Hey, it's Nicholas! 👋

When you were in school, you probably learned about precautions and contraindications for acupuncture treatment -- basically, when NOT to needle.

But did you know that the Huang Di Nei Jing has its own set of prohibitions for acupuncture?

Let's talk about those...

In school, we usually learn there are certain situations when a patient should not be needled, or we should at least be cautious and not use too many points.

For example, Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion says:

In our clinic, we were also prohibited from giving a treatment if the patient's blood pressure was too high (>160).

But recently, while perusing the Nei Jing, I found a classical set of needling prohibitions...

(These prohibitions all come from chapter 9 of the Ling Shu, translated by Unschuld.)

Keep the Windows Closed

First, the Nei Jing says that acupuncture should be done in a calm location. The practitioner should concentrate and focus their spirit into the tip of the needle.

But it also says that you should keep the doors and windows closed. You don't want the patient's Hun and Po to fly away.

After this, it lists the "twelve prohibitions" (even though the number doesn't actually add up to twelve):

Sex and Alcohol

It starts by saying not to have sex before or after acupuncture. Also, don't get drunk immediately before or after acupuncture:

Overexertion

It also cautions against overexertion:

Eating and Drinking

You shouldn't be too full or too hungry. You shouldn't be too thirsty.

Extreme Emotions

Anger and fright can disrupt the qi. Wait until the patient is calm.

Sit and Rest

Before starting acupuncture, patients should sit and rest before treatment begins:

I'm not sure they had cars in the time of Huang Di. The Chinese characters are actually 乘車, which means more like, "arrive by vehicle or cart."

Also, a li is about 500 meters. So the "time required to walk for a distance of 10 li" is the time it takes to walk three miles.

Negative Consequences

So why do we have to follow these rules?

Well, many of the activities listed above can disrupt or dissipate the flow of qi. If you attempt to needle a patient in these situations, you may inadvertently spread the disease or strengthen the pathogen:

What about you?

So what about you? Do you follow these prohibitions?

Do you ask your patients if they had recently visited a woman's bedchamber before coming to treatment?

If they come by car, do you make them lie down for the amount of time it takes them to eat a meal?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the classics!

If you want to learn more fun facts about acupuncture, here's something else you might enjoy...

Get Fun CEUs! Are you an acupuncturist looking for fun and low-cost continuing education? Since so many people were enjoying the Daily Acupuncture Facts newsletter, I decided to make it into a continuing education course: 50 fun facts about commonly used acupuncture points, with illustrations and diagrams in each one. ​ Review quiz each week (not graded, just for fun). ​ Get one email every day and go through it at a leisurely pace, or read it all at once if you're in a hurry. ​ Approved for 10 NCCAOM PDA Points in the AOM-AC category. Enroll Now for $50! Learn More: ​

​

In the upcoming weeks, I'm going to be spending a bit of time on various chainsaw and fire mitigation projects, so things might be slower to come out.

(I like to get outside while it's warm. It's easier to slave away at a computer when it's cold and miserable outside.)

But I think it's the new semester for a lot of people, so good luck on your studies!

Nicholas

This is a weekly newsletter to let you know about the weekly updates like livestreams, office hours, and Q&A's. It's also a way to share whatever little TCM tidbit is on my mind. If you prefer not to receive this each week, you can unsubscribe from just the newsletter. You'll still receive major updates when new videos are added, you just won't get this newsletter.