Japanese Acupuncture Techniques - Manaka's Wooden Hammer

Japanese Theory

Japanese Acupuncture Techniques - Manaka's Wooden Hammer

Dr. Yoshio Manaka's wooden hammer is an adjunctive Japanese Acupuncture technique. The information presented below discusses basic theory behind the technique, guidelines for applying the technique and examples of clinical use. Some of the techniques listed here require significant amounts of training to be performed correctly and should only be performed by practitioners who have been trained properly.

  • General Information:
  • Daishin = hammer needling
  • Shindo Hiketsushu, 16th century practioner, wrote Mubunsai a text describing a method where all 365 points on the body were located in the abdomen
  • He used a hammer made of ebony and gold needle with a blunt end for treating all disorders of the body
  • General Technique:
  • Palpate abdomen for indurations a/or hard areas
  • You may also treat the back by finding the area of pain and using the opposite point on the abdomen
  • Decide whether the induration is deep, near the middle or on the surface
  • Place the needle on the point at the depth of the induration
  • Hold it between the index and middle fingers with thumb supporting
  • Tap the needle the prescribed number of times (generally in sets of 18, using the patients pulse or the following metronome frequencies as a pattern
Yang Channel Rate Yin Channel Rate
GV 104 CV 104
GB 120 LV 108
SI 120 HT 126
TH 152 PC 176
ST 132 SP 132
LI 108 LU 126
UB 112 KD 120
  • Specific Techniques:
  • Dr. Ken Shiroda's Whole Body Treatment w/Hammer:
  • Useful if the abdomen is cold in the Kidney area below the navel a/or the patient has cold a/or deficient signs
  • This is many times caused by an excess in the subcostal area
  • Palpate around CV 12
  • Locate the most tender point
  • Place the needle and according to the patient's pulse, tap 18 times
  • If no change, apply moxa to KD 1 (Okyu, Chinetsukyu or Ibuki)
  • General Whole Body Treatment
  • For each area find the most tender points and tap 18 times
  • With patient supine, palpate the base of the occiput at the most tender point
  • With patient supine, palpate for pressure pain at the Huatuojiaji points, then the inner and outer UB meridian respetively
  • With patient prone, palpate the rib cage including the lower border of the sternum
  • Palpate around the pubic symphysis area - esp. for gait issues, sciatica
  • Palpate down each of the large muscles of the legs
  • Tap each jing well point on the fingers and toes
  • Knee Pain (sets of 18)
  • Palpate around the knee, selecting and treating the sorest points
  • Can also just treat in a circle around the knee
  • Headaches (sets of 18, according to pulse or channel frequencies)
  • LV Yang/Counterflow Qi Type - UB 60 & LI 4
  • Frontal Type - UB 10, GB 20, GV 23, GV 20, LI 4, LV 2
  • Unilateral or Migraine Type
  • GB Channel Related (channel reactivity) - GB 20, UB 10 & points along the GB channel
  • LV Channel Related (subcostal/channel reactivity) - LV 3, LV 4, UB 18, PC 6
  • Respiratory Issues (sets of 18, according to pulse or channel frequencies)
  • Early stages of a cold - UB 12, GB 20, GV 16, LU 5 a/or LI 4
  • Asthma (esp. in children) - GV 12, GV 4 - for adults you can add Dingchuan a/or LU 7
  • Acute Asthma Attack - CV 22, KD 25, KD 26, KD 27
  • Nasal Issues (sets of 18, according to pulse or channel frequencies
  • Rhinitis - GV 20, GV 23, GB 20, UB 12, ST 36, LI 10, LI 4

Sources and More Information

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were used within this section:

  • Iuliano, Diane: New England School of Acupuncture, Extraordinary Vessel Techniques Lecture Notes
  • Kuwahara, Koei: New England School of Acupuncture, Advanced Japanese Techniques Lecture Notes

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