Interpretation of Korean Sa-Am Acupuncture

50 Pages·2007·1.02 MB·English

Interpretation of Korean Sa-Am Acupuncture
(사암침법, 舍岩鉞法)

This capstone project is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
By Jeanie O. Lee, A.P.
August, 2007
Table of Contents

Abstract 3

1. Introduction 4

2. The Main Characteristics of the Sa-Am Acupuncture 6
2.1. Five Elements and meridians
2.2. Six Qi and twelve meridians
2.3. Five elements and six Qi
2.4. Emotions and meridians
2.5. Twelve meridians and corresponding animals

3. Diagnostic Methods 18
3.1. Diagnosis of excess and deficiency
3.2. Diagnosis of cold and heat

4. Treatment Strategy 25

5. Treatment Protocol 30
5.1. Interior and Exterior meridian treatment protocol
5.2. Hand and Foot Meridian Treatment Protocol
5.3. Six Qi treatment Protocol

6. Sa-am Acupuncture needling techniques 33
6.1. Tonification method for the deficiency conditions
6.2. Sedation method for the excess conditions
6.3. Pictures of Sa-Am Acupuncture Points by Meridians 35

7. Contraindications 47

8. Conclusion 47

References 49

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Interpretation of Korean Sa-Am Acupuncture

Abstract

Acupuncture has been used as an effective treatment in many disorders for a long time in
certain Asian countries, but it is now gaining popularity in many Western countries.
There are variations of its technique throughout the world. A technique developed in
Korea 400 years ago, the Sa-Am method, has been gaining recognition within the Korean
medical community for the treatment of chronic diseases as well as acute conditions.
One of its advantages is that it involves fewer points compared to typical TCM methods,
because the root problems, rather than the symptoms, are treated. Another advantage is
that it is safer, because needling points are located only on the limbs. However, different
interpretations of Sa-Am’s acupuncture exist. In one approach by Gh’m Oh and another
by Sa Oak, the five Elements theory plays an essential role in the diagnosing of diseased
meridians, although the former also utilizes the patient’s emotion as the root cause of
diseases as well as the concept of the six Qi. Once a diagnosis is made, the treatments are
similar for both. The treatment strategy is to first determine the organ system that is out
of balance, then to determine whether the imbalance is a result of an excess (shi) or a
deficiency (xu). Finally, the mother element, the son element, and the controlling element
(grand mother) are treated simultaneously according to the type of imbalance. It is
difficult to treat chronic conditions with acupuncture alone. The Sa-Am method is
interesting because of its use in chronic conditions, but more research is needed to
confirm its effectiveness.

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1. Introduction

Traditional oriental medical treatments include acupuncture, moxabustion, and herbal
medicine. Among these, acupuncture is remarkable in that one can see its effect very
quickly, and it is an effective treatment for many disorders. For a long period of time, its
practice had been limited to a few Asian countries, but in recent decades it has gained
more popularity in many Western countries. There are different approaches to practicing
acupuncture throughout the world. Traditional Korean medicine (한의학, 韓醫學),
including its unique system of acupuncture, has evolved through the different historical
periods. However, it is similar to TCM in many diagnostic and therapeutic methods
because of the pervasive influence of TCM. Nevertheless, Korea has developed its own
unique oriental medical treatments.

Among these, the Sa-Am acupuncture method was developed about 400 years ago (Lee,
KJ & Bae, SK, 1981, Kim, HK, 1989, Kim, HG, 1999, Kim HG, 1999, & Lee, BG, 2002).
Sa-Am is the pen-name of a Buddhist monk whose real name is unknown. Master Sa-
Am was either a disciple of Sa-Myong Dai Sa, who was one of the greatest monks during
the period from 1544 to 1610 or Sa-Myong Dai Sa himself. Master Sa-Am practiced
seon (zen) meditation in a stone cave before he became enlightened. His spiritual insight
helped him to formulate the Sa-Am acupuncture method (Kim, HK, 1989). He is
considered one of the three great physicians of the Chosun Dynasty. But for 400 years
his method of acupuncture has been forgotten until recently when its value was
recognized. Although he admitted that he could not cure many diseases because he did
not know what meridian(s) to treat, he indicated that the results of his treatments were
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quick and comprehensive (Kim, HK, 1994). At any rate, it is remarkable that he dealt
with a total of only sixty points and typically needled only a few limb points to achieve
the desired results (Kim, HK, 1989 & Kim, HG, 1999).

