Applied Channel Theory in Chinese Medicine Wang Ju-Yi's Lectures on Channel Therapeutics

I have a strong background in pure TCM from my school, and this book is so much more interesting and usable than Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine is. He even has a couple gems on herbalism interspersed in this book too. It has a lot of depth on Chinese Physiology yet is a pretty easy read (for a practitioner or upper-year student). I am not even near finished yet but I appreciate how it is layed out so far. It seems like TCM is a conglomerate of disjointed empirical points that merely skims over the channels and wider connections within the body. This book on the other hand doesn't have a spleen chapter and a lung chapter, it has a Tai Yin chapter that breaks itself down into Lung and Spleen. It gives you so much info on how they are related that TCM doesn't delve into. It does go in microscopically and has some pretty nice speculations thrown in about Western Medical parallels which I found useful. But its the fact that it backs up and sees the interrelations that are system wide and more trully holistic that really helps me see the big picture, both literally and figuretively. It does not contradict my TCM training but only a few times from what I've read so far, yet it helps me apply the classics more and deepens my understanding. My intent seems to be sharper during treatments form just the little that I have read. I highly recommend this book to Acupuncturists of ALL styles.

If the title doesn't suggest the seriousness of the topic, the casual reader should first be warned that this is actually a textbook on classical Chinese acupuncture written in a relatively lively and unconventional manner. It is not for casual reading and it is very heavy on authentic TCM theories which are often not applied when practising acupuncture in the West. Though a lot of points are mentioned and even a bit of point location technique is featured, this is not an atlas of meridians and their acupuncture points. For serious students of authentic Chinese acupucnture, it's simply one of the best and most detailed English-language books on the meridian or channel theory. In a style similar to Huangdi Neijing, the book features "conversations" between master and apprentice. There are also snippets on interesting encounters inside and outside clinical practice in China, giving the reader some social and cultural insights into the country where TCM originated. The book covers basic TCM principles from an acupuncturist's perspective. Instead of covering the zang and fu organs on their own, the book, pairs organs according to channels and discusses them together. For example, taiyin channels and their related organs, lung and spleen are covered under the one chapter. The shaoyin organs (heart, kidneys), jueyin organs (liver, pericardium), taiyang organs (bladder, small intestine), shaoyang (gall bladder, triple burner)and yangming (large intestine, stomach) channels are likewise paired and discussed together. This offers a unique perspective to our understanding of organ and channel "physiology". The book also goes into details on channel "physiology", transport points, point selection, needling techniques etc. The most distinguishing feature is the use of channel palpation to identify nodules and other abnormalities along a channel to pinpoint the organ involved. This emphasis on organ differentiation technique sets this book apart from most other TCM books which dwell on 8-principle differentiation based soley on observation, smelling, asking and pulse taking. It takes a lot of time and re-reading to digest the material here, but once the reader has grasped the principles, it will greatly improve his/her understanding of the complex theory behind acupucnture.

I have to say a big thank you to the authors of this book for so painstakingly putting their hearts into making Classical Channel Theory so accessible and practical. There are many books out there with great information on Chinese Theory but few offer the same depth of clarity on to how to integrate that information into practice. There is not one Chinese Medical textbook on my shelf that I have read cover to cover like I did this one; the writing is engaging, succinct and sometimes very moving. Coming from a background of classical acupuncture, channel theory was left out in our training and everyone was scrambling to take continuing education classes on this topic from classically trained practitioners after they graduated. Not having the funds or the time to take these classes I felt like I was missing out on a very important aspect of Chinese Medicine. After reading this book I can honestly say I feel like I have a firm foundation of Channel Theory to integrate into my practice. I have already seen dramatic changes in the outcome of my treatments and love the fact that I use much fewer needles to accomplish this. It is hard to express in words without sounding trite how valuable this book has been to me. I highly recommend this book to any practitioner of Chinese Medicine or anyone interested in a very accessible explanation of Chinese Medical theory.

