The arts of Taijiquan and Acupuncture (Zhen Jiu) are precious cultural treasures from China’s ancient civilization. Both are unique in their medical benefits. Since ancient times, martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine have been closely tied together. Both have their own specific applications but are still mutually compatible.
For the past few years, during the treatment of patients with acupuncture, Dr. Mei has been able to use the internal energy (Qi) from his hands, which is produced during the practice of Taijiquan, to be issued through the needle and into the patient’s body. This kind of practice can consequently increase the beneficial results of acupuncture.
Taijiquan is an exercise for circulating internal energy under the control of the brain (mind). During the practice of Taijiquan, the nervous system will act on the blood and internal energy to flow into the hands producing various sensations such as swelling, numbness, and heat. This phenomena occurs due to the existence of six acupuncture meridians reaching into the hands where they divide into the fingers. The following is a list of meridian/finger associations: the hand Tai Yin Lung meridian is associated with the thumb; the hand Yang Ming Large Intestine meridian is associated with the index finger; the hand Jue Yin Pericardium meridian is associated with the middle finger; the hand Shao Yang Triple Warmer meridian is associated with the ring finger; and the hand Shao Yin Heart and Small Intestine meridian is associated with the little finger. The circulation of internal energy into the two hands have an important function in regards to both medicine and martial arts. Historically, Taijiquan masters have paid strict attention to the flow of internal energy.
During the practice of Taijiquan, there are people who can easily produce the movement of internal energy into the hands. This "Qi" is a biological substance proven to exist through scientific research conducted in China. This internal energy can be concentrated inside the body and/or released outside of the body. Acupuncture doctors who practice the art of Taijiquan should perform the method of "using the mind to lead the Qi", and then release this internal energy into the hand holding the acupuncture needle. This energy can in turn be issued into the needle where it will flow into the patient’s meridian. This will greatly increase the effects of needle stimulation and will open the meridian channels and regulate the flow of internal energy in the patient’s body.
Dr. Mei has been practicing and researching Yang style Taijiquan for many years and as the years have passed, he has developed a relatively high concentration of internal energy throughout his body. For the past few years, during treatment with acupuncture on patients, he has been able to use the mind to lead the internal energy into the needle. Because of this phenomena the patient is able to receive a much more apparent needling sensation than without the release of internal energy into the needle. During the past few years, medical research has proven that "Taiji/Acupuncture" has greater healing benefits than just acupuncture treatment alone. The following are two typical case studies describing the effects:
Wang Feng Qin, a 27 year old female, is a factory worker in the city of Leshan, Si Chuan Province. On the morning of October 25, 1985, one side of her face became paralyzed. Doctors diagnosed her as having facial paralysis. She entered the hospital and was treated with acupuncture stimulation by several experienced doctors at the same time. The treatment was supplemented with electro-magnetic pulses to the affected area for 83 days. Except for regaining slight feeling in her tongue, there was no marked improvement in her situation. In January 1986, Ms. Wang was released from the hospital without any hope of recovering from the paralysis. On March 14, 1986, Ms. Wang came to Dr. Mei for acupuncture treatment. Upon examining the patient, he observed the following symptoms: The side of the mouth was stretched to the left; the nose was angled up to the left; movement on the left side of the face was restricted; spoken words were unclear; the right eye could not close (while asleep the right eye was covered with a biosynthetic cloth to moisturize and protect the eye), and the muscular strength on the right side of the face was deteriorating. Dr. Mei applied method of "Taiji/Acupuncture" to the patient. After the first treatment of 15 days the patient showed some recovery; by the end of the second 15 days of treatment, the patient recovered almost all feeling and movement in the affected areas on the face.
Tian Ze Min, a 34 year old male, is an agriculture professor from the city of Leshan. The patient was diagnosed with facial paralysis and was treated with electro-acupunture techniques for one month. No noticeable recovery was observed. The doctors then referred the patient to the provincial hospital in the city of Cheng Du for treatment. Due to the economic situation of the patient, he decided to be treated by Dr. Mei in town rather than enter the provincial hospital. After two treatments, the patient was completely cured of the paralysis.
Dr. Mei recognizes that the skill level of doctors in acupuncture departments of large hospitals is very advanced; however, even though the same acupuncture points were used by both the doctors in the hospital and Dr. Mei, the recovery of the patients was quite different. For the most part, the sooner one is treated for paralysis, the better the chance of recovery. Although the patient in the first example was immediately treated with acupuncture and the most advanced medical technology, she was still left without any improvement in her condition. Through the treatment of combining Taijiquan and acupuncture remarkable results have arisen. Even though the patients in the above examples went to relatively large medical facilities, they were still unable to be cured even with the most advanced technology in the field of acupuncture; however, the method of "Taiji/Acupuncture" as described above has been able to help numerous patients recover from various illnesses on a more constant and quicker basis.