Sa-Am viewed the meridians as the paths where the mind manifests itself based on the
five Elements theory; his treatments are focused on the root condition of illness and
constitutional imbalance (Kim, HK, 1989 & 1994). Although the detail of his theory is
not available to us, different versions of the theory have been offered by some authors.
One such author, Gh’m Oh (Kim, Hong Kyong), emphasizes that one would not be able
to heal any diseases unless one has a full understanding of the mind and its changes. He
claimed that he was able to understand Sa-Am’s theory and connect the relationship
between the twelve meridians and the mind through meditation just as the master Sa-Am
himself did. Also, he believes that in order to understand the Sa-Am theory, we must
understand the Ba Gua theory. Sa Oak (Kim, Hyung Guan) is another practitioner of this
style; he has been teaching Sa-Am’s acupuncture technique for over 40 years. His
diagnoses are based on the pulses and observation of the spirit and facial color in his
patients. (Kim, HG, 1999)

Although Sa-Am acupuncture is considered effective only for chronic conditions by the
Korean oriental medical community in general, two of the proponents for this method,
Gh’m Oh and Sa Oak, assert that it is the best method and works very well with both
acute and chronic cases. Furthermore, they indicate that it yields therapeutic result with
only a few treatments in chronic cases. Outside of Korea, Sa-Am’s acupuncture is known
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as Korean four needle technique, but unfortunately it was introduced as such without its
accompanying theories. (Kim, HK, 1989 & Kim, HG, 1999)

Although Gh’m Oh and Sa Oak differ in their diagnostic approach, their treatment
methods are similar. This interpretation of Sa-Am’s teaching by Gh’m Oh and Sa Oak is
made solely by the author and should by no means be construed as any form of
authorized synopsis of their teachings. Any possible misinterpretations or omissions are
purely the responsibility of the author.

2. The Main Characteristics of the Sa-Am Acupuncture

Sa-Am approached the emotional issue by defining the meridians as mind paths and the
pathways of consciousness and emotion. His treatments are focused on the root condition
of illness and constitutional imbalance (Kim, HK, 1989, 1994, 2001a, & 2001b).
Therefore, he emphasized that practitioners should approach the patient as a whole
person, regardless of what symptoms are present. He further defined that twelve
meridians carry six different qualities of Qi produced by the mind (Kim, HK, 1989, 1993,
& 1994). These meridians are Taiyin, Yangming, Shaoyin, Taiyang, Jueyin, and
Shaoyang. Theses are paired with the Six Qi, which are dampness, dryness, fire
(warmth), coolness, wind, and fire (lighting), respectively.

His approach is still consistent with TCM in that his method is based on the five
Elements and six Qi theories; this understanding is critical because the method utilizes
the five transport points to transfer Qi from one Organ to another along the sheng
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(generating) and ke (controlling) cycles. It is similar to five Elements constitutional
acupuncture, although emphasis is put on tonification and sedation of each meridian’s Qi.
The tonification or sedation points are determined by Yin and Yang, five Elements, hot
and cold, and excess and deficiency of a patient. The beauty of Sa-Am acupuncture lies
in its simplicity. In TCM one deals with 365 body points in addition to many empirical
extra points, and each point has specific curative effects. However, Sa-Am acupuncture
does not have specific acupuncture points for certain diseases. It uses five shu points:
jing or well, ying or spring, shu or stream, jing or river, and he or sea. All five shu points
are located below the elbows and knees and strong needling stimulation is required to
obtain a powerful healing effect (Kim, HK, 1989, 1994, Kim, HG, 1999, & Lee, BG,
2002).

