TYPES OF ACUPUNCTURE

ZHU SCALP ACUPUNCTURE

Scalp acupuncture is a therapy applied by needling specific areas of the scalp to treat diseases. The origins of scalp acupuncture can be traced back many thousands of years. The Lingshu Jing ─Classic of the Miraculous Pivot─ describes the head as a major area of convergence for Yang meridians, luo channels, extraordinary vessels, muscles and cutaneous regions.

Professor Ming Qing Zhu, who had been teaching in Beijing before emigrating to the U.S., has developed a popular version of scalp acupuncture, that in recent years has been a craze in Japan, America, and China.  Zhu’s method is derived from the standard scheme, adopted in China, and based on the clinical experience of Ming Qing Zhu.  In Zhu’s scalp acupuncture, 8 therapeutic zones are used ─it is actually, 9 zones, but for reasons unknown, it is described as 8, this sort of discrepancy is common in the Chinese ethos amidst all things─ and the manipulation is characterized by forceful, small-amplitude lifting and thrusting of the needle. An important adjunct to the needling proper is Daoyin,  or active massage of the body part to be affected by the needling in the scalp, and physical and breathing exercises. 

Dr. Zhu’s father was an acupuncturist who worked on scalp acupuncture, and Zhu has been working as an acupuncturist since graduating from the College of Chinese Medicine in Shanghai in 1964.  He served as assistant director of the Scalp Points Research Group of the Chinese Acupuncture Association from 1987 to 1989.  Since coming to the U.S., he has worked closely with Dr. Eva Munwu Chau, former president of the California Acupuncture Association.  In 1991, Zhu established the Chinese Scalp Acupuncture Center of the U.S.A. in San Francisco, and, in 1992, he published an English-language book on his methods: Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture, now out of print.   

Dr. Zhu traces the origins of modern scalp acupuncture to the work of Huang Xuelong, who in 1935 introduced the concept that there is a relationship between the scalp and the cerebral cortex.  Several acupuncturists pursued this line, seeking points and zones on the scalp that would treat diseases of the brain.  Initial results of clinical work indicated that acupuncture applied to the scalp had good effect on diseases that were associated with cerebral damage, such as stroke.  Its applications were then extended to virtually all other diseases, but a focus on nervous system disorders is still dominant.

I have personally learnt this method in 2010 directly from Dr. Zhu at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine while pursuing my doctorate in Chinese medicine. By December of 2019 Dr. Ming Qing Zhu has retired and returned to live in China. I consider myself one of the fortunate ones to have taken instruction directly from this humble and brilliant man.  

The treatment lines or areas associated with various body regions and functions begun to be explored on the scalp in the 1950’s as the new therapeutic modality of scalp acupuncture began to emerge as a special, stand-alone system. Having started his research in 1969, Dr. Ming Qing Zhu has been one of the pioneers in this area.

Zhu’s scalp acupuncture is based on the theories of Chinese medicine, including Yin & Yang Theory, Five-Element Theory, Zang-Fu Theory, Qi & Blood Theory, and in particular the Meridians Theory. Also incorporated are Western anatomy, physiology, pathology, histo-embryology, biochemistry, immunology, and Western medical diagnosis. It is important to point out that this system is not a projection of the cerebrocortical functional areas on the scalp.

In Zhu’s scalp acupuncture, short and fine filiform needles are used. The needles are inserted subcutaneously into the subaponeurotic layer of the scalp. There is absolutely no risk of penetrating the skull ─given that the average human skull can withstand about 520 lbs. of compression─ and of course no damage to intracranial tissues. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture does not require any special equipment besides the needles, and it does not employ any form of electroacupuncture at all. It is not restricted in any way by time, location, environment, or the patient’s posture or age.

The functions of Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture, like conventional acupuncture, are to unblock channels, harmonize Ying-Wei (i.e. the Nutritive Qi [Gu-Qi] and the Defensive Qi [Wei Qi] respectively), balance Yin & Yang, strengthen ‘Good Qi’ and expel ‘Bad Qi’. In Western medical terms, these actions are equivalent to anti-inflammatory, restore homeostasis, analgesic, antibiotic, stop bleeding, promote blood circulation, regulate neurohumoral and endocrine balance, and increase immunity of the system.

All diseases begin with Qi pathologies prior to any manifestation. Acupuncture cures diseases by adjusting Qi, and Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture is particularly good for that. With Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture the symptoms are alleviated in a relatively short period of time. This makes it a treatment of choice for not only chronic ailments, but also acute conditions. The more acute and symptomatic, the quicker and notable the effects.