Traditional Chinese acupuncture versus Japanese acupuncture

Traditional acupuncture. Why do we have to study it?

Reviewing a therapy perhaps not very practical

I started studying traditional acupuncture in 2006, a long time has passed since then, and it makes me wonder, now, what arguments could support studying traditional acupuncture from a practical perspective in current times?

It is true that studying and expanding knowledge is always good, there is no doubt about this. Studying the classics not only gives you knowledge of therapy, but also brings you closer to the societies of those years, teaches you philosophy, even history. This is undeniable. And it’s poetic and very pretty,

But from a practical and clinical perspective. It’s a good option?
If I knew 16 years ago that there are other ways to work with internal energy with acupuncture without resorting to traditional acupuncture, I would have been very curious. And surely I would not have studied traditional acupuncture

Always from a practical clinical point of view there are certain disadvantages of traditional Chinese acupuncture versus others, and I am going to present some general ones:

Time
They are many years of study, I know many people who continue studying every day, they finish studying for 3 years and start again… these studies  never end.

Complicated diagnosis. Too much subjectivity.
The diagnosis is the basis, if the diagnosis is wrong, probably the treatment will be too. It is not practical for 5 professionals to treat with the same client and have different diagnostic criteria, and for it , is difficult to reach an agreement on the diagnosis of 32 types of tongue and its mixtures, pulse for acupuncture, tongue for phytotherapy.

Syndromes
They are key elements for the differentiation of syndromes according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. possible causes, symptoms, tongue and pulse, treatment principle and acupuncture point suggestions.

General syndromes. List of basic syndromes
Meridian syndromes. Syndromes of the 12 organs and entrails Zang Fu.
Mixed syndromes. Combined syndromes, in which alterations of several organs occur at the same time
Bi syndrome. Blockage in the meridians that causes pain, difficulty moving, or sensitivity problems.
Etc
Another possible inconvenience is to explain to our clients with Chinese theories 5 element theories, perverse energies because they will not understand and we will not get much predisposition or involvement on their part.

Needles
The number of needles, 8-10-12-18? How many needles can you get in a traditional Chinese acupuncture treatment? Sometimes , a lot!

Traditional acupuncture is very nice and beatiful.

Are there alternatives?
Traditional Chinese or Japanese acupuncture?

We have talked about traditional Chinese, let’s talk a little about other different acupuncture systems, but they come from the same mother, which is traditional Chinese acupuncture.
Both Japanese and Korean acupuncture have taken influences from Chinese, but they try to wrap Western medicine, trying to make a bridge between these  two, I will focus on Japanese because it is more modern, and where there is no talk of 5 elements or metaphors old, but we speak with more modern terms, for example the vagus nerve, oculomotor nerve, etc… but without turning our backs on the ancient world

What are the advantages of Japanese acupuncture?

Language
An easier language to understand for the westerner, it is not the same when the practionter speaks to the client about  yin or to speak of the nervious system

Time
Easier to learn, less time, it’s not 3 or 4 years of study, for it,

Price
Less time, cheaper

Unanimity
It is not an acupuncture with many windows open to having different opinions, and that is thanks to the simplicity

Simplicity.

There are no syndromes, there are no 32 types of pulse, the fewer pieces an ikea piece of furniture has, the fewer instructions and the less possibility of error.
It is an easy system to reach conclusions and treatments

Easy, precision
This point is important
In addition to reaching a rapid diagnosis by palpation, from there a much more precise puncture is developed.

Instant feedback.
This is the most important point for me.
In traditional acupuncture, feedback usually occurs in the next session, the client goes to the acupuncturist, and the acupuncturist does not usually know the scope of their treatment until the next session.
In Japanese acupuncture the feedback is instantaneous.
The point is considered successful when the client notices a change in less than a minute, for example, better shoulder movement in a bursitis, or a change in the points tested to make the diagnosis.

Needles
With 3 or 4 needles you treat a pathology with Japanese acupuncture.

I hope you liked the article and your opinions are welcome.