1.Beginning and Development of Medical Manipulation in Ancient China.
Kampo Medicine 2002;53(1-2):71-75
The basis of the present writer's study is the ancient literature of manipulation and anma-therapy, which was edited before and after the time that “Huang-ti nei-ching” was formed in the Han Period.
The conclusions are drawn from the results as follows:
In China, it may be said that the origin of anma-therapy may be traced back to the Yin Chou Period, because it was described in “Chia-ku-wên” and “Chou-li.” It may be said, too, that its origins may back to the Chunchiu chan-kuo Period, because there are the descriptions of a name, resembling anma-therapy, and its effects in “Pien-chüeh Chuán.”
And it is corroborated in “Wu-shih-erh Ping Fang” that anma-therapy was actually performed before the Chin Han Period. Furthermore, because the technique of the term “ma” with plastering is described in “Yãng-shêng Fang, ” “Shên-nung pên-tsao-ching, ” and so on, it proves that anma-therapy was in existence, though the expression of the term “ma” is different from that of the term “an” in “Huang-ti nei-ching.”
For these reasons, it appears that anma-therapy had already been used, together with other treatments, in the Chou Period.
But the fact that the technique of “an” differs from the process of the development of “ma” needs to be studied further.
2.The Study of Massage by Albert Reibmayr. Characteristics of the first massage into Japan.
Tetsuji WAKUDA ; Kazushi NISHIJO
The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine 2000;63(4):205-211
In the 1880's, massage therapy was first introduced from Europe. It had been developed by Dr. Albert Reibmayr of Austria. Jiko Nagase, an army surgeon, tried to apply Reibmayr's massage techniques as regular therapy at his hospital. It was the first time that this therapy was used in Japan, but details are not clear, so this paper intends to clarify this therapy's theory and techniques in order to utilize it in clinical practice as a method of physiotherapy.
We used a compendium of massage (5th ed. 1893) and “Die Tecknik der Massage” (5th ed. 1892), illustrated by Reibmayr, as the basis of our study.
(1) Reibmayr's massage techniques were being developed in Europe then because the procedures were described in French and joint movements, “Bewegung, ” came from Germany.
(2) Reibmayr classified his massage therapy into four basic procedures (Effleurage, Massage à Friction, Pétrisage, and Tapotement) according to the classification system of Mezger (from Holland).
(3) He explained the effects of his massage therapy in combination with joint movements, particularly passive joint movements, based on the exercise method advocated by Ling (from Sweden).
(4) He emphasized the massage therapy and mechanical and reflex effects based on physiological research in those days.
(5) He found that massage therapy improved the function of the circulatory and nervous systems, and stimulated metabolism as a whole. According to this discovery, he advocated doing neck massage, abdominal massage, and preliminary massage.
(6) He recommended the application of his massage therapy to various fields (internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, etc.) as physical therapy. In order to advance the usefulness of current medical massage therapy, it is important to recognize these procedures' effects and to apply them more in clinical practice.
3.Effects of Acupuncture Therapy on Diabetes Mellitus. Variation of Blood Sugar Levels of Insulin-Dependent Patient.
Journal of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2002;52(1):43-48
Before now, it had almost never been reported that acupuncture therapy effects insulin-dependent diabetesmellitus. This is because acupuncture therapy not only can not bring about a radical cure, but also decreases insulin in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
In this paper we present our findings from a college clinic that acupuncture therapy which was based on the traditional pulse examination of the “Nan Jing”, was efficacous for restoring blood sugar levels of an insulindependent patient.
From symptoms and signs in oriental diagnosis we deduced that the condition of a disease like this case had a metabolic defect on the body as a whole. We treated it with acupuncture therapy based on the traditional theory and monitored the variation of blood sugar levels for six months.
As a result, we found that this case of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus clearly showed blood sugar levels returning to normal with improvement of related symptoms, e.g., paralysis, constipation, feeling of cold, etc.
As we could not find any factors influencing the change in the subject's blood sugar levels, such as changes of administered drugs, climate social environment, etc., it is conceivable that this restoration of blood sugar levels was induced by the traditional acupuncture effect.
