In the second Zoom meeting with Takamasa Tsurusaki, we continued to explore how to approach a patient within Seino System and continued our discussion of the Lung within Chinese Medicine.
What factors should we consider when diagnosis within Acupuncture? We must look at various perspectives – concept of Qi, Taiji, Yin and Yang, the 3 Powers/3 Worlds (Heaven, Earth, Human), 5 Phases/5 Organs, Time, and Seitai Power. Within Chinese Medicine, the same disease can be treated with different methods and different diseases with the same method. Therefore, human health involves more than its biology—healing involves consideration of one’s nature, behaviour, societal aspects, and beliefs. It was highlighted that how a patient presents in the clinic impacts our choice in procedure- acupuncture, moxibustion, oketsu or manual therapy.
Pulse diagnosis, another diagnostic method, emerged as more than just a heart rate evaluation in ancient china, and along with acupuncture pathways and its interconnectedness with organs, offers a deeper understanding of the body’s condition and is crucial in diagnosis. Assessing pulse quality within a treatment can gauge treatment effectiveness. While pulse qualities now taught in TCM which utilizes a couple array of pulses described in herbalism, Seino System reduces subjectivity and simplifies down to 6 pulse qualities.
Takamasa emphasized the importance of the number 3 within practise. In particular, the Dao De Jing Chapter 42. The 道 (‘the way’) arises the 大極 (Tai chi,Taiji, ‘the One’一), the 一 (One) arises the 二 (Two), the Two arise the 三 (Three), and the Three arise all things. This can be applied to time in which an illness has risen and how symptoms change over time, or how long it can take for symptoms to resolve, which organs should be treated, and even the number of moxa cones applied to each acupoint.
The Human Body Disease Chart was introduced to show the evolution between health and disease. Conditions are divided into pre-disease – mental and physical fatigue to disease – mental, and physical diseases. The concept of time (early and later disease processes) serves as another valuable tool for diagnosis and ongoing evaluation.
Lung channel’s characteristic of “More Qi, Less Blood” from Su Wen Chapter 24 suggests a strong link between lung function and mental-emotional health. Applying needles as the first line of treatment is recommended for respiratory or skin conditions followed by moxibustion if patient is on medication or non responsive to Acupuncture.
This concludes our seminars for 2023. We will resume January 2024 and continue to explore Seino System and dive deeper into Lung conditions. See you all in the new year!