and caught fire. This fire continued toburn for 2 days and spread up to the area wheremarine product processing factories were located,
destroying those almost completely. Further, theKesenuma shoreline subsided by around 80 cm, sothat during high tide the various areas are

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Photo 2The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 6, Number 3 | Fall 2011

The refugees in K-WAVE were living on a very

helped to set up and maintain a treatment booth

limited space and tried to stave off the cold byand devoted his efforts to collect information.

covering the floor with blue sheets, blankets orMoreover, we were also able to obtain thecorrugated cardboard. Most of the refugees hadcooperation of local acupuncturists, enabling us tonothing that could be used to separate their spaces

obtain even more detailed on site information andand thus could not maintain any privacy, thusachievebeing forced to live in an environment requiring aregarding the treatment. The additional support

lot of consideration regarding their surroundings

we received in form of materials and financial help

(Photo 3). They had been complaining aboutfrom various manufacturers of acupuncture andunwellness from the beginning of their shelter life.

moxibustion products, as well as help from many

There were also frequent afterquakes strong

other people enabled us to conduct our activities.

astillbetterinformationexchangeenough to be felt physically. According to therecords of the department for earthquakes and3. Case reportvolcanoes of the Meteorological Agency there had

75-year old woman.

been 189 afterquakes with a seismic intensity of

Height 160 cm, weight 50 kg.

more than 1 during the 7 days of our stay. K-WAVE

Blood pressure 154.0/69.5 mmHg (average)

wastherefuge

providingthebestlivingChief complaint was low back pain and left knee

environment within the Kesenuma city region andpain, accompanied by insomnia and constipation

supported by a medical team comprised of manyas accessory symptoms. Movement of the low backvolunteers, physicians, nurses and members of thewas particularly bad upon rising in the morning

self-defense forces.

and the patient also complained of fatigue andpain of the extremities. She underwent surgery forcolon cancer about 2 years earlier. Before thedisaster

she

usedtotakeHalcion,Magmitt,Excelase and similar drugs. She had noexperience with acupuncture and moxibustion
treatment. Her parents had hypertension. During
this earthquake disaster she had been swept awayby the tsunami and struggled in the water. Whenshe by accident found something to hold on to, shemanaged to surface and was miraculously rescued.
She reported having had the feeling at that timethat her intestines would be squeezed out of her
Photo 3mouth by the water pressure.

Our volunteer activities on this occasion
required facilities willing to let us conduct those
activities, an understanding of the people on site1) Treatment
We

performed

treatment

simulations

inand their cooperation. Our acquaintance in theadvance, guided by acupuncture and moxibustion

affected area served us as mediator, arranging

teaching staff employed at the university andparking space, accommodations and food for us,

acupuncturists who had experience with volunteer

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

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Volume 6, Number 3 | Fall 2011

guided by acupuncture and moxibustion teaching
staff

employedattheuniversity

andacupuncturists who had experience with volunteer
work after the Han‐Shin Awaji Earthquake
Disaster. Since this patient received acupuncture
and moxibustion treatment for the first time andwas considered to be weakened by physical andmental fatigue, we tried a treatment using weakstimulation. Details of the treatment and its
course were as follows.
First through fourth treatment (April 30 – May 3)
Prone position: scatter pricking of the lumbar
region (40 mm, No. 16 needles), retainingneedles for 10 minutes at BL22 (50 mm, No. 18

Figure 12) Course
During the first interview we obtained anneedles)
BL40, BL51, BL56, BL57 (40 mm, No. 16

informed consent from the patients and then carriedneedles)

out a treatment of about 30 minutes. The first to

Supine position: single short insertions at ST34,

third treatments targeted the chief complaints,

SP10, ST36, SP9 (40 mm, No. 16 needles)

while the accessory symptoms were addressed from

Moreover, on May 3 we added a needle retained

the fourth treatment onwards. By the sixthat GV20 for 10 minutes (40 mm, No. 16needles).

treatment the overall condition, her sleep and bowel
movements had improved, so that she reported

Fifth treatment (May 4)
Prone position: GV20, GB21, BL22, BL56,BL57, retaining the needles for 10 minutes (50mm, No. 18 needles), after that scatter pricking
Sixth treatment (May 5)
Prone position: GV20, GB21, BL22, BL56,
BL57, retaining the needles for 10 minutes (50mm, No. 18 needles)
Regarding the choice of treatment points forthe individual symptoms acupoints for which
there is some evidence of their effectiveness forthat particular symptom were given priority.

