I developed Seitai Shinpo (pronounced Sei-Tai Shin-Poh) by applying the principles of Sotai (corrective move-ments for structural alignment), which I learned from the originator, Keizo Hashimoto, MD. Before encountering Dr. Hashimoto I was illiterate about body alignment tech-niques and used nothing but acupuncture and moxibustion. I began to discover amazing things once I began jointly applying all three methods of acupuncture, moxibustion, and Sotai to my patients. The majority of patients showed improvement or recovered completely when their misaligned postures were restructured. I fo-cused on the misaligned points and observed the trans-formation from an exaggerated S shaped spinal curve to a correct and balanced posture. Using trial and error over a twenty year period, I attempted to answer the question, “Is there any way to reform posture with acupuncture and moxibustion?” Seitai Shinpo is the result, and it is a method of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for misaligned posture to restore a centered and balanced posture. As in other acupuncture disciplines, points on meridians are selected for treatment.

Taiichi Sorimachi & Chieko Maekawa

It was fortunate that I got my start in the practice of acupuncture through the Sawada Style. (Translator’s note: Ken Sawada was a famous Japanese bonesetter, prior to establishing his acupuncture and moxibustion practice.) Thus the development of the Seitai Shinpo proceeded smoothly and rapidly. Actually, I graduated from an acu-puncture school that advocated Meridian Therapy. If I had started out practicing Meridian Therapy, however, it would have been much more difficult to develop Seitai Shinpo."

The purpose of Seitai Shinpo was to address the exag-gerated S shaped curve of the spine, but there was no acu-puncture literature that stated or advocated this approach - a protocol for correcting misaligned posture to create balanced posture. To this day, the main focus of acupunc-ture treatments has been in the realm of Yin and Yang, and how to adjust deficiency and excess in meridians and points. Contrary to general belief, some patients who seem to be deficient actually needed strong stimulation. Of now. Strictly speaking, Seitai Shinpo is different from Meridian Therapy and Sawada Style Acupuncture. The focus is on structural alignment. For example, observing the client from the back, his right shoulder is higher than the left one and the right iliac crest is higher than the left one (see Fig. 1)

In this hypothetical case, his spinal curve is as shown in Fig. 2. The physical prob-lem or disease, in this case occurs in the areas A and B. The pa-tient has a ten-dency toward cardiovascular disorders (area A) and lower back pain on the right (area B). Exaggerated S shaped curves have many patterns, and this is only one example to illustrate the diagnostic approach for this new acupuncture treatment. The more exaggerated the S shaped curve is, the greater the surface area of the body profile, which increases gravitational pull. And the narrower the S shaped curve, the less gravitational pull. Any additional gravitational pull puts stress on the body and creates fa-tigue.

Are you reading this article with your elbow on a desk, or are you reading with your legs crossed? If so, your pos-ture is creating a larger surface area and exaggerated S shaped curve. Conversely, due to the imbalance caused by an already existing exaggerated S shaped curve, you may have had to assume this posture to compensate for your misalignment. In this way, the phenomenon of the exaggerated S shaped curve is closely related to your life style and physical health. The example shown in Fig. A is a very common clinical case. After the person maintains this type of posture for many years, the ROM of the left shoulder will be affected and symptom like joint pain will manifest. Some cases will develop a stiff neck, shoulder, migraine headaches, and pain in the right lower back, and additionally problems in the right sciatic nerve, right hip, or right knee.

What causes this exaggerated S shaped curve in the spine? Chiropractors and orthopedic therapists have of-fered many answers, but still there is no conclusive an-swer. It could happen when the bottom part of the lower extremity has a small misalignment and the top part mani-fests a larger misalignment, as mentioned by Dr. Keizo Hashimoto. In the clinical case, a corn on the foot may cause lower back pain, upper back pain, or stiffness in the neck and shoulder area. In other cases, the body compensates for the misalignment or imbalances in the lower extrem-ity by exaggerating the S shaped curve. An operation for herniated disks in the lumbar vertebrae (fusing up to three lumbar vertebrae) can sometimes cause excruciating pain. Acupuncture treatments for these post-operative cases can prove ineffective due to the body’s inability to compen-sate and achieve vertical alignment. For example, if L4-L5 are fused to correct prior misalignments, the body has to compensate in the region between T11 to L2 to achieve an overall balance. The net effect of the surgery once again causes spinal misalignment, and this could cause strong pain above or below the surgical area. It takes a long time for the body to compensate in the T11 to L2 level and the patient must endure great discomfort. Acupuncture treat-ments to release the T11 to L2 area, will alleviate pain and assist the body in the natural healing and realignment pro-cess.

Since compensation is a natural response, we cannot consider all misalignments to be bad. Excessive deforma-tion, however, produces hard, contracted muscles and tis-sue in that area. This puts pressure on nerves, which then leads to spasms and great pain. In other words, pain oc-curs when the misalignment exceeds the body’s ability to compensate. The pain will disappear instantly when an acupuncture needle is inserted in the deformed area so the spinal alignment is corrected back into the tolerance range.

Ken Sawada, the founder of Sawada Style said, “Mind and Spirit (Sei-shin) are created at the Heart Shu point and the Kidney Shu point.” Sawada’s Kidney Shu point is on the L1-L2 level, and the Heart Shu point is on the T4-T5 level. Clinically, L1-L2 and T4 levels needed to be released to treat autonomic dysfunctions. The same points are used for the treatment of bronchitis and asthma in Seitai Shinpo, and this corresponds to the theory that bronchitis and asthma are psychosomatic diseases. So Seitai Shinpo is related in some respects to traditional theories.

It is said that the Five Flavors nourish the Five Organs (zang) in the classics. Conventional medicine is now be-ginning to recognize this theory, realizing that excess sugar intake affects the pancreas in diabetic patients, and that sodium intake affects the kidneys. Just as Oriental medi-cine and conventional medicine compliment each other, Seitai Shinpo and the classics compliment each other. Much can be learned about the classical theory through clinical experience.

In Seitai Shinpo, No. 1 through 20 gauge needles are used. The appropriate gauge and length needle is selected and inserted directly into the targeted induration (koh-ketsu) in the muscle, and often dramatic improvement occurs (especially in cases of pain). I strongly recommend that a practitioner master the use of a wide range of needle sizes and insertion techniques. The gluteus medius and the upper portion of the gluteus maximus should be used to practice deep needle insertion.

Due to the limited size for this article, I am unable to cover diagnosis and needle manipulation methods for Seitai Shinpo and look forward to a detailed discussion of them in future articles. (Translated by Chieko Maekawa)

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