Finding Effective Acupuncture Points

Shudo Denmei

translated by Stephen Brown

There are many books about acupuncture points, but what is lacking are descriptions by expert practitioners of how they themselves actually go about selecting, finding, and using the points. This type of book would allow the reader to "peer over the shoulder" of the expert to find out what they really do in the clinic.

Finding Effective Acupuncture Points does just that. Shudo Denmei, author of Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy, and a leader of the meridian therapy movement in Japan, has selected about 160 of his favorite points, the ones he actually uses in the clinic. Here he describes in specific detail how to use palpation to find each of the points on the body, and to determine whether or not they are "active." Then he identifies the particular conditions for which each point is best suited, rather than merely reciting a laundry list of all possible indications.

With insightful stories about his own discovery and use of the points in a practice that has spanned nearly five decades, this master teacher brings each of the points to life for other acupuncturists. The book is organized by body region, which makes it especially convenient for finding appropriate points on particular parts of the body. There are also over 90 drawings which illustrate the locations of the points in relation to anatomical landmarks and other points and channels.

This is a book that belongs in the pocket of every practitioner, where it will become a well-thumbed treasure.

REVIEWS

"Shudo writes in a very humane and open style, which is a pleasure to read. The book is an intimate and friendly read, as if he is there with you, chatting away. ... This book is his legacy, and is a magnificent contribution to our understanding of acupuncture and the nature of point location."
—Journal of Chinese Medicine

"Shudo Denmei has done it again! He has written a book that is easy to read, easy to understand, packed full of information, and clinically invaluable . . . His work has been, and continues to be, seminal. His clarity, honesty, and openness are refreshing and invigorating."
—Stephen Birch, Foreword

CONTENTS