Volume 12, Number 2 | Summer 2017

Report from WFAS Tokyo/Tsukuba 2016
Overview over the “Toyo Hari Medical Association” (1)Skill teaching using literally a hands-on approach

Toyo Hari Medical Association

persons are visually impaired, they had to devise

The Toyo Hari Medical Association was founded
in 1959 by the five people Kodo Fukushima,
Katsuyuki

Kosato,ToyoyaSatomi,Senryuu

Takahashi and Syuukou Takahashi in its previous
form under the name "Classical Acupuncture
Medical Society". Later, the name was changed to
Toyo Hari Medical Association based on the ideology:"pass on the skills of meridian therapy on from hand
to hand to the farthest corners of the world!" and theassociation continues to hold regular monthly
meetings based on this concept. Shortly it will reachits 60th anniversary.

means that because all of the above mentioned fiveand propose significantly modified procedures forrunning the society. Naturally there has be noprecedent for this approach in Japan, but also notglobally, where the mentor actually takes theaspiring practitioner by the hand, explaining theactual needling techniques like "you form yourpressing and needling hand like this" during theguidance. This facilitated the chances of people withvisual impairment to contribute to society. That is
why also many people with normal vision applied for
admittance to the society and while the number ofmembers with normal vision has now increased, thebasic teaching concept has not changed. The training
style of the Toyo Hari Medical Association favoring
practical training over classroom studies has notmuch changed over the 60-year period from its
establishment until today. In the future too it will
persistently continue to pursue a form of meridian
therapy suiting the bodies of all people.
Characteristics of the techniques of this association
The practice of the Toyo Hari Medical Association
has the following characteristics.
1. Restraining adjustment
When the pulses in both positions within aHari-Kyu Technical Sessions 4

restraining correlation manifests a deficient state
the treatment administered distributed between left
and right is called a restraining adjustment. In thiscontext the modality administered first is called root
treatment, while the later administered treatment iscalled auxiliary treatment.
For example, in case of a restraining correlation
between lung deficiency and liver deficiency the lungdeficiency would be named the root and the liver
deficiency the auxiliary pattern. Or simply put
together as lung-liver restraining correlation.
Again, the selection of the five phase and the fivecommand points follows the rules set out in the

Demonstration2

difficult issue No. 69 or 75 in the Nan Jing.

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

Volume 12, Number 2 | Summer 2017

traditional medical system to perform reinforcement

2. Needling one side
Single-sided needling refers to a technique wherea certain point located both on the left and right sideor reduction as required to bring about healing.
This

is

calledpatternbased

treatment.

is needled only on one side, although these points

Accordingly, in actual clinical practice patients withused to be needled on both sides. Clinically needlingskin diseases visiting our clinics we follow the

only side restored the balance of the pulse, while

traditional theory of the "four diagnostic procedures"

needling both sides on the contrary led to a

to identify the pathology and then determine thedisordered pulse.

"pattern", which is considered to inevitably bring

The side on which the root treatment is performed,

about the healing. However, in today's clinicalis called the adjustment side, whereas the auxiliary

practice there is a demand for speed. For this reason

treatment is performed on the opposite side. In men

an adjunct therapy developed by our association has

the left side and in women the right side are thebeen added as a local and symptomatic treatment inadjustment sides, but if there is disparity of theorder to augment the effects of the root treatment.

symptoms and symptoms are predominate on the

Nobody believes the assertion that acupuncture andleft side in men, then the right side will become themoxibustion is effective for skin diseases, but it

adjustment side.

actually is very effective. Acupuncturists not

Using

the

above

mentioned

restraining

adjustment in case of a lung-liver deficiency and theabsence of any uneven distribution of the symptoms
in men, left-sided points are used for the lungdeficiency pattern and right-sided points for the liver
deficiency pattern.

familiar with meridian therapy probably cannot
understand this.
Below I will describe a few cases from actual
clinical practice.
* Herpes zoster
The condition manifests on the surface of the skin

3. Yin governing yang following principle andand therefore often represents a lung deficiency

preferential reinforcement

pattern, associated with reactions of the large

Treatment principles stipulate that yin channels

intestine channel, but in case of acute herpes zoster

are treated before yang channels and reinforcement

it is important to use the small intestine channel. In

precedescase of a spleen deficiency yang excess a proper

any

reduction.

