Master Tung’s Acupuncture

Master Tung’s acupuncture is a hidden treasure in Chinese acupuncture, lost to China but recovered in Taiwan from where it spread round the world.

According to Master Tung (Ching-Chang Tung 1915-1975) it goes back to the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) with over 70 generations in between! Until the Chinese civil war Master Tung’s ancestors practised in Shandong province.

After that civil war in 1949, Master Tung escaped to Taiwan where he practised both for the army and in civil society, earning himself a considerable reputation.

What is Master Tung’s acupuncture?

There are around 500 acupuncture points unique to Master Tung’s acupuncture system. These consist of 370 points for acupuncture and another 130 points used for blood-letting, an important aspect of Tung’s acupuncture.

Apart from the points for blood-letting, points lie on the limbs and head.

Where many of Mater Tung’s acupuncture points lie correlates with both motor and sensory nerve areas in the brain’s cortex. This possibly expains why they are often superior to accepted points along the acupuncture channels used in Traditional Chinese medicine.

This system rarely uses moxibustion.

Acupuncture points

Acupuncture points in Master Tung’s acupuncture system are almost always contra-lateral to the pain or disease under treatment.

For best results they should be inserted and, once deqi is found, left in situ often for as much as 45 minutes for them to take full effect. (NB Some practitioners, once they are sure the needle is correctly placed, do not look for deqi.)

This system pays little attention to the 8 Priniciples and whether the problem being treated is excess or deficient.

Master Tung used thicker needles than mostly now in use in the Western world. However, there is no doubt that thinner needles do work.

Master Tung often obtained excellent results with fewer needles than might be used in traditional Chinese acupuncture.

Combining several needles inserted fairly close to one another in Master Tung’s acupuncture system often greatly improves the clinical outcome. These groupings are named ‘Dao Ma’.

With Master Tung’s system, points needled may reach the periosteum for better results.

Master Tung was well aware of traditional Chinese medicine and the 14 acupuncture channels. He did use some points on them.

Blood-letting

This can be a very important part of treatment with Master Tung’s acupuncture.

Used mainly for blood stasis situations (very frequent in chronic diseases and amongst the elderly), often only a few drops of blood may be necessary if taken from the right location.

Points used for blood-letting with Master Tung’s acupunture system are always ipsi-lateral to the pain or disease under treatment.