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The idea of ShakujuTherapy came to Kobayashi sensei one summer during a home visit. While performing treatment, Kobayashi sensei had a revelation regarding classical five phase therapy (Keiraku Chiryo), as described in the Nan Jing, and the relationship of the back shu points to the abdominal regions.
Shakuju Therapy shares the same roots as Five Phase, with an emphasis on abdominal diagnosis and the use of back shu points. It was designed as a method of balancing the entire body. The term Shakuju comes from shaku and jū, tight or painful areas of qi and blood that are palpable in the abdomen, and are of critical importance for evaluating the patient and developing a treatment strategy. The abdomen is at the center, or core, of the body. It is possible to use the abdomen as a diagnostic and prognostic tool during treatment. Shakuju Therapy’s foundation is based on abdominal findings, jing qi, and the governing vessel.
The Nan Jing 69th Difficult Issue provided treatment information and ideas for Kobayashi sensei. He found by treating the back shu areas, he could intentionally clear the abdominal symptoms indicative of disease or imbalance in the body. It is due to this imbalance that the patient is susceptible to disease. The underlying cause is fundamental cold (Hie) in the core of the body. The idea of Shakuju Therapy is to warm the body from the core and eradicate the fundamental cold. If the body is strong enough, the acupuncture needles are enough to help produce internal warmth. If the body is weaker, moxabustion used externally will help create warmth within.
Shakuju Therapy further enhances the treatment encounter by the practitioner’s conscious capacity to transmit qì throughout the entire body. One needle is used at a single point to address both foundational and symptomatic imbalance. The practitioner, through proper stance, breathing, and conscious intent, is able to most effectively treat the patient and at the same time strengthen their core qi.
Shakuju Therapy has been the system for training student acupuncturists at Kanto College of Acupuncture in Japan since 1976.
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