Acupuncture Observation #02
Two things you learn quickly in Japan is that there is the Old and The New way. That goes for ladies walking around in full Kimonos during the day contrasting the mind blurring technology-centric opposites of anime fashion.
Let me introduce the New Way of acupuncture. Glitzy, glamorous skyscraper office with nine rooms rolling, tons of staff all dressed alike.
Start off by walking down the gorgeously landscaped path, inside the building and up the elevators. When the doors open you’ll be in the “outside” lobby where you leave your bad energy, shoes, etc. Change into good energy and shoes – and your off!
Entre! So bright, cheery. Love the logos, the friendly check in staff. I’m whisked away to ‘change’ out of the scrubs I wore to observe, into something they prefer me to be in … basically, the poor assistants were like, “WTH- how are we going to fit this amazon woman with huge boobs into our tiny clinic outfits.”
Yes, it happened. I even took a pic of the side buttoning white jacket, but I literally couldn’t get the button over my boob, and it stuck out. Not good and too X-Rated for blog! Here’s the results of the pants …. hot mess.
Ok, enough about me! The main acupuncturist, Taiken Jo was really friendly, humble and willing to show off what he does around here! As with the previous acupuncturist that I worked with, Taiken does a more Japanese protocol. He starts by talking with the patient in the room, checking your pulse – no one checks tongue here in Tokyo.
He then will do some ‘pre-treat’ root problem type acupuncture, also using multiple locations with the same needle and a silver tube. (See Acupuncture Observation #1 regarding Clean Needle Technique). The treatments usually end with a nice scalp massage with a metal tool – it was amazing when an assistant did it on me to show me.
He is big-time high tech. Taiken uses lasers, aimed at the vagus nerve and other locations to help his fertility patients. Moxa and multiple acupuncture locations (front and back) are also done – most all of this is handled firstly by Dr. Jo – and then the assistants take over. Most of these assistants are also acupuncturists from all walks of life: newly graduated from those that can’t do a clinic all on their own.
You see, Dr. Taiken Jo comes from a long family history of acupuncturists and is a bit of a rockstar in town. In fact, while I was there I couldn’t observe a certain person because they were famous, etc. Which goes to show, in Japan – even though they don’t have HIPAA guidelines, the Japanese will respect your privacy without having to have a law about it.
Although high tech in every sense of the word, Dr. Jo still likes to use hot rocks to warm locations on his patients. Usually they were placed on the sacrum or belly, as he has lots of fertility types that need warming.
Thanks Dr. Taiken Jo for your hospitality!
Check out his website: Acura Acupuncture Clinic
