Expert: John R. Cross - 1/30/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I'm a shiatsu practitioner and one receiver of mine is actually suffering of anorexia. Would you have an experience with that kind of disease ? Do you think that shiatsu can really help that kind of patient? Any advice ?I already gave her a first shiatsu which seem to have increased her moral. I mainly worked on the Spleen, Liver and Kidney which were unbalanced and applied moxa on GV 4, CV 12, L9. I worked as well on the back Shen/Zhy tsubos  to clarify the Heart Shen which is disturbed. What do you think of it ?
Best regards

ANSWER: There are many causes of anorexia and each patient/client should be treated individually i.e. there isn't just one approach. Acupressure/Shiatsu is an excellent form of therapy for it. The vast majority of these cases are mental/emotional in etiology so it is very important to tonify Kidney energy either at one of the medial aspect of heel points (KI 3 is the best) or, what I do, is to tonify the kidney and ancestral energy by stimulating the anterior aspect of the Base chakra at CV 2. Your client can do this as self help also. The other very important thing to do is to balance the Shen - I find that CV 17 is the best point for that - once again the client can use this in self help.

Further to the Kidney and Shen points, PC 6 and ST 36 are very important points to use in each session. Your points GV 4, CV 12 are fine but I would advise to use them with the ones I've suggested. All the best with treating this lady and please write again if you have any further queries. - John

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QUESTION: Hello John and thank you very much for your advises,
I gave shiatsu three times to this lady sufferinf of anorexy and it seems that she's reacting positively. During the second session, I used the points PC 6, CV 17, CV 2,K 3 and Sp 3 and 4 with finger pressure and applied GV 4, CV 12, K 1, ST 36 and Kikai tanden with moxa. I applied pressure all along Yin Wei Mai extraordinary vessel as well, stopping carefully to significant points. During the 3rd one I used the same points but pressed all along Chong Mai vessel and all the back "shen linked" point with finger pressure.
That lady feels much better now, she has a better energy level and a more positive vision of the future as well, she has a good will to recover a safe weight that we fixed together at 48 kilos ( she's 39 now, her BMI is quite low (13.33)), it's a first step naturally, we shall do another evaluation at that time. She recovered the curiosity to taste different types of food but when she's in front of it, something is still impair her to eat. Would you know some points which would help her gaining appetite? It's something like a will to eat with an impairment to swell off. Her physician said to her mother that "anorexia is no longer there considering her good moral,the only point is now to make her gaining some weight." I'm a little skeptical about that simple conclusion... Specially considering that he doesn't provide her any treatment..."Let just wait and see". Can we consider that anorexia disappeared just when the depression seems an old story? There's still an obvious mental blockage which impair her to eat even a bit more quantity of food, it's what I'm observing.
During the following sessions I was thinking to use Sp 1, ST 21, VC 12, VC4, and VC2 in moxa. Afterward during another session, to use BL 42 - 44 - 47 - 49 - 52 in moxa, to help stimulate the different souls of the organs. What do you think about it ?
Do you think that I can show her how to make moxa on K 3, CV 2 and 17 ? ( and to give her a moxa for self treatment ?
Thank you
Kind regards


ANSWER: Sorry to be so late in reply, I have been away from home for a few days. All the points you suggest along with the self help and moxa points are excellent - you are obviously very experienced. The only thing I can suggest that you use to help stimulate the appetite is the 'stomach' point in the ear. The best way to use it would be to ask the client to stimulate the point 4 times a day with the little finger or a baby bud. You can also tape a small needle or magnet to the point. Let me know how you get on. - John

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QUESTION: Thank you John,
In fact I didn't have the occasion to apply your last advises... The mother of that lady followed my advice and met a psychiatrist, as I thought it was not ethical nor serious to be the only therapist to follow her daughter. Then she told me it was too expensive to follow the two therapies at the same time and that she would come back later. Nevertheless they both are very grateful regarding the shiatsu job we made together. So, it's positive.
Nowadays I have two sensible cases, young women at their 30's. One has a severe scoliosis eversince she's 6 year's old. She's been operated several times and her spine is in really poor state. I'm wandering if the back shu points still can be useful to treat. What do you think ? She has a lot of psychological disorders related with the corporeal and ethereal souls ( at least). I kindly treated the back shu points, and Bladder external points as well. Do you have any good idea of treatment for that lady ?
The other one has myopathy type III, All diagnosis points of the Gall Bladder are so sensitives that I'm thinking to press the complete meridian and the yin and yang qiao mai curious vessels for their mobility and body balance aspect. Would you have any other idea ?
Thank you
Kind regards

Answer
Hello again, good to hear from you.

**The lady with the scoliosis**

It is very unusual for scoliosis to start at 6 - you are either born with it as a congenital condition or you acquire it at puberty, around 12-14 in the idiopathic form. I would imagine she has strong mental/emotional imbalance from that age that caused it. As well as the back shu points that treat it locally and stimulate the Bladder, you MUST treat the Kidney energy. The best points would be KID 3 and KID 7, but working the whole length of the kidney meridian will help a lot - also LU 7 to help the chest.

**Myopathy lady**

All you can do with this condition is to balance the patient's energies as well as you can to aid the healing process. Try and do some balancing work around the Sheng Cycle - starting with the Yang cycle and then do the Yin cycle. She will be very tired afterwards but should improve her general energies. If there are a couple of acupoints that won't balance, that is an indication of poor energy in the organ. You can concentrate on this afterwards.

Hope this helps - John