Session 24

Lecture – Balance (I Ching) Method Needling

Chinese Medicine
Dr. Richard Teh-Fu Tan

Studied the work of Dr. Chao Chen who created an

acupuncture system based on the Yi Jing (I Ching) and
published this work in the 1970s. Each of the 14 channels
equates to a gua (trigram) and they balance one another.
Goal is to achieve immediate results.

(Twicken, 2012)

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Steps of treatment

1) Diagnose – identify affected

meridians
Main limitations
2) Balance – identify treatment
meridians & select system
Constant
3) Mirror & image. Points follow aggravation from
logic. work, poor
posture, overuse

Structural damage
too severe (e.g.
missing cartilage)

(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)

4

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Basic principles
Mirror:
Use proportions accurately. Limb to limb: arm to leg, arm to arm.
Look for homologous structures.

Images:
Relationship between limb and whole body.
If problem is on the head or trunk, project the image to a limb.
Use joints as guidelines.
Any image can be reversed upside down - elbow and knee levels don’t
change/move.
Consider anatomical structure (not influential organ).
Examples: bone (e.g. Liver channel), tendon (Pericardium channel), muscle/flesh
(Kidney channel), hollow (Spleen channel).
(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)
5

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Five basic balance systems – summary
Table 1

5 systems

System 1 System 2 System 3 System 4 System 5

Same Chinese Opposite Paired Interior- Opposite on Neighbour on
meridian name Chinese Exterior Chinese clock Chinese clock
meridian name relationship

E.g. Hand Tai Hand Tai Yin Hand Tai Yin Hand Tai Yin Hand Tai Yin
Yin (LU) & Foot (LU) & Foot Tai (LU) & Hand (LU) & Foot Tai (LU) & Foot Jue
Tai Yin (SP) Yang (BL) Yang Ming (LI) Yang (BL) Yin (LR)

Needle opposite Either side Opposite side Either side Opposite side
side

Limbs Torso, internal Internal Torso, organ,

muscle

(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)

6

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 1: same Chinese meridian name / Anatomical
similarity
Must needle opposite side (contralateral needling).
Mirror image: arm reaching out over leg
Yin channel treats Yin channel, Yang channel treats Yang channel.
Palpation precision – take note of the physical structure (e.g. bone,
tendon), depth of āshì point intensity, size of painful area. Mimic
these features proportionally in the projecting image.

TE + GB = Hand shao yang and foot shao yang

PE + LR = Hand jue yin and foot jue yin
SI + BL = Hand tai yang and foot tai yang
HT + KI = Hand shao yin and foot shao yin
LI + ST = hand yang ming and foot yang ming
LU + SP = hand tai yin and foot tai yin

(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)

7

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Chinese medicine body clock
Figure 1 3am
Body clock 1am 5am
Liver Lung

Gall Large
11pm Bladder Intestine 7am

Triple
Stomach
Energiser
9pm 9am
Pericardium Spleen

7pm 11am
Kidney Heart
Small
Bladder Intestine
5pm 1pm
3pm
8

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 2: opposite Chinese meridian name

Can use same side or opposite side Table 2

Bilateral problem – needling one System 2 pairs

side will address both sides. Hand Foot

Lung Bladder
Mimic areas between channels. (Tai Yin) (Tai Yang)

Yang channels treat Yin channels Pericardium Stomach

(Jue Yin) (Yang Ming)
and vice versa.
Heart Gall Bladder
Use movement to identify area of (Shao Yin) (Shao Yang)

pain – more important than Small Intestine Spleen

(Tai Yang) (Tai Yin)
palpation.
Large Intestine Liver
Primary pain location moves to (Yang Ming) (Jue Yin)

secondary pain location. Ask Triple Energiser Kidney

(Shao Yang) (Shao Yin)
‘Where is the pain now?’
(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)
9

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 3: circular Ba Gua
Qian
(Heaven)
Figure 2
BL + GB
System 3 Ba Gua
Dui Xun
(Lake) (Wind)
HT + PE LU

Li Kan
(Fire) (Water)
SP ST

Zhen Gen
(Thunder) (Mountain)
LI SI + TE
Kun
(Earth)
KI + LR
Note. Adapted from Xiantian Bagua, by A. Stanislav, 2016, Openclipart (https://openclipart.org/detail/252109/xiantian-bagua). CC0 1.0. 10

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 3: circular Ba Gua for internal issues

Always needle opposite side.

Assume you are in the centre of the circle.
Innermost line of each Gua is the bottom line of the Gua.
Odd number Gua (Yang) & even number Gua (Yin)
Dynamic balance between each Gua. Static balance within each
Gua.
Static balance with opposite Gua in cycle (e.g., Lake balances
Mountain).
Leg for leg, arm for arm – use static balance (opposite Gua)
Treats Zang Fu paired channel.
Measure progress between treatments using pain scale, note
frequency of pain and duration until recovery.
(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012) 11

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 4: Chinese medicine clock A

Needle either side.