I've got lots and lots of books on acupuncture and have studied and practiced lots of different styles and I have to say that this is by far the most impressive book that I have read on channel theory. Channels or 'meridians' are surprisingly not very well understood by many, if not most, acupuncturists. The fault is really not their own as there is really not much in-depth written on them (in English at least). This book examines the channels thoroughly and gives many useful clinical and diagnostic insights that you will not find in the required texts in school. Dr. Wang Ju-Yi is a treasure and the co-author who has translated and summarized his work is genius. God bless them both. The book is not just another dense text of channels and points like the rest. It is mixed with artfully told stories, informative Q&A's, and brilliant insights and theory into channel anatomy and physiology. I especially liked the discussion on the 8 extraordinary channels and the San Jiao and how they are in many ways synonymous with the extracellular matrix. Using these associated points was a big breakthrough for me clinically before reading this and now I know why. Understanding and linking the ancient terminology and theory with the modern scientific understanding is key for the future of acupuncture and I am glad to see the authors give it due attention. I hope, for the sake of those entering acupuncture school in the near future (& their patients), that this book very soon becomes THE required text. This and the Deadman text are really all that are needed to study and learn channel theory and acupuncture anatomy in school. (BOARDS: Please dump CAM already!!)

I stumbled upon this book when my acupuncturist and I were discussing a theoretical concept that I was struggling with. He suggested that the theory was best discussed in this book. As a long time acupressure practitioner of animal 5 Element Acupressure, I did not expect Applied Channel Theory to become my favorite book - but it has. I actually read it from cover to cover and then went back to the beginning and read it again. The book presents another branch of theory than what I usually practice but I find that it complements my own approach perfectly. The book is written with amazing clarity and is remarkably accessible for anyone who is schooled in Classical East Asian Medicine Theory. While not a beginner book or a casual one for the lay person, for the serious student this book is like studying at the side of a trusted master teacher. The explanations are devoid of the confusing or vague presentations of many texts. Instead of obfuscation or hiding behind writing that is complex without being helpful, this book lays out the beautiful complexity of this profound branch of study in a way that is readable, practical, insightful, and down to earth. Since reading this book I have had the great fortune to receive regular acupuncture from the American author. I have also attended online classes with him. I assure you that his practice and his presence are as potent and unassuming as the writing style in the book. This book is a treasure. My global community of students agrees whole-heartedly.

Dr Wang visited my school in the late 1990's and I loved the work he did. He had to leave too soon for me! So I was very pleased to see that he came out with a book on his method of diagnosis using palpation of the meridians, which is fascinating and provides a whole new level of diagnostic information. The book is well written, in good English, which makes it easy to concentrate on the nuances of theory & technique. This is not a book for beginners, although basic theory is discussed. I have a deeper understanding of organ function and the meaning of various conditions felt during palpation of the channels after reading this book & will be re-reading it for many months. It is well worth the time. Thank you Dr. Wang for sharing your knowledge & expertise and thank you Jason D Robertson for interpreting the information so clearly. I also really liked the writing style - combining the question/answer style of the ancient classics with a more modern didactic style.

Fills in the missing link between theories recorded in classic text and clinical observation. Unlike western medicine where theory dictates the direction of studies and trials which lead to the development of clinical guidelines, chinese medicine flows the opposite way, clinical observations points the direction of possible theories and slowly over time and generations/dynasties, theories develop. Hence it is not surprising that these theories often contradict each other causing pain and suffering to chinese medical students. This book delivers a possible missing link, suggesting probable mechanisms linking theories and clinical observations. This is by no means the only explanation, nor the best, but much like quantum electrodynamics, more than one theory can deliver the same result either way. Good read for students of chinese medicine.

This is a really special book about Chinese medicine, suitable for both students and practitioners. It will give you new and deeper insights into what you have learned in school and/or experienced in the clinic. It is beautifully, written, illustrated and printed, and nearly literary in its descriptions of the meridians, zang fu and points (with some great stories about China thrown in to give you a flavor of where this medicine comes from). In short, this book was clearly written with heart. While there is plenty of practical information about channel palpation included in this book, you'd really need to take a hands-on workshop to understand how to use that. However, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is one of the treasures on my bookshelf that I'm sure I will return to again and again as my own perspective develops and changes.