Synonyms
YNSA – Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture
Definition
The “new cranial acupuncture” according to Dr. Toshikatsu Yamamoto is a relatively young and special form of traditional Chinese acupuncture. The therapeutic method is directed at so-called somatotopes, especially on the skull. This means that it is assumed that the entire body copies itself to a special area at another part of the body (e.g. skull, ear, foot etc.).
If the body has been brought out of balance by chronic or acute diseases, the experienced practitioner can find out where the disorder is located in the organism by palpating various points on the neck and/or abdomen, which are assigned to the different organs or parts of the body. In most cases, such points show up as particularly painful under pressure. If such a point is localized, the acupuncturist pins the synchronous point on the skull.
This neck and abdominal diagnosis also allows the correct positioning of the needle to be checked directly. If the pain point on the neck or abdomen disappears within minutes, the acupuncture point on the skull has been hit correctly. If, on the other hand, there is no improvement, the fit of the needle must be checked or other points need to be needled.
Skull acupuncture must be distinguished from Chinese body acupuncture. As already mentioned, the YNSA works with so-called somatotopes on the skull. Chinese skull acupuncture, on the other hand, is based exclusively on the neuroanatomical functional structure of the brain.
The aim here is to stimulate the affected areas of the brain by acupuncture of the scalp above. Both procedures are designed to stimulate the neuroplasticity of the brain. In simple terms, this means the ability of the brain to relearn throughout life.
Healthy areas of the brain take over substitute functions for areas that have failed (e.g. the movement of a limb). The Japanese physician Toshikatsu Yamamoto (*15 December 1929 in Nichinan, South Japan) received his doctorate from the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo in 1956. He completed training in surgery, anesthesia and obstetrics in New York and Cologne, among other places.
Enthusiastic about traditional Chinese medicine, he wanted to apply it in his home country to the rice farmers who stand knee-deep in the water and have to do their work there. However, he soon realized that TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) did not bring the success he would have wished for his patients. So after some time of self-study he found very specific points or areas at the base of the forehead, which pointed to certain organs and complaints.
He was able to discover that the points he discovered were fundamentally different from the Chinese acupuncture teachings. The areas on the top of the skull, including the forehead and temple, are only detectable when they are pathologically altered due to disturbances from the body areas that are connected to them. This is equivalent to a blockage in the affected zone of the head, i.e. the metabolism of this zone is disturbed, which can manifest itself as palpable swelling, pus formation, oedema or pain.
Dr. Yamamoto found out that the locomotor system is located in the forehead-hair boundary, the internal organs are represented by Y-points on both sides of the temple area. Skull acupuncture distinguishes a Yin somatotope on the front skull and a Yang somatotope on the back skull. YNSA point categories: Yamamoto New Skull Acupuncture was first published in 1973 and has been continuously expanded and supplemented since then.
For over 30 years Dr. Yamamoto has worked tirelessly on his method and has discovered many other point systems, e.g. the aphasia points for the treatment of a stroke, systematized them and continued to apply them to his patients with great success. According to Dr. Yamamoto, cranial acupuncture is practically without side effects.
- Basic points A-K (especially treatment of pain and motor disorders of the locomotor system and paresis of the extremities)
- Brain points (brain points as well as aphasia points offer treatment options for stroke)
- Y-points (internal diseases are mainly treated by needle acupuncture of the so-called Y-points in the temporal region)
- New somatotopes (The points of different somatotopes complement and reinforce each other. They can be combined with each other as desired).
- Neck and abdominal diagnostics (The therapy usually starts with the base points. The therapist decides which Y-points to use after palpation of diagnostic zones on the neck or abdominal wall).
