Loudoun Acupuncture Clinic

1)Kiiko Style acupuncture utilizes a systematic, easy to learn, palpatory method which is designed to provide instant feedback. When using this system, a Kiiko Style practitioner follows a palpation sequence which, both establishes a diagnosis and suggests several treatment options which might be effective for treating a particular patient.

 2) Kiiko Style acupuncture is largely defined by its use of a highly systematized method of palpation. Palpation is the ability to gain information through touch. This method evolved to an extraordinary level of sophistication in Japanese acupuncture for a very unusual reason. Since as early as the Edo Period (1602-1868) Japanese acupuncture was a profession practiced largely by the blind. This fact carries through to the present day in that one of the primary influences in the development of Kiiko Style acupuncture comes from Master Nagano (seen on the right) who is a blind acupuncturist. Once learned, palpation becomes an easy to use method for obtaining instant feedback as to the patient’s condition of health. The diagnosis and treatment strategies follow one another in one circular motion. Specific active reflexes suggest the diagnosis and the treatment efficacy be established by changes in the same reflexes.

3) Kiiko Style addresses the patient’s health issues from several levels. By looking more deeply into the structural and or constitutional imbalances, which often underlie a patient’s symptomatic complaints, the practitioner is able to assist in a more complete and lasting healing. It is precisely this holistic approach which gives a Kiiko Style acupuncturist the ability to help patients with the most complex issues. Often by seeing the patient’s problem from this broader perspective, the practitioner can solve difficult cases.

4) The practitioner using Kiiko Style acupuncture is part of a living tradition. The teachings of this system come directly from first-hand experience gained from some of Japan’s greatest acupuncturists. Kiiko Matsumoto and David Euler whose combined clinical experience spans more than thirty-five years still continue their education by traveling at least twice a year to Japan to study with their masters. Because of this continual exposure to innovative treatment techniques and new clinical insights, Kiiko Style acupuncture continuously develops methods designed to achieve the maximum results when treating a patient. A living system of acupuncture must by definition reflect the changing needs of the time in which it is practiced and incorporate the technological improvements at it’s disposal. A living system is also continuously learning and deepening its understanding to provide a more complete treatment strategy and clinical results. The diagnostic and treatment methods being taught in this system accurately represent the clinical experience of some of Japan’s most respected master acupuncturists.

5) The eclectic nature of Kiiko Style of acupuncture give the practitioner a wide number of viable options from which to choose to create an effective treatment plan which addresses the individual needs of each patient. This style of acupuncture is imminently suited to the diverse needs of our patient population.

What are some of the benefits of learning Kiiko Style acupuncture?

1) The palpatory diagnostic methods in this style of acupuncture offer the practitioner an instant measure as to the effectiveness of their treatment. Both the acupuncturist and the patient will have instant feedback as to how well the treatment is working because the same reflexes which are used to determine the best treatment for a patient are also the gauge by which the treatment can be assessed.

2) Kiiko Style acupuncture offers a totally new way to look at patients. It combines classical Chinese medical principles with modern pathophysiology in a way that facilitates the understanding and brings out the best in both.

3) Within the treatment methods used in Kiiko Style acupuncture, there is a technique suitable for any patient. As a rule the needling methods are shallow and virtually painless, using the smallest gauge needles. However, for the patient who needling is contraindicated, there are numerous non-invasive techniques that are highly effective. The use of diodes, magnets, and other techniques give the practitioner many options with which to treat the most difficult patient.

4) In many ways, Kiiko Style acupuncture takes the practice of acupuncture from the ambiguous realm of theory into the direct experience of reality. There is no more wondering week after week if the points you are using for their supposed actions and effects will work for the diagnosis which seemed so plausible on paper. In this system “you treat what you feel”. If the reflex is not present, or if specific treatment points do not significantly change the reflex quality, then some other more viable treatment option must be found. Both the practitioner and the patient always have some immediate indication as to the effectiveness of the treatment.