​

Aha! Moments – Taking Us Forward and Backward
 

Listen, and you will hear it – a chorus of Ahas! emanating from NAJOM’s 93rd issue. Seventeen contributors share with us their eureka moments – moments of discovery, inspiration, and insight; each one a “revelation” that has “suddenly” altered the trajectory of the writer’s life’s work. Of course, we know that these moments of insight are the culmination of long years, even decades of Zen-like clinical observation and practice. And thus, each of these fascinating accounts is also a valuable reservoir of theory and clinical detail.

But in the process of bringing together these A-ha! moments, another Aha! moment has arisen. For, as we read through these many apparently separate and individual accounts, we begin to see threads that connect one to another. We can see how all of these Aha! moments, in unison, are refining, even redefining our profession. And how, all the while, they are also drawing us closer to old truths.

As we might expect, Junji Mizutani’s Aha! moment, or moments really, are about moxibustion. It is possible to think he has applied more rice-grain-sized moxa cones than anyone else in the world. In his own words: he’s been practicing moxibustion for 41 years, and now administers up to 200 cones per patient. We know he works 6-7 days a week. We can safely estimate he has sculpted, set fire to, and extinguished hundreds of thousands of tiny okyu. And yet he is still trying to figure out why it works. Never averse to bringing together Eastern and Western perspectives, in this issue he shares scientific developments that help explain the mechanisms of moxibustion, as well as other “medicines,” ranging from acupuncture to pharmaceuticals. New and noteworthy among these discoveries are transient receptor potential ion channels (TRPVs). On this subject, Mizutani echoes Merlin Young who, in our last issue, announced the release of his updated book, The Moon Over Matsushima: Insights into Moxa and Mugwort, first published in 2012. A long and key chapter of his heftier 2024 edition is in good part dedicated to a detailed explanation of TRPVs, tiny channels on tiny cells that carry vital information from the distal parts of our bodies to the nervous system and brain. As both of our moxa experts tell us, significant therapeutic changes can be induced with just the right quality and quantity of a stimulus – and, almost always, less is more.

This is also the principle behind NishiyamaAkihiro’s novel exploration of “non-contact acupuncture.” His clear and simple explanation is one that any of us can try, immediately. Less is more (of just the right stimulus) is also key to sotai, a branch of TJM bodywork that has been undergoing a revival in and out of Japan, and is the subject of three articles this issue. Iwaoka Hiroshi’s innovation of an already innovative approach combines sotai movements with shiatsu pressure. He lays out how his myo-fascial method might help prevent such cataclysmic events as myocardial infarction by addressing muscle tension in the upper left back. Komatsu Hiroaki presents three recent “re-conceptions” in his engaging Sotai Intuitivo series. And Jeffrey Dann writes of a particular case in which he completely reverses a key sotai principle (“treat in the direction of ease”) to fascinating effect.

Ultimately, our contributors fuse what appears to be new and profound with what is comfortingly old and obvious. Mark Petruzzi writes, “Often when someone is yelling, the best way to be heard is to speak softly” (applicable to far more than acupuncture). Lauren Haythe reminds us “why we don’t throw a bunch of needles into the painful area.” Takahashi Daiki says, when our patient isn’t getting better, we must go back to the basics. Yes! says Peter Eckman: “Don’t disregard the classics, but don’t be afraid of reinterpreting what they say.”

As it turns out, NAJOM 93 is an important issue, with every article – along with the thoughtful summaries of last spring’s member survey provided by Bob Quinn and Jeffrey Dann – worth reading and re-reading. For now, we give the last word to Tanida Yasuhiro, whose Aha! moment is that acupuncture training must better equip us to handle emergencies. There do seem to be a lot of emergencies in the world around us these days. Tanida suggests our first response should be to stay calm. Then we can proceed: to apply just the right stimulus.

Just the Right Stimulus just so happens be the theme of our next issue. Our NAJOM 94 deadline is May 1, 2025 (but submit your proposals soon, and don’t wait for the deadline to submit your completed article). What are we stimulating? How much is enough and when do we know that? What are the basics, and how do they compare with trends in research, tools, and techniques?

Thanks to all of you who help with planning, writing, translating, graphics, proofreading, financing, handling communications and technical matters, and for taking the time to read what your very thoughtful colleagues have to say: it all helps keep the world spinning on its axis.

Best wishes,
Cheryl Coull, NAJOM editor