Collection of Acupuncture Experiences by Wei Jia

Author: Chief Editor: Shao Shuijin et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-10-01
Features: Professor Wei Jia, a contemporary master of acupuncture, has accumulated over 40 years of clinical experience, renowned for his exquisite skills both domestically and internationally. He has traveled to Europe, America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and has been appointed as an advisor to academic organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and Hong Kong. This book selects and compiles excerpts from 99 of his published papers, focusing on clinical acupuncture content, supplemented by notes from our regular consultations, to present to the readers. It highlights his clinical characteristics and academic features, namely the "Five Prominences" (manipulation in regulating qi, acupoint methods in achieving precision, bloodletting and blood-meridian stimulation, treating heat patterns with moxibustion, and complementary therapies) and the "Two Foundational Contributions" (establishing the theory of various acupuncture schools and non-painful acupoint therapy as new disciplines). Some sections also include papers summarizing the clinical experiences of his mentors or those guided by him, reflecting the academic lineage of three generations. This book is a specialized work that combines theory with practice, offering high clinical guidance value, and is suitable for acupuncture doctors and researchers.
Excerpt: "This age-old conclusion is questioned, as sometimes effective results are achieved even when qi is not felt, which may be due to the phenomenon of 'hidden qi transmission.' This raises a new research topic regarding the sensation of qi during acupuncture. Below are selected papers such as General Introduction to Acupuncture Tonification and Sedation, Application of Flying Needle Method, and On the Issue of Qi Sensation in Acupuncture, which demonstrate his emphasis on the importance of qi sensation in clinical practice.
(1) General Introduction to Acupuncture Tonification and Sedation
Recently published acupuncture books or clinical reports often omit the topic of tonification and sedation, with some even openly declaring it has no practical value. Li Suguang of the Chinese Medical Research Institute introduced ancient acupuncture tonification and sedation techniques such as 'Burning Mountain Fire' and 'Penetrating Heaven Cool' in the August 1956 issue of Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explaining that they can indeed enhance efficacy, highlighting the importance of preserving the heritage of traditional Chinese medicine. 'Systematic learning, comprehensive mastery, and improvement' is not only a principle for Western medicine to learn from traditional Chinese medicine but should also be applied to traditional Chinese medicine itself. Acupuncture tonification and sedation are scattered across various texts, with diverse opinions and numerous names, leading to the saying, 'Acupuncture is easy to learn, but tonification and sedation are hard to understand.' The application of acupuncture tonification and sedation has a long history, with many records in the Neijing, especially in the Lingshu sections such as 'Nine Needles and Twelve Origins,' 'Root and Knot,' 'Connecting Heaven,' and 'Beginning and End,' as well as in the Suwen sections like 'Preserving Life and Completing Form,' 'Separating True and False Qi,' 'Regulating the Channels,' and 'Small Needle Explanation.' During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Qin Yueren wrote the Nanjing, where difficulties 69 to 81 focus solely on tonification and sedation. Later, in the Jin Dynasty, Huangfu Mi's Jia Yi Jing, the Tang Dynasty's Sun Simiao's Qian Jin Fang and Wang Tao's Wai Tai Mi Yao, the Song Dynasty's Wang Weiyi's Tong Ren Shu Xue Zhi Jing, and the Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasty's Su Hanqing's Acupuncture Guide with the 'Bi You Fu' and 'Tong Xuan Zhi Yao Fu' further developed these concepts based on the Neijing and Nanjing. In the Ming Dynasty, acupuncture master Yang Jizhou wrote the Acupuncture Great Compendium, where acupuncture tonification and sedation became even more extensive. Terms like 'Following and Opposing Tonification and Sedation,' 'Breathing Tonification and Sedation,' 'Twelve Hours Tonification and Sedation,' 'Burning Mountain Fire,' 'Penetrating Heaven Cool,' 'Green Dragon Swinging Tail,' 'White Tiger Shaking Head,' 'Red Phoenix Shaking Head,' 'Phoenix Flapping Wings,' 'Horse Shaking Bell,' 'Dragon and Tiger Fighting,' 'Green Dragon Rising and Descending,' 'Tortoise Probing Holes,' 'Red Phoenix Meeting Sources,' 'Hidden Yin in Yang,' and 'Hidden Yang in Yin' left later learners in awe. By the Qing Dynasty, especially in the 18th century, with the introduction of Western learning, acupuncture therapy gradually declined, and tonification and sedation also fell into neglect.
Illnesses are either excess or deficiency, and treatment involves tonification or sedation. Tonification and sedation are the fundamental principles of traditional Chinese medicine treatment, and this is even more evident in acupuncture therapy. Therefore, mastering acupuncture tonification and sedation is a crucial aspect of clinical practice, as the Lingshu·Jin Fu states: 'When it is time to sedate, sedate; when it is time to tonify, tonify—as the drum should respond to the mallet.' The Golden Needle Formula says: 'In acupuncture, the method is swift and extraordinary; one must understand tonification and sedation to save lives in emergencies.' The Xi Hong Fu also states: 'When practicing acupuncture, one must examine the acupoints and understand the principles of tonification and sedation.' The Lingshu·Root and Knot says: 'If tonification and sedation are reversed, the illness will worsen.' It also states: 'If one does not know the principles of following and opposing, the true qi and pathogenic qi will clash, leading to excessive yin and yang overflowing, distended intestines and stomach, internal anger of the liver and spleen, and crossed yin and yang. If one sedates when deficient, the meridians will become empty, blood and qi will deplete, intestines and stomach will become thin and weak, the skin will be thin and dry, and the hair pores will be damaged, leading to death.' These examples illustrate the importance of tonification and sedation in acupuncture clinical practice.
1. Classification of Acupuncture Tonification and Sedation
Although there are many types of tonification and sedation, they primarily manifest in two forms: on one hand, through the physician's techniques and acupoint selection, such as following and opposing, opening and closing, lifting and thrusting, and rotating. On the other hand, by guiding the patient to perform certain actions, such as breathing. Of course, the former is the main form, while the latter is secondary, but the two are often used together.