Paired organs are opposite each other on the clock.
This system overlaps a bit with System 2*
HT + GB*
BL + LU*
ST + PE*
Different (3 foot Yin with 3 hand Yang):
LR + SI
SP + TE
KI + LI

(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)

12

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 5: Chinese medicine clock B

Neighbours by same polarity – Yang with

Yang, Yin with Yin. Figure 3

Needle opposite side System 5 pairs

This system overlaps a bit with System 1*

ST + LI* LR LU
GB LI
GB + TE*
TE ST
SI + BL*
PE SP
Different (3 foot Yin with 3 hand Yin):
KI HT
SP + HT BL SI
LU + LR
KI + PE
(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012)
13

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Systems 1-5 summary table
Table 3

Complete Chart
System 1 System 2 System 3 System 4 System 5
LU SP BL LI BL LR
LI ST LR LU KI ST
SP LU SI ST TE HT
ST LI PE SP PE LI
LR PE LI GB SI LU
GB TE HT LR HT TE
PE LR ST TE ST KI
TE GB KI PE SP GB
HT KI GB SI GB SP
SI BL SP HT LR BL
BL SI LU KI LU SI
KI HT TE BL LI PE

14

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 6: Mirror image (new system, same meridian)

Needle same side first but can do either side

Must use appropriate portions to find points
Example: Gall Bladder channel headache.

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Use image on Gall Bladder Project image onto hand. Project image onto whole
channel – GB40 or GB41 Fingers = head limb.
Proximal MCP joints =
eyeline A)
Palm = bottom of chin. Shoulder = top of head
Perhaps better to use a Elbow = eye line
larger image…. Palm/wrist = bottom of chin.

B)
Hip = top of head
Knee = eye line
Heel = bottom of chin.
(Tan, 2003; Tan, 2007; Twicken, 2012) 15

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

System 6: Mirror image for CV and GV
Figure 4
Directly
DU20 is
superior to Scalp mapping
L2
front of ear is
C7/T1
Occipital
Anterior
protuberance
hairline is
is the coccyx
C1-C2

Use an
image of a
person lying
DU16 is face down
the over the top
tailbone of the head
– lines up
with cranial
sutures.

Note. Adapted from “Computerised tomography of cranial sutures. Part 1: Comparison of suture
anatomy in children and adults,” by Y. Furuya, M. Edwards, C. E. Alpers, B. M. Tress, D. K. Ousterhout
16
& D. Norman, 1984, Journal of Neurosurgery, 61(1), p. 53. Copyright 1984 by Journal of Neurosurgery.
CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health
Want to learn more?

Si Yuan Balance Method run workshops worldwide.

Dr Tan’s Balance System Webinar (10th August 2015) – start at

7:30mins.

17

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Case study 1: Example

Area of discomfort: occipital neck pain radiating down left side

posterior aspect of the arm and over the shoulder.
Step 1: Diagnose the sick meridian (BL & TE)
Step 2: Determine the treating meridians based on the
systems.
System Bladder Triple Energiser
1 SI GB
2 LU KI
3 KI PE
4 LU SP
5 SI GB

(Tan, 2007)
18

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Case study 1 cont.

Step 3: Point selection

System 1 Right side

Āshì points from SI3 to SI6
Āshì points from GB39 to GB42
System 2 Either side
Āshì points from LU8 to LU10
Āshì points from KI2 to KI7
System 3 Right side
Āshì points from KI2 to KI7
Āshì points from PC6 to PC8
System 4 Either side
Āshì points from LU8 to LU10
Āshì points from SP3 to SP6
System 5 Right side
Āshì points from SI3 to SI6
Āshì points fro GB39 to GB42

(Tan, 2007)
19

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Case study 2

Area of discomfort: pain radiating down the lateral aspect of the

right-side thigh and IT band.
Follow the three steps:
Step 1: Diagnose the sick meridian
Step 2: Diagnose the treating meridians based on the systems.
Step 3: Point selection

(Tan, 2007)
20

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Case study 3

Area of discomfort: frontal, sinus headache, below the eyes

Follow the three steps:
Step 1: Diagnose the sick meridian
Step 2: Diagnose the treating meridians based on the systems.
Step 3: Point selection

(Tan, 2007)
21

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

Practical activities

In pairs, swap roles as practitioner and patient with a pain-

related main complaint. Use each of the systems to identify
your Balance Method treatment plan.

22

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

References

Furuya, Y., Edwards, M. S., Alpers, C. E., Tress, B. M., Ousterhout, D. K. & Norman, D. (1984). Computerised tomography of

cranial sutures. Part 1: comparison of suture anatomy in children and adults. Journal of Neurosurgery, 61(1), 53-58.

https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1984.61.1.0053

Stanislav, A. (2016). Xiantian Bagua [Image]. Openclipart. https://openclipart.org/detail/252109/xiantian-bagua

Tan, R. T-F. (2003). Dr Tan’s Strategy of Twelve Magical Points. Richard Tan.

Tan, R. T-F. (2007). Acupuncture 1,2,3. Richard Tan.

Twicken, D. (2012). I Ching acupuncture: the balance method: clinical applications of the Ba Gua and I Ching. Jessica Kingsley

Publishers.

23

CMCM311 CHINESE MEDICINE DEPARTMENT 30-11-2023 © Endeavour College of Natural Health

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Copyright Regulations 1969

WARNING

This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of the
Australian College of Natural Medicine Pty Ltd (ACNM) trading as Endeavour College of
Natural Health and Endeavour Wellness Clinic (IHE PRV12070, CRICOS #00231G, RTO
#31489) - Pursuant Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) (the Act).

The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further
reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright
protection under the Act.

Do not remove this notice.