Day 71:Ryodoraku Acupuncture
Japanese physician, Yoshio Nakatani ‘discovered’ Ryodoraku in 1950. Dr. Nakatani was born in 1923. Ryodoraku means “good electro-conductive meridian”. He checked the electro-permeability of a patient’s skin who had severe edema due to chronic nephrosis, a kidney disease. In this case, some of the points on this patient’s back had a higher than normal electric permeability and they were arranged like the classic kidney meridian. But, Ryodoraku doesn’t always coincide with the classic meridians. It has its’ own chart, and is easily understood by doctors not familiar with Eastern medicine. You can determine the excitation and permeability by measuring the points on the patient’s wrists and feet and then know the condition of the energetics of the 12 meridians. This is what the Acugraph does. It has been practiced that one point can be chosen and needled with electricity added. The treatment can be short and efficient. Typically, acupuncturists here in the Western world, don’t practice a one point treatment.
The oldest medical book of Japan is called Ishinpo where acupuncture is described. This was in 984 by Dr. Tanba Yasuyori. Most of the acupuncture techniques came from the Edo period; 1603–1867. Traditional Chinese medicine was called Kampo and included acupuncture (remember I said in an earlier writing that it was the herbs that made the Chinese Medicine, not the acupuncture). Many of the Ryodoraku lines correspond to the traditional acupuncture theory. When Japan adopted Western medicine in 1868, the government dropped acupuncture and TCM from it’s medical teachings.
Ryodoraku therapy uses electro-stimulation based on these concepts. There is a wide amount of research in autonomic nerve regulatory therapies, which this follows. For every action, there is a reaction, and so, too, here. When a stimulus is applied to the body, a reaction occurs somewhere in the body by passing along the different areas of the nervous system. The ANS — autonomic nervous system — regulates many areas of our body — organs, digestive juices, circulatory, metabolism, and much more. It is quite an important part of our being because of what it does for us.
This is a bit of a complex system to explain, but I at least wanted to introduce you to the idea and concepts of Ryodoraku. Maybe at a later date, I will go deeper into it because it is different than the Traditional Chinese Acupuncture I talked about, prior. Just know that it was based on Chinese acupuncture that was first introduced to Japan. But as I am learning, every culture or country develops acupuncture and Eastern medicine to fit their own specific needs and thinking. That to me is the beauty of it all. Similar theories, just different ways to get there.
