Acupuncture treatment We Offer
Sakai Acupuncture is Japanese approach called TJM (Traditional Japanese Medicine).
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and TJM are slightly different although the origin is same in ancient China. To determine a diagnosis for a treatment, the practitioner does an assessment based on the traditional Eastern medicine method. In both TJM and TCM, the practitioner checks the patient’s pulse and tongue, but TJM also checks the trunk (abdomen and chest). We call this as “Hara (= the abdomen in Japanese) diagnosis” and this is one of the significant features of TJM. TJM considers treating the abdomen as very important.
In TJM, the practitioner treats the front side of the patient’s body first. This is “the root treatment” that treats meridians where the root of problem exits. Next, the practitioner treats the back. This is “the blanch treatment” to support and integrate the root treatment. For the branch treatment, the needles are usually retained 10~15 minutes. Another significant feature is that TJM uses thin needles with shallow insertion for gentle stimulation treatment.
Acupuncture Needles We Use
We do Japanese style acupuncture which uses needles that are thinner than typical acupuncture needles used in the US. For treating certain conditions, we use special needles that are imported from Japan.
All needles are high quality, newly wrapped, pre-sterilized and disposable.
We don’t charge for needles being used for a treatment.
Moxa Treatment We Offer
Sakai acupuncture uses varieties of moxa in the treatment based on the patient’s body condition. The word moxa comes from Japanese word “mogusa (=mugwort)”. In Japanese, moxa treatment is called “kyu”. However, “moxa” and “kyu” have the same meaning.
We use:
- stick moxa is indirect moxa→ there are two types of stick moxa: moxa leaf only, or combined with other herbs, and carbonized (smokeless moxa). It is applied to the skin and is used for chronic symptoms due to poor blood circulation, such as pain, fatigue, feeling cold.
- Chinetu-kyu is indirect moxa → a loose-rolled moxa ball is applied on the skin and burned. As the patient feels warmer, it is removed, so it does not create a burn on the skin. It is used for acute or chronic inflammation, or removing extra heat in the body.
- Kyutou-shin is indirect moxa → a small charcoaled moxa ia placed on the stem of the needle and burned. Due to radiant heat, it warms up not only the surface but the deep layer of the muscle. It is used for a hard knot on the muscle, chronic inflammation in a joint such as frozen shoulder or knee pain. Sometimes it is used for acute inflammation. Also it is used to warm up the deep inside of the body to enhance the energy.
- Jika-kyu is direct moxa → a thin, small and loosely rolled moxa cone is placed on the skin directly and burned. First, an ointment is put on the skin to prevent a burn. Next, the first cone is put on the skin and starts to burn, but the first cone’s fire is put out just before it reaches to the skin. And then, the practitioner puts another cone on the first one’s ashes and burns it. The practitioner uses her finger to control the heat and prevent the burn. Also, the ashes and the ointment work as buffers against the burn. Thus, although moxa is completely burnt out from the second cone, there is no burn on the skin. It is used for weak conditions.
Moxa
We use two types of moxa. One is a leafy pulp and the other is charcoal. We import the high quality leafy pulp from Japan.
Massage
We offer Japanese traditional massage called Shiatsu (=finger pressure). It is similar to Deep Tissue massage, but different. Pressure is applied vertically on the body using the thumb. There are no kneading or cutting movements. Pressure is maintained on the muscle layer for a while, but not for very long. A massage tempo is rhythmical, but relaxing speed..
Pressure is going into muscle layers directly so that it is able to reach to the deep inside. Also, there is less friction between the fascia and the skin, so there is less pain than in Deep Tissue massage.
We also use a moxa roller which is a metal roller with heated moxa stick inside. With the moxa roller, we are able to apply heat at the same time that we massage.
