An Interview with Zhiyun Bo, Inventor of Abdominal Acupuncture (Fu Zhen)
What is abdominal acupuncture?
Q: So firstly Dr Bo, what is abdominal acupuncture?
A: Abdominal acupuncture is a new form of acupuncture in Chinese medicine. It involves the application of needles according to the Abdominal Meridian System (AMS), as introduced by myself. It is therefore known as ‘Bo’s Method of Abdominal Acupuncture’ (BMAA), 薄氏腹针疗法.
How does it differ from other forms of acupuncture?
Q: How different is it from other forms of acupuncture?
A: It is built upon a combination of existing TCM theories as well as new concepts as devised by me. It is a safer form of acupuncture due to the superficial penetration of the needles — much shallower than conventional techniques and so less painful, as the ‘de Qi’ sensation is not elicited in the usual way, which patients often find uncomfortable.
How widely is it practised?
Q: Is abdominal acupuncture widely practised in China?
A: Yes. Healthcare establishments using it include the Zhong Ri hospital in Beijing, Guang Dong Sheng hospital, Jiang Su Sheng hospital, Zhe Jiang Sheng hospital and Nanjing Shi hospital. It is also used outside China, in countries such as Italy and Greece, with excellent results. A number of studies have proven abdominal acupuncture’s success, with plans to launch more in the future.
What disorders can it treat?
Q: What disorders can it treat?
A: There are many:
- Osteo-muscular-articular disorders: stiff neck, cervical-dorsum-lumbar-spondylopathy, scapulohumeral periarthritis, tendinitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar pain with sciatica, cervical spondylotic syndrome and arthrosis.
- Cerebrovascular disorders: thrombosis hemiplegia, senile dementia, cerebral arteriosclerosis, angiocardiopathy, hypertension, hysteria, cerebral haemorrhage and atrophy of the cerebellum.
- Disturbances of the nervous system: anxiety, depression, headaches, neuritis and dizziness.
- Ocular disturbances: atrophy and retrobulbar neuritis, degeneration of the retina, optic atrophy, cataract and glaucoma.
- Other: Parkinson’s disease and diabetic neuritis.
When is it contraindicated?
Q: When is it contraindicated?
A: You cannot practise abdominal acupuncture on pregnant patients. It is also contraindicated in acute abdominal disorders such as peritonitis and in cases when varicomphalus induces splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. In instances of a malignant celiac tumour, abdominal acupuncture should also not be administered.
Discovery of the technique
Q: When did you discover this new technique?
A: About two decades ago I came across a resistant case of low back pain with sciatica. Both Western and Chinese medical techniques failed to help the patient. I decided to apply needles at the acupoints Qihai (Ren 6) and Guānyán (Ren 4), which are part of the Abdominal Meridian System (AMS) and have a connection with the meridian of the lumbar regions. The pain disappeared within 5 minutes. This was followed by further successes using the same treatment strategy. I then dedicated my time to the further understanding of AMS. Following decades of research, in 1991 I perfected the AMS theory and established the present protocols for the clinical practice of BMAA.
Characteristics and mechanisms
Q: What are the characteristics and mechanisms of abdominal acupuncture that make it so unique?
A: Acupuncture needles are applied to the AMS, with the acupoint Shénquè (神阙) at its centre. Varying the degree of penetration depth can dramatically alter the therapeutic outcome. Four main criteria were established:
- The acupoint Shénquè at the embryological stage has formed the cornerstone of all the macroscopic regulation of the body.
- It forms the mother-system of all the meridians in the body, known as the Shénquè system (神阙调控系统) or “AMS”.
- The Shénquè system is also responsible for the Qi communication between the meridians, the auto-regulation of blood vessels and the body’s circulation.
- It also acts as the core centre of the meridian system.
The Abdominal Meridian System (AMS)
Q: What is the Abdominal Meridian System?
A: The AMS is a network of meridian acupoints governed by the Shénquè system. The system regulates the distribution of Qi and Blood to the whole body. By puncturing specific acupoints on the abdomen, the Shénquè system can be employed to correct disharmonies and achieve a holistic balance.
There are three different levels of puncturing depth (unlike the standard levels of Heaven, Man and Earth used in the Jing Luo system), each used to treat various disorders with its own functional mechanism and therapeutic effect.
The three levels
The superficial level is located on the congenital AMS, which develops together with the embryo and involves the areas of the head, torso and the upper and lower limbs. The congenital AMS location is represented by the map of a tortoise.
The intermediate level is located on the standard classical meridian system known as the Jing Luo (经络系统). This system involves the connection between the superficial congenital AMS and the deeper acquired AMS.
The deep level is located on the acquired AMS, which develops together with organogenesis and involves all the visceral organs. The location of the acquired AMS is represented by the Ba Gua (八卦).
The distinction between the various levels is based on practical clinical and therapeutic effect. Different aetiology intervenes on different levels of each system. The location of the disease changes according to the course of the pathology, its duration, or directly according to the effect of therapy — and therefore changes the functional level of the system.
Acupoints used
Q: What acupoints do you puncture when using the BMAA system?
A: We use a variety of acupoints located on the abdomen. They include points on the Ren, Stomach and Kidney meridians as well as new points on the new system, which I discovered during my twenty years of research.
Clinical evidence
Q: Can you give an example of evidence for clinical effectiveness?
A: A study examined the effects of abdominal acupuncture against electro-acupuncture in 98 cases of a prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc. There were 57 males and 41 females, aged 20 to 41+, with disorder duration of 1 month to over 1 year. Of these, 50 were assigned to abdominal acupuncture and 48 to electro-acupuncture.
| Technique | Patients | Completely effective | Significantly effective | Slightly effective | Not effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal acupuncture | 50 | 20 (40%) | 24 (48%) | 6 (12%) | 0 (0%) |
| Electro-acupuncture | 48 | 14 (29.2%) | 20 (41.7%) | 10 (20.8%) | 4 (9.3%) |
Books and further reading
Q: Have you written any books on abdominal acupuncture?
A: Yes, I have written two comprehensive books on this new technique as well as books on the Shénquè theory. At the moment the abdominal acupuncture books are available in two languages, Chinese and Italian; English and Korean versions are in the pipeline.
References
- Bo, Z. (1993). ‘The importance of the acupoints Shénquè in the study of Abdominal Acupuncture’, Journal of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine, 4: p13–14.
- Bo, Z. (1999). Abdominal Acupuncture Vol 1. Beijing: Chinese Science Technology Publishing Press.
- Guo, F., Ma, L., Gong, L. & Zhang, H. (2003). ‘50 Cases of Prolapsed Lumbar Intervertebral Disc using Abdominal Acupuncture’, Journal of Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 23, p145.
