Volume 2, Number 3 | Fall 2007

Clinical Report 1 (Japan)
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment as
Health Management
Tomofumi Ozaki
Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences

1.

Introduction
Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment is inJapan not only used to treat diseases, but also as aform of health management and to prevent diseases.
In particular in the modern social environment
expectations are placed rather on healthmanagement than on the treatment of diseases.
Health means, plainly spoken, sleeping well, eating
well and having regular, comfortable bowel
movements. Through acupuncture and moxibustion
treatment these three essential elements of healthcan be maintained, which means the treatment has
significance as health management1).
Here I will report a case observed over a
prolonged time, in which developing disorder of thedaily life led to insomnia and chronic fatigue.
2. Case
Age: 51 years, male, acupuncturist, first visit on
Nov.11, 2007
Height: 173 cm, weight: 68 kg, standard body typeaccording to BMI (22.7)
Chief complaint: chronic low back pain, healthmanagement (maintenance)
History: onset of chronic low back pain from histwenties, occasional occurrence of shoulder stiffness.
From the age of 40 gradually increasing workload, lecturing from forenoon until late at night andirregular working hours led to a gradual delay in
bedtime to 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, while thepatient still woke up in the morning around 7o'clock, leaving him with only 4 to 5 hours of sleep.
This chronic lack of sleep resulted consequently in afrequent occurrence of drowsiness during meetings
in the daytime.
Formerly he used to jog as a means of healthmanagement and visited a gym 2-3 times a week,
but since he started to hold two positions in 2008 as
a lecturer at a vocational school and an acupuncture
university, his schedule became highly irregular.

12

Further, because of explanatory meetings at boththe vocational school and the acupuncture
university as well as entrance examinations often
held on Saturdays or Sundays and his attendance atconferences and research meetings, he had even on
holidays almost no time to rest any longer. Since thepatient did not find for this reason any free time, hesuffered a lack of exercise, working out only once
every two weeks. Body weight gradually increased
and had reached 68 kg.
There was chronic low back pain (in particular on
the left side) with a markedly increased muscle
tonus in the low back region (left > right), in thevicinity of left Shishitsu (BL52) a ping-pong ball
sized myogelosis was observed, which produced
upon pressure a mixture of pain and comfort.
X-ray images of the lumbar vertebra revealed amild degree of scoliosis. The patient complained ofoccasionallydeveloping
flatulencecausingdistention and diarrhea. Times of diarrhea wereassociated with distinct pain tenderness of the left
BL52.
General condition: The patient had a good appetiteand sometimes developed abdominal distention andvomiting after eating too much. Tended to sleep only ashort time, thus suffered from a lack of sleep and had
only one bowel movement every one to three days.
Annual health check did not show any anomalies.
Past history: 35 years ago surgery for deviation of thenasal septum and left maxillary sinusitis; 3 years ago
20-day hospitalization because of atypical pneumonia.
General findings: blood pressure 118/88 mmHg,
pulse 84 bpm, reflexes of biceps brachii, triceps
brachii, brachiradial muscle, patellar and Achilles
tendon reflexes were normal. ROM of the low backand other examinations for low back pain, like theLasègue test, were also normal. Percussion of theabdomen showed a generalized tympanicity, amarkedly increased muscle tonus in the low backregion (left > right), in the vicinity of left Shishitsu(BL52) a ping-pong ball sized myogelosis andtenderness at Chukan (CV12), Tensu (ST25), Daiko(ST27) and left Shishitsu (BL52).
Treatment plan:Due to the high work load the patient suffered

