The Japanese Acupuncture Difference

Around 10 years ago, I did some additional training in Japanese Acupuncture or Japanese Meridian Therapy (JMT). It really was practise changing. The thing I absolutely love about JMT is that it is a conversation between my hands and your body. Another benefit is that it is gentle and perfect for people that don’t like needles.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) relies heavily on your description of what it going on. We use the pulse and tongue to clarify what you have reported, and then choose the points.

JMT is quite different as it relies heavily on palpation (touch) and observation of the colour and temperature of different areas of the body.

JMT is a very technique driven practise. We spent hours during training mastering basic techniques. So much information about your technique can be picked up from how the clients pulse is feeling whilst you are needling.

The ‘Root Treatment’ is an important aspect of a JMT treatment, aiming to balance the underlying energetic cause of the symptoms you are suffering from. The root treatment usually involves 3-5 points, each treated for a few breaths. Each time a point is treated, the pulse is taken to make sure that the treatment has had the desired effect. Once the pulse is balanced, I move to the next stage of treatment.

My treatments are usually a fusion of both TCM and JMT techniques, including non-insertion needling, inserted needling, cupping, gua sha, moxa and polarity therapy. More on those techniques later in the blog.