Therapist talk:

Acupuncture Treatment in Oriental Medicine


By Eitaro Hamano


4 Various symptoms related to acupuncture and the autonomic nervous system


Last time, I wrote about the Oriental medical way of thinking about acute low back pain. I wrote about how each element of the body works, including the state of mind and the situation in which the person was placed, and the overall balance of the network in regards to the symptoms of acute low back pain.


Symptoms that affect the functioning of the body's systems, in particular the autonomic nervous system, can be said to be the specialty of Oriental medicine acupuncture and moxibustion; especially symptoms related to the autonomic nervous system such as headache, palpitation, dizziness, fatigue, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, stiff shoulders and depression.


The nervous system connects the brain and spinal cord, which is called the central nervous system, includes somatic nerves (motor nerves, sensory nerves) and autonomic nerves. Motor nerves are nerves that transmit signals from the brain to the muscles that want to move. Sensory nerves are nerves that connect to sensory organs such as sight, smell and touch.


As the name implies, the autonomic nervous system works autonomously regardless of the will of the body's master. For example, heartbeat, blood vessel constriction, sweat gland opening and closing, internal functions, etc. Also, the autonomic nerves relates to the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nerves that act as accelerators and brakes.


Simply put, the sympathetic nervous system affects the body in activity and combat mode, and the parasympathetic nervous system affects the body in relaxation and rest mode. In a healthy body, the two nervous systems switch naturally, according to the situation. In the daytime, the sympathetic nervous system dominates and the mental and physical activities become active, and at night, the parasympathetic nervous system dominates and the body becomes sleepy and enters the rest mode. In this way, our body can maintain its vital energy and activity by alternating between tension and relaxation.


However, if the switch does not work well and becomes abnormal, the various physical disorders and symptoms described above will appear. Causes include changes in the living environment, mental stress, eating habits and disordered lifestyle habits. In a busy modern society, the sympathetic nervous system is often dominant. With the development of Internet technology, it has become possible to process a lot of information all at once, and it may be that this stress on the sympathetic nervous system is caused by overuse of the optic nerves due to long term use of the brain and sensory organs using PCs or smartphones than ever before. I would like to discuss this matter in another talk on computer and smartphone work and acupuncture treatment.

In Oriental medicine, the energy of wood, relates to the liver, in five elements. This is responsible for the nervous system. The energy of wood is also deeply related to the eyes, muscles and tendons, and is characterized by the energetic energy of rising upwards. Over a long period of time, muscle tension, optic nerve overuse, and excess cerebral activity can lead to an excess above and feverish upper body. This causes symptoms such as stiff shoulders, dizziness, headaches, eyestrain, and insomnia. In addition, when this energy reaches its limit, a reverse phenomenon occurs, and it develops into unmotivated depressive symptoms and malaise.


In Oriental medicine acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, the meridians that are the route through which "Qi" flows are treated. This will be the liver meridian and related meridians such as the kidney meridian. These meridians will be carefully examined with the intention of restoring the balance of the whole body so that it returns to a better condition in my treatment.


Frequently used acupuncture points to relieve symptoms are "Hyakue", which has a depressing effect, "Mei", "Santake", and "Taiyo", which relieve eyestrain. "Kyokusen" and "Taisho" that adjust the liver meridian. Also "Yuketsu", that is lined up on both sides of the spine for each internal organ. It's a good idea to take as much rest as possible during work. Also to balance the strain on your eyes by looking far away in the distance to counterbalance the constant looking at a screen close up. Also massage around your eyes. Before going to bed, I think it's a good idea to relax after doing some light exercises, or take a bath or shower before your rest.


Next time, let's have a look at gynecological diseases.




Next: Oriental medicine acupuncture and gynecological diseases

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