Japanese Acupuncture and Spiritual Healing

Acupuncture is rapidly becoming a common alternative therapy for various physical disorders. But most people may not realize is that acupuncture has been used for centuries as a method to calm the spirit, balance the emotions.

According to one ancient Chinese medical text, there are three classes of acupuncture. The first and most basic class of pertains to earth and deals with the removal of painful symptoms. The second class pertains to humankind and deals with balancing the patient’s constitution and preventing future disease. The third and highest class pertains to heaven and deals with nourishing the individual’s destiny in order to prolong life in alignment with Divine Will.

The basic premise of Japanese acupuncture is that we are all born with a specific set of constitutional tendencies which include certain inherent weaknesses and strengths that manifest in all areas of life – the body, mind and personality. As physicians, our first job is to examine the patient and try to make a determination of his or her inherent weakness. We call this weakness the “sho” or the inherent pattern of imbalance. It may seem somewhat negative to just look for the weakness and ignore the strengths, but actually this makes perfect sense. In order to make a chain strong and lasting, we need to find and strengthen the weakest links. We don’t need to worry about the strong ones. Likewise, in dealing with the health of the person, if we can identify and strengthen the person’s weakest energy meridian, a whole array of symptoms will automatically be resolved and many future diseases will be avoided.

We find the “sho”, or pattern of imbalance, not so much by listening to the complaints of the patient but by listening to the body. Our tools for listening are our senses. We touch the abdomen, listen to the quality of the voice, feel the texture, moisture and temperature of the skin, look at the colors of the skin, nails and hair, palpate the pulses and even smell the skin. From these examinations, we can determine the underlying imbalance and proceed to treat it.

Often, the pattern of imbalance is hidden or complicated by overlying imbalances which obscure the core issue. This is where the experienced physician can look through all the confusing signs and symptoms and zero in on the underlying pattern of imbalance. And then, it is a simple procedure to strengthen the particular meridian that is weak and disperse the excess energy in any meridian that might be too strong. This is called the root treatment. A skilled physician will make the diagnosis and perform the root treatment in about 10 minutes.

After balancing the meridians, we are then ready to listen more closely to the patient’s complaints. This is the second phase of the treatment in which we address the branch of the imbalance, or the patient’s symptoms. If the patient is experiencing fatigue, depression, insomnia, or any other symptoms of spiritual imbalance, there are specific techniques to remove the symptoms quickly. Sometimes, several treatments are needed. But for the most part, these methods will give the patient some relief until the root treatments can begin to take effect. Both the root and the branch treatment are important in order to maximize the overall effect of the treatment.

Having strengthened the person at his or her foundation, the body and mind will respond, the spirit will again shine and destiny will be fulfilled.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805