4.The Study of Anma Therapy in “The Yellow Emperor's Manual of Corporeal Medicine”
Tetsuji WAKUDA ; Tsunehiko WADA ; Kazushi NISHIJO
Kampo Medicine 1999;50(1):79-83
This paper is an effort to identify the benefits of Anma therapy's theory and technique from the ancient literature of Chinese medicine as having significance for modem medical manipulation. Our study is based on “The Yellow Emperor's Manual of Corporeal Medicine; Questions about Living Matter, and the Vital Axis (edited in the Sung Period).” The conclusions drawn from the results are as follows:
(1) The name of Anma appears in four parts of the literature. It may be said that there was already a manipulation called Anma in the Han Period.
(2) Generally the term ‘an’ means that sensations are sent downwards in the tonic or syndromic direction, while ‘ma’ means that they are sent upwards in the sedative or antidromic direction, According to the previous two books, however, both ‘an’ and ‘ma’ both have upwards and downwards effects.
(3) It is clearly indicated that applications of Anma therapy are available for paralysis, feeling of cold, stiffness, etc. These conditions are caused by poor circulation of chi (Chinese) and blood. The effect of Anma therapy is to improve such circulation.
(4) Anma therapy was the one original method in the Han Period. In these classical texts, we found that it was highly advantageous to apply other methods with Anma therapy. In order to advance the usefulness of current Anma therapy, it is essential to re-evaluate classical techniques with regard to the fundamental facts and principles of medical science.
5.The Theory and Methods of Massage by J.H. Kellogg.
Tetsuji WAKUDA ; Tsunehiko WADA ; Eitaro NOGUCHI ; Kazushi NISHIJYO
The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine 1999;62(2):80-86
Although it has 100 years since the massage techniques developed by John Harvey Kellogg, an American, were introduced to Japan, not much of them are known today. This paper clarifies the characteristics of his theory and techniques as a method of physical therapy so they can be applied to clinical practices.
Our study mainly consists of the review of J. H. Kellogg's “The Art of Massage” (4thed. 1923). These massage techniques, a combination of massage techniques developed in Europe and osteopathy, an original idea developed in the United States, were systematized through his clinical experience at sanitariums over a period of 50 years or more.
Always based on strict physiological principles, Kellogg cited three types of comprehensive effects: direct “Mechanical”, indirect “Reflex”, and general “Metabolic” effects. He advocates that external manipulations are effective for building strength in the whole body and activating living power because they not only influence deep tissues of the body by improving general circulation and reactions of the nervous system but also on the metabolic renewal processes of the various parts of the body. He emphasizes these phenomena as the sources of large therapeutic effects.
Kellogg's massage techniques consist of seven types of basic manipulations (touch, stroking, friction, kneading, vibration, percussion, and joint movements), each of which is divided into several sub-types of manipulations, which are unique to Kellogg, according to his theory.
To improve the usefulness of current medical massage therapy, it is essential to review these unique techniques and apply them to clinical practices.
6.Effects of Traditional Acupuncture Therapy on Patients with Hypertension.
Tetsuji WAKUDA ; Tsunehiko WADA ; Tomohiro TANIGUCHI ; Kazushi NISHIJO
Journal of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 1999;49(4):575-580
[Objective and Design] We have encountered various patients with hypertension who showed a tendency of declining blood pressure after the start of acupuncture therapy based on the traditional theory. This report presents one typical case of hypertension for which there are data on daily measurements of blood pressure for four years and data on lower stable blood pressure for more than one year since the beginning of traditional acupuncture.
[Methods] Acupuncture therapy based on the traditional theory consists of selecting two groups of acupuncture points : one group for general effects contains four points in the extremities according to the pulse examination of the classic “Nan Jing”, and Ren 12 (Zhongwan) and Ren 6 (Qihai) in the abdomen, the other group for symptoms contains eight back Shu points. For acupuncture therapy, silver needles of diameter 180 p m were inserted as far as the muscles.
[Result] It was clearly observed that hypertensive blood pressure of this case was decreased to lower stable levels by traditional acupuncture therapy within three or four weeks after the start of the therapy.
[Conclusion] Especially in the typical case above, as we could not find any factors influencing the change of his hypertensive state such as changes of administered drugs, climate or social environment, it was conceivable that this decrease of blood pressure was caused by the acupuncture.