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

Volume 2, Number 3 | Fall 2007

from a chronic lack of sleep. Irregular meal times
contributed to frequent excessive eating anddrinking, resulting in distention of the gastricregion and nausea; gastrointestinal functions were
not good either, resulting in occasional occurrence ofdiarrhea, so that the disruption of the daily life
rhythm was considered to be the basis for hiscondition.
Symptoms like low back pain etc. were also
considered to have developed from stress. The lowback pain was considered to be caused by anaccumulation of muscle fatigue, therefore generally
suggesting the presence of degenerative lumbago. In
this context acupuncture and moxibustion
treatment targeted both the individual symptoms
and attempted to achieve a generalizedconditioning.
Needling method:
Disposable No.18, 40 mm Seirin needles wereused to needle the entire body, but with special
emphasis on tender and indurated spots.
2) Needled points: Tenchu (BL10), Fuchi (GB20),
Kankotsu (GB12), Kensei (GB21), Kengaiyu (SI14),
Koko (BL43), Kakuyu (BL17), Kanyu (BL18), Hiyu(BL20), Shishitsu (BL52), Daichoyu (BL25), Chukan(CV12), Tensu (ST25), Te Sanri (LI10), Soku Sanri(ST36), Taiyo (EX-HN5). Each point was needled ina manner, so that a mild de qi sensation wasobtained
throughthrustingandliftingmanipulation. Treatment duration was about 20minutes.
Results:
The patient received acupuncture treatments
twice a week and during the treatment shifted into
a comfortable breathing pattern of a sleeping person,
feeling refreshed after the treatment. In general,
although he sometimes developed some degree oflow back pain or shoulder stiffness, early
acupuncture treatment usually brought a quick
relief about. He is still working on a very tightschedule and gets only 5 hours of sleep, but after
one year of acupuncture treatment his condition has
much improved and the treatment interval
accordingly reduced to once a week. From April
2008, although the amount of sleep did not vary, hereported a better sleep as well as good appetite andbowl movements. This gives the impression, that anadequate health management has been achieved.

3.

Discussion
The patient described in this case report sufferedfrom a lack of sleep due to an irregular life style andthree years ago from pneumonia. Based on theseexperiences he was worried about his health andfelt that excessive confidence in his own health has
led to this misfortune. Yet, he continued his hard
work and the resulting lack of rest consequently led
to a state of chronic fatigue. However, on thisoccasion the prolonged acupuncture treatment
improved his sleep condition, normalized his bowel
movements and thus could be considered to havesucceeded as a form of health management(maintenance).
Hirohisa and Sakae Yoneyama3) postulated that
one clinical characteristic of acupuncture treatment
is, that it not only treats diseases, but also
contributes to health management, in other words
health maintenance (reconditioning treatment). The
author believes, that this is precisely the essence ofacupuncture treatment. Yet, the therapist should
convince and motivate the patient prior to theacupuncture and moxibustion therapy to adopt a
regular life style. That is, an appropriate patient
education is considered to be essential.
4.

Conclusion
A clinical characteristic of acupuncture
treatment is that it not only treats diseases but also
contributes to a health management, in other words,
health maintenance (reconditioning treatment). A
sufficient patient education is essential to achieve
this goal.
5. References
1) Yoneyama H: My acupuncture treatment
concept; Ido no Nippon, Tokyo, 1985
2) Ozaki T: Watching my honored teacher's back;Ido no Nippon, 2005; 738. 188-193
3) Yoneyama S: Essentials of the treatment of stiffshoulders, ―acupuncture treatment of shoulder
stiffness― CLINICIAN, 44-461, 36-44, 1997

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

13

Volume 2, Number 3 | Fall 2007

Introduction to the Morinomiya University ofMedical Sciences

western medical analytic explanation of pathologic
conditions, search for scientific evidence and theintroduction of advanced technologies. In this way

The Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences

the institution turns out practitioners offering

is located in the Cosmosquare District close to the

medical services that integrate both forms ofocean in Osaka and has opened in April 2009. The

medicine and is therefore also called "integrative

old school, Morinomiya College of Medical Arts andmedicine".

Sciences, originated from the vocational Osaka

Considering that the school has been established

Professional School of Acupuncture that opened inthrough funding by practicing acupuncturists, it

1973 and is therefore even in Japan considered anemphasizes

acupuncture school with a long history. This school

development of clinical skills. For that reason

maintains not only its pedagogic department, but isnumerous

also known to be a publisher and for its Museum ofreputation are working as part-time instructors

Traditional Medicine.

alongside with the academic staff and hold classesinits

practicing

educational

efforts

acupuncturistsofthegood

The Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences

dealing with clinical practice. Regarding research

is a small university with a Department of

the school has an abundant collection of material

Acupuncture and a Department of Physical Therapy.

pertaining to medical history in its museum, library

The instructions take into account on the one handand publishing department, so that the school isconsiderations pertaining to holistic care within

expected to facilitate in the future not only

the framework of traditional medicine, inheritancedevelopments in the medical field, but also promoteof traditional techniques and lifestyles as well as

research in the humanities.

14The Journal of Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)