However, Sa-Am’s method is left without a complete theory; it is not entirely clear to
every practitioner how one should actually apply Yin, Yang, the five Elements, and six
Qi in actual clinical practice and how to conceptualize the scheme where different
emotional conditions interact with these entities.

2.1. Five Elements and meridians

The theory of Yin-Yang and the five Elements is applied to the whole universe; therefore
it also constitutes the basis of Chinese medical theory. The various interactions among
the five Elements are used to explain the causes of the diseases as well as the signs and
symptoms associated with particular organs and afflictions (Maciocia, 1989).
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In the sequence of the generating cycle (sheng), a mother element generates its child
element. In this cycle, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal,
Metal generates Water, and Water, in turn, generates Wood to finish the cycle. A mother
element not only generates its child element but also keeps it in check through the
controlling cycle (ke) so that a proper balance is maintained between them. While
generating action is required for growth and development, controlling action is also
required for balance and coordination during development and change. Therefore,
generating and controlling are two inseparable but indispensable aspects of the five
Elements that must be exerted in a proper balance. This is known as the “Mother and
Son” relationship. When the balance is lost, the cycle is disrupted. One such situation is
seen when the controlling relationships are out of control and become excessive and the
mother element can suppress the growth of and weaken its child element through the
overacting sequence. On the other hand, insulting sequences affects the elements in the
opposite order, launching an attack when its grandmother element is weak. For example,
under normal conditions, Metal acts on wood. In the case of deficiency of Metal Qi, or
hyperactivity of Wood Qi, the Wood may counteract on Metal. It is stated on chapter 67
of Plain Questions: “When the Qi of a given element is in excess, it will overact on the
acted element and counteract on the acting element. When the Qi of a given element is in
deficiency, it will be attacked by the acting element and counteracted by the acted
element.” (Ni, 1995)

The physiological relationships among the internal organs are illustrated with a similar
cycle where one organ (mother) generates and controls another organ (child). For
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example, the Liver is both the mother of the Heart and the child of the Kidneys. Similar
pathological conditions among the elements described above can occur among the organs
in the body. The Sa-Am acupuncture therapy is based on the mutually generating,
controlling, overacting, and insulting relationships (Maciocia, 1989).

Figure 1. Generation and Control Cycle of Five Elements

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2.2. Six Qi and Twelve Meridians

The concept of Qi originated in China and its meaning differs according to the different
contexts, different philosophers, and different times in history. According to tradition,
everything is composed of Qi in one form or another; all movement involves Qi. There
have been many translations of the term by scholars and practitioners alike, all of which
pose difficulties. We commonly find translations such as “vital force,” “vital energy,”
“life force,” “energy,” “breath,” “spirits,” “air,” pneuma,” or “influences,” all of which
represent some specific aspect of the term, or a generalization of its concept, but rarely
both (Manaka, 1995). According to Manaka (1995), characterizing all these different
meanings and nuances with a single term or translation is difficult. Qi is expressed in
personality and in emotional context.
Xunzi was one of the most sophisticated and influential philosophers of China's Warring
States period (479–221 B.C.E.). Xunzi says: "Fire and water have Qi but do not have life.
Grasses and trees have life but do not have perceptivity. Fowl and beasts have
perceptivity but do not have yi (sense of right and wrong, duty, justice). Men have Qi,
life, perceptivity, and yi." This passage gives us some insight into his idea of Qi.
Chinese people at such an early time had no concept of radiant energy. But they were
aware that one can be heated by a campfire even though the air between camper and fire
is quite cold. Clearly, something is emitted by the fire and reaches the camper (Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Xunzi, 2007). The term Qi is used extensively in TCM.
Theories of TCM assert that the body has natural patterns of Qi that circulate in channels
called meridians in English (Lawson-Wood D. & Lawson-Wood J, 1964). Symptoms of
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