For

that

reasonreduction of the pathogenic evil in the small

reinforcement of yin channels is performed first.
Also, based on the treatment principle described

intestine and supplementing the center is effective.

in difficult issue No. 69, in case of a lung deficiency,

Occasionally pricking the network vessel at the wellfirst the lung channel and next the spleen channel ispoint of the small intestine may be performed. Also,

reinforced. The same applies to other patterns too.

application of a single, filiform moxa cone on top of
the herpetic lesions has an immediate effect and can

Articles by this association
Let's introduce two articles published by thisassociation.
1) Special lecture abroad about "skin diseases";President Mitsuyoshi Tanaka
As meridian therapist we understand all diseases
in terms of deficiency or excess of meridians and use
mainlyacupunctureandmoxibustionasapromote complete healing of the herpetic lesions
without scarring.
* Urticaria
Recently a correlation between liver diseases andallergic disorders has been pointed out. Urtication
appears in particular after eating and as a result of
the influence of the liver channel. Upon moxibustion
applied to the point "ura naitei" (reverse ST44),

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Volume 12, Number 2 | Summer 2017

located opposite to neiting (ST44) on the sole of thefoot, is felt immediately as hot on the left side,
whereas on the right side the patient has difficultyof feeling the heat, so that the moxibustion isrepeated until the heat is felt. If the heat is not felt
on the right side, this can be interpreted as evil
having invaded the liver, warranting treatment for aspleen deficiency liver excess pattern. If the heat is
not immediately perceived on the left side, a yangchannel is treated in case of spleen deficiency, or else
the treatment is for spleen excess in case of liver
deficiency.
Also, when in doubt about the pattern in cases ofhepatitis, application of moxibustion to reverse ST44
and comparison of both sides, the side with less pain
can be considered the governing side.
This reverse ST44 is not only useful for thetreatment of liver diseases, but also for diagnosis. On
the abdomen reactions are often observed at theright-sided ST19, ST21 and ST24.
* Atopic dermatitis

Treatment is characterized by the following two
essential points.
"Prevent the development of deficiency heat"
Normally, deficiency heat develops often from theliver and spleen of the middle energizer. Thus, we
focus on the middle energizer as the source of the
deficiency heat and attempt to clear that heat. In
meridian therapy we use the command points of theyin channels and adjust their anomalies. In case ofheat clearing therapy usually we use acupuncture toadminister reinforcement of the water points.
"Normalize the function of the interstices"
Next, a treatment to normalize the function of theinterstices is performed. The interstices are an organ
under the control of the lung. Further, deficiency
heat caused by anomalies of the liver lead to someloss of function of the interstices, so that the water
point of the lung channel is reinforced using
acupuncture. For the symptomatic treatment bybring the side of a spoon needle in contact with the

Pathogenic mechanism
In meridian therapy dry atopic dermatitis isconsidered to be a problem to be approached asskin to perform a light scraping massage.
Pathogenic mechanism of exudative atopy"treatment for deficiency heat". Based on the

In meridian therapy exudative atopic dermatitis

characteristics of deficiency heat it has rising andis understood as a problem of "skin and hair as welldivergent properties. Accordingly, the arising fromas the interstices". Skin and hair have lost vigor and"the locations of the yin organs and positions of theare deficient in defensive qi, so that the defensive

various yang organs" the deficiency heat rises

barrier of the interstices is not working sufficiently,

towards more superficial organs. And it thenallowing skin and hair to be damaged by external

stagnates in the most superficial layer of skin andstimuli, leading to the development inflammations

hair. When the interstices of the skin and hair canin the affected areas. For example, sweat contains

function sufficiently and open up to allow the

many stimulatory components strongly irritating

stagnant deficiency heat to dissipate, this deficiency

the skin. Areas likely to sweat easily include theheat can the be treated normally. However, if thearmpits, the pit of the elbows, the neck etc. That isinterstices do not function properly, the deficiency

also why the condition worsens in the summer.

heat continues to stagnate below skin and hair and

To improve the qi deficiency of the lung andsteams it from below. This causes then thereinvigorate strength the earth point of the lungdevelopment of inflammation of skin and hair,channel is reinforced. This represents a root

resulting in dermatitis. Based on meridian therapy

treatment. For the symptomatic treatment the side

concepts this is pathogenic mechanism of dry atopic

of spoon needles are brought into contact with thedermatitis.

skin to perform a light scraping massage in such a

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Volume 12, Number 2 | Summer 2017

way, that the normal skin surrounding the affectedareas is stroked towards to affected area in order togather defensive qi there.
Treatment is characterized by the following two
essential points.
"Improve strength of the lung" "reinforce skin, hairand the interstices"
Pulse patterns are often lung-liver restraining,spleen-liver restraining, lung deficiency liver excess,spleen deficiency liver excess.
* Alopecia
Root treatment aims at harmonizing the body as
a whole, while the symptomatic treatment uses lighttapping with filiform needles of the affected areas.
That is then followed by heat-sensing moxibustion
using filiform moxa cones.
Often the pulse condition shows a kidney
deficiency root pattern.
At the end I would like to add, that from ameridian therapy point of view the description ofcases like those above is important in showing thatthe therapeutic effects of the root treatment,
representing the true nature of meridian therapy,
lead to an obvious improvement of the symptoms.

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