regarding the latter effect a feeling of increased
intestinal activity during the treatment. With each
additional treatment the rhythm of her movements
became smoother and the frequency of her showing
a more cheerful expression and using more pleasantconversational topics increased.
3) Overview of all patients
During the 7 days of our stay we treated 69
persons (28 men and 41 women) a total of 196 times
with acupuncture and moxibustion. Classified by

Areas likely to be affected like muscle groves orsymptoms men complained more about shoulder

areas of the transition from muscle into tendon, as

stiffness and low back pain, while in women thewell as indurations and tender points were also

most frequent symptom was shoulder stiffness

needled (Figure 1). In all cases disposable(Figurestainless steel Seirin needles were used.

frequent accessory symptoms. Of the 69 patients 262).

Constipation

andinsomnia

werehave had acupuncture and moxibustion treatment
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The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 6, Number 3 | Fall 2011

before, while 40 had no prior experience with it andin 3 the situation was unknown (Figure 3). Amongthe 26 patients having prior experience withacupuncture and moxibustion treatment there wasone 90-year old patient, who had only one
acupuncture and moxibustion treatment about 70
years ago. Based on these results we may conclude,that acupuncture and moxibustion is probably notyet really established in the Kesenuma region.
After the treatment 23 patients reported "couldsleep well", 7 said "the hip feels much better", 5
reported a "feeling of relief" of the shoulder stiffness,

4. Discussion
During talks with the patients insomnia andmaking the improvement of insomnia the mostworries caused by the disaster were frequently

frequently observed effect. (Figure 4).

encountered, so that in many people the presence ofreported "I do now have bowel movements", 4a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) wassuspected. Afterquakes and the unfamiliarity ofcohabitation resulted in psychogenic stress, while
the work associated with the restoration led tophysical fatigue, or else may also have triggered
other symptoms. At K-WAVE the medical care was
beginning to be managed mainly by physicians andnursing staff. Yet, there were insufficient means toprovide relief from psychosomatic suffering, so thatthe acupuncture and moxibustion treatment wasconsidered to be extremely helpful not only for the
alleviation of pain and fatigue, but also for theprovision of mental care.
The acupuncture and moxibustion booth set up
within K-WAVE was converted after 6 o'clock in theevening into sleeping quarters for the medical staffand volunteers. We were thus able to obtain some
space

under

these

conditions

thankstotheunderstanding and cooperation of the local people. In
the face of deteriorating sanitary conditions using
disposable needles and trays, hand rub disinfection,
finger cots etc. to demonstrate the hygienic nature of
our work to establish and improve understanding by
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Volume 6, Number 3 | Fall 2011

and communication with not only the patients but

Photos 6, 7 show the last day of the acupuncture

also the medical staff was both essential and very

and moxibustion volunteers. We were bid farewell

effective to that end. (Photos 4, 5).

by many grateful patients. One other patient thanthe one described above told us, seeing his house
being washed away in front of his eyes and a tanker
riding on top of the current has cast him into
darkness (deprived him of the hope of living).
Through the conversation during the acupuncture
and moxibustion treatment he now reported to havefound the light of living again. Finally he thanked
us with a heart-felt: "Thank you".

Photo 4

Photo 6

Photo 5-1

Photo 7
Based on these experiences it seems reasonable
Photo 5-2

26

to assume, that the volunteer activities on thisoccasion did not only prove the effectiveness of theThe Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

Volume 6, Number 3 | Fall 2011means of5. Conclusion
Care for victims of the Great East Japan

collecting information, but the attitude of listening

Earthquake suffering from PTSD will remain a taskand empathy apparently also contributed to thefor a long time to come. The volunteer activities onprovision of relief from high stress levels, insomnia,

this occasion strongly suggested, that although both

physical and mental pain (Figure 5).

pharmacologicalacupuncture and moxibustion treatment and theimportance of history-taking as aandpsychotherapy

areveryimportant for excessive stress, fear, sense ofhelplessness, flash-backs, sleep disorders etc., thereisa

highpossibility

thatacupuncture

andmoxibustion treatment may at the same time offer amajor contribution to the relief of PTSD relatedsymptoms.
References
Takasaki R, Otsuki T. A report on acupuncture
volunteer activity in Kesen-numa. Ido-No-Nippon
Figure 5(Jpn J Acupunct Manual Ther) 2011; 814: 94-96.

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