Japanese Acupuncture is not so different from its Chinese sibling. For a start, they both have the same parents… All acupuncture practised today stems from classic medical principals first recorded in ancient China over 2000 years ago. Since the 6th century A.D. (when these texts were first introduced to Japan) the two have gone their separate ways, developing there own individual traditions…
Palpation
Japanese Acupuncture is much more hands on than it’s Chinese cousin. Incredibly, for a period in Japan, Acupuncture was a profession mainly practised by the blind. This created a rich tradition of diagnosing by touch (palpation) which has been passed on to modern practitioners.
Needle Stimulation
Chinese needling involves lifting, thrusting, twisting and twirling the needles until the qi arrives. The practitioner know this occurs when the patient notifies them that they feel a dull and distending feeling around the needle. In Japanese Acupuncture the practitioner relies on their keen sense of touch to feel the qi arrive. It is not essential at this point for the patient to feel anything at all, but any sensation is usually described as warmth, tingling and generally pleasant.
Depth of Needling
Chinese needling tends to be aimed more at the fleshy areas of the body. To get to these areas the needles are inserted generally between 1 – 5 cm. Japanese Acupuncture is more interested with the area on or just below the skin (with its enormous number of nerves sending messages to the brain this is a very potent area to work with). As such, the needles generally need only be inserted between 1 – 5 mm.
Thickness of Needles
Japanese Needles are thinner and sharper than their Chinese counterparts. This gives them a much kinder passage through the skin resulting in little to no pain.
Harmonising the Body
Often in the modern practice of Chinese Acupuncture the treatment will be solely focused on the individual problem that the patient comes in for. In Japanese Acupuncture there is a particular emphasis on first balancing the energy in your body and then dealing with the problem at hand. This not only results in a faster recovery for the patient but will also leave you feeling on top of the world after the treatment.