This book is a practical guide to tools, skills, and techniques common to all acupunture practice with emphasis on those that are uniquely or creatively Japanese. It is clear, direct, and completely illustrated with high-resolution close-up photography. The instructions are simple and concise so that they may be easily applied to the practice of any acupuncture tradition. Features: * Covers traditional needle techniques - filifom needling, supplementation and drainage, and needle with moxa, all with several approaches * Moxibustion is covered in detail, as are instruments, intradermal needles, press tack needles and spheres * Describes in detail highly specialised Japanese techniques such as shonishinpo (treatment techniques for children), Hiratazone therapy and Manaka wooden hammer and needle, as well as techniques such as cupping which are used throughout Asia * Introduction covers modern Japanese training and practice, including a highly useful guide to root treatment * Includes suggested treatment protocols for clinical application

The text introduces Dr Manaka's major clinical and theoretical accomplishments by describing how the 'X-signal system' is the foundation of human topography, function, and response. In essence, the X-signal system defines qi, yin-yang, and the five phases as clinical events, rather than as abstract theories. The text gives Western readers the first complete description of this treatment system.

Meridian therapy is a school of Japanese acupuncture which is distinguished by its emphasis on the classics, its utilization of the five-phase points in treating the root of disease, and the importance which it attaches to palpatory skills in diagnosis and point location. Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy is noted for the clarity and simplicity of its style, and is the most highly regarded introduction to this subject in Japan. The theoretical and historical basis, diagnostic framework and treatment strategies of meridian therapy are discussed in detail. The author provides a step-by-step introduction to pulse and abdominal diagnosis, and explains how to incorporate the concepts and techniques of meridian therapy into other styles of acupuncture. The text is interwoven with case histories and anecdotes from the author's lengthy practice. Extensively edited in collaboration with the author to fit the needs of Western acupuncturists, this book opens the door to Japanese classical acupuncture for Western practitioners.

Increasingly popular in Japan, this form of practice focuses on abdominal diagnostic features that reflect disturbances in the internal pathways of the channels and collaterals and the internal qi flow of the entire body. Here Kobayashi (acupuncture, Kanto Acupuncture College), a leading practitioner and academic, draws from his decades of study of classical writings on the vital energy system to develop a unique method of root treatment, condensing those fragments of classical information into their intrinsic core. He writes for clinicians and students as he describes the theory behind treatment, the concept of qi in acupuncture core therapy, disease and the practice's three etiologies, evaluation of the patient, and fundamental and supplemental treatment. He provides comprehensive coverage of clinical applications, including the locations of the manifestations of disease (including psychiatric disease and pediatric conditions), and offers eight impressive case studies and a range of methodology in a series of appendices.

Carl Wagner, DOM, Dipl.Ac.He started his education in Oriental Medicine at the age of forty-six and received his master of Oriental medicine degree from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in 1994. He completed his National Boards and became licensed in New Mexico the same year. Concurrent with his last two years in school, Dr. Wagner apprenticed in the Kototama style, working daily in his teacher's clinic. Since his graduation over sixteen years ago, Carl has devoted himself to the study of Japanese Acupuncture. He trained in the Toyo Hari method with Koei Kurahara in 1999 and has been training with Masakasu Ikeda since 2002. He has studied with various other teachers including Shudo Denmei, Jake Fratkin, Miki Shima, Nigel Dawes, Stephen Brown, and Peter and Akiko Thompson.Dr. Wagner has twice attended the Annual Meridian Therapy Summer Seminar in Tokyo, Japan, and was a member of the first group of foreign students to attend in its forty-nine-year history. This annual event presents many of the most outstanding Meridian Therapy practitioners of Japan.

The author, one of the masters of the meridian therapy movement in Japan, has selected 160 of his favorite points. He describes how to use palpation to find the points and determine whether they are 'active.' He then identifies the particular conditions for which each point is best suited.

The most detailed exposition of the vessels in the English language.

The meridian test (or M-test) is a powerful assessment, treatment, and self-care system that can be used to improve athletic performance and physical fitness. It simplifies the assessment of strain and injury so that even nonacupuncturists and athletes can learn to apply massage and stretching more effectively. The M-Test is one of the most popular methods of sports acupuncture in Japan.