Throughout history, the two primary methods of acupoint stimulation have been moxibustion, the burning of the herb artemesia vulgaris at the acupoint, or the insertion of acupuncture needles.
One of the most memorable experiences in my acupuncture career involves a class I was teaching some years ago. Commenting on the birthrate in Mao Tse Tung's People's Republic of China, I noted that in the mid-1960s, Chairman Mao issued an edict proclaiming no married couple could have more than one child. This was an attempt to keep the population of China at one billion or less by the year 2000. The latest estimates I have seen of China's population is 1.4 billion. Even though it was a noble attempt, it didn't quite work. However, it is hard to imagine what the population would have been had this edict not been put forth.
If a woman in China is pregnant with a second child, or in numerous cases, if the couple knows the first pregnancy is a girl, the couple will go to the medical clinic for an abortion. One common method of abortion is simply to use strong acupuncture point stimulation of San Yin Chiao (SP6) in conjunction with He Gu (LI4). The abortion is generally realized within 24 hours.
After relating this information to the class, a doctor in the class suddenly became pasty white and began to experience dry heaves. He ran outside, and through the closed doors, I could hear him become violently ill. During the class break, I found the doctor in the hall with his head in his hands sobbing uncontrollably. The doctor stated that he and his wife had been married for 12 years, and with both he and his wife having come from large families, they were excited about having their own. They both wanted a houseful of kids.
As the doctor continued, he told me his wife had been pregnant seven different times over their 12-year marriage. Each time she became pregnant, shortly into the pregnancy, she would miscarry. She had sought the help of numerous specialists to no avail. She had no problem in becoming pregnant, but could never take the fetus to term.
The doctor was distraught about the "abortion" points. To boost her immune system and provide the best possible health for his wife's pregnancies, he had stimulated SP6 and LI4 each time she was carrying. He was sick to think he may have inadvertently caused the abortion of the fetuses.
The story ends on a happy note. At last report, the couple have three children. They named the first child, a girl, Johnna (after me)!
Take appropriate caution concerning the following list of forbidden acupoints. Disobeying the rules can be quite costly.
| Point --Stimulation | Point --Stimulation |
| LU 11 Moxa LU 10 Moxa LI 4 Needle during pregnancy LI 15 Moxa LI 19 Moxa LI 20 Moxa ST1 Needle ST 2 Needle ST 7 Moxa ST 8 Moxa ST 9 Needle (deep) ST 17 Needle, moxa ST 25 Needle during pregnancy ST 32 Moxa SP 2 Moxa during and shortly after pregnancy SP 6 Pregnancy SP 7 Moxa HT 1 Needle HT 2 Needle SI 10 Moxa SI 11 Needle SI 18 Moxa BL 1 Moxa BL 2 Moxa BL 6 Needle BL 49 Needle BL 51 Moxa BL 54 Moxa BL 56 Needle BL 60 Needle during pregnancy BL 62 Moxa BL 67 Needle during pregnancy KI 11 Needle P(CX)8 Needle two times in same treatment or with nasal polyps | TH 7 Needle TH 8 Needle TH 16 Needle TH 19 Bleeding TH 23 Moxa GB 1 Moxa GB 3 Needle (deep) GB 4 Needle (deep) GB 5 Needle (deep) GB 15 Moxa (potential blindness) GB 18 Needle GB 21 Needle heart problems or in pregnancy GB 22 Moxa GB 33 Moxa GB 42 Moxa LIV 12 Needle CV 4 Needle or moxa during pregnancy CV 5 Needle or moxa in female patient CV 8 Needle CV 11 Moxa during pregnancy CV 14 Needle (deep) CV 15 Needle CV 17 Needle GV 4 Moxa in young males GV 6 Moxa GV 11 Needle GV 15 Needle (deep) GV 16 Moxa GV 17 Needle or moxa GV 23 Moxa GV 24 Needle GV 26 Moxa (extreme warning) GV 28 Moxa |
Most acupuncture authorities will agree with this list. It is imperative that acupuncturists know and understand the potential risks if these points are stimulated with needle or moxa. Laser and electronic stimulation have been shown to be acceptable substitutes in virtually all cases.
Click here for previous articles by John Amaro, LAc, DC, Dipl. Ac.(NCCAOM), Dipl.Med.Ac.(IAMA).