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Chronobiology and time-dependent effectiveness of acupuncture
Abstract
The fundamental recognition of chronobiology is that the temporal organisation of life processes has a rhythmic structure. This knowledge can be made use of in acupuncture therapy to optimise the effect. Whereas our Western concept of time represents a linear way of thinking, the Chinese concept is based on a cycle of natural seasonal changes and on the regular movements of the heavenly bodies; it is an embodiment of cyclical thinking. The impermanent and individual rhythms of life are linked to each other by ubiquitous fundamental rhythms. The organisational structures describing the rhythms are the equilibrium of motion yin/ yang, the rhythmic descriptions of the heavenly bodies and the allocation of a rhythmic pattern characterised by the heavenly stems and the earthly branches. Heavenly stems and earthly branches are the supporting framework for the energy phases. The concept of energy phases is a system which describes the changes in the constellation of energies at different periods of time. Since the flow of qi and xue through the channels is not constant but is rather of a rhythmic character, certain acupuncture points are more accessible and responsive at certain times and the ability to influence the circulation of energy via these particular acupuncture points is greater at these times.
In this article, written by Han Jianshan, son and student of Han Shaokang, a reputed acupuncture physician from southern China, the author first of all describes the origins of traditional acupuncture with the filiform needle (haozhen). He then goes on to summarise the prerequisites for successful therapy using this method. Here he does not concentrate only on the theoretical aspects but also looks at the necessary practical abilities that the therapist has to have, above all at the art of "monitoring the qi" (houqi) under the needle. Finally, he illustrates what he has previously explained with four practical case reports with different disorders. In each case the author examines the symptoms, the symptom pattern and the pathological mechanism and describes in detail the acupuncture techniques used. In all four cases the patients were prescribed Chinese herb formulas to supplement the acupuncture therapy and the compositions of these are also given.
In this article the author shares the experience he has acquired in over 40 years of clinical practice with regard to the point of time at which acupuncture is administered, and he also draws support for his observations from the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic" (Huangdi Neijing). He examines the influence of the year, the month, the day, the hour and the waxing and waning phases of nature's yin and yang on the circulation of the qiandxue in thehumanbodyand emphasizes the necessity of monitoring the qi (houqi) during acupuncture treatment while paying attention to the major role that defensive energy [qi defensivum, weiqi) has to play. He then goes on to describe a number of methods for calculating the acupoints opened, and thus effective, during the treatment; these include i.a. "The eightfold method of the numinous tortoise" (linggui bafa) and the "Method of streaming according to zi and wu" (ziwu liuzhufa). He gives information about the needling depth depending on the time when therapy is performed and about time-dependent contra-indications. The article concludes with a case study to illustrate the explanations.
The article describes the principles of the astronomical and historical chronology, the prerequisites for the formation of a calendar and the main differences between the Gregorian and the Chinese calendar. Moreover, it explains the concept of the heavenly stems (tiangan) and earthly branches (dizhi) and its application in acupuncture therapy by including the constitutional acupuncture points (foramina) and the open acupuncture points (foramina).