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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for Chrono Acupuncture (Zi Wu Liu Zhu)
Q4. What is the difference between the Chinese and Western Calendar?
The Western calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) is a Solar calendar based on the earth turning around the sun.
Chinese calendar is primarily a Lunar calendar based on the moon turning around the earth. It's actually a Lunisolar Calendar. Unlike the Greek or Islamic Lunar calendar, the MONTHS in the Chinese calendar are based on the moon ; but the YEAR in the Chinese calendar is based on the sun. It uses Intercalary months -- add one more month in an Intercalary year, then there were 13 months in this year. There are always either 29 or 30 days per month, no matter if it's an Intercalary month or not in the Chinese Calendar. To adjust the difference -- add 1 Intercalary month every 3 years, add 2 Intercalary months every 5 years, and add 7 Intercalary months every 19 years. It seems complicated but not if we remember that we also use Intercalary days in the Western calendar. That's the reason why in February there are 28 days but 29 days every fourth year. During a period of 400 years 97 (no 100) intercalary days would actually be added in total.
Chinese calendar uses the terms of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the combinations of 10 Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches to present the years, days and hours, e.g. Jia-Wu Year, Jia-Wu
10 Heavenly Stems are: 1. Jia 2. Yi 3. Bing 4. Ding 5. Wu* 6. Ji 7. Geng 8. Xin 9.Ren 10. Gei
12 Earthly Branches are: 1. Zi 2. Chou 3. Yin 4. Mao 5. Chen 6. Si 7. Wu* 8. Wei 9. Shen 10. You 11. Xu 12. Hai
*Wu is presented as 4 different Chinese characters at least because there are 4 tone marks for each syllable. There is no way to show 4 tone marks for each Chinese syllable in English so far. Therefore, at times it causes much confusion. Wu in 10 Heavenly Stems, Wu in 12 Earthly Branches, Wu in numbers (means 5) and Wu in Dr. Wu are 4 different Chinese characters. For years: use only one Heavenly Stem plus one Earthly Branch, Gei-WeiYear;
For months: uses numbers 1 to 12 like in Western calendar;
For dates and days: uses numbers 1 to 30 for dates and uses one Heavenly Stem plus one Earthly Branch for days, e.g. March 6 (date), Wu-Yin day; (There are No days like Monday to Sunday in Chinese calendar.)
For hours: uses 12 Earthly Branches to stand for 12 periods (called Shi-Chen) during 24 hours, each consisting of 2 hours;
Q6. What are Nomenclature, codes and abbreviation in Acupuncture?
The Standard Nomenclature below is formulated at the Regional Working Group Meeting on the Standardization of Acupuncture Nomenclature sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the UN, in Tokyo and Hong Kong in 1985:
I. The Twelve Primary Acupuncture Meridians*:
Mer. = Meridian or Meridians (Channel)
- (1) Liv = Liver Mer.
- (2) G = Gallbladder Mer.
- (3) H = Heart Mer.
- (4) SI = Small Intestine Mer.
- (5) Sp = Spleen Mer.
- (6) S = Stomach Mer.
- (7) L = Lung Mer.
- (8) LI = Large Intestine Mer.
- (9) K = Kidney Mer.
- (10) B = Bladder Mer.
- (11) TE(SJ) = Triple Energizer (Sanjiao) Mer.
- (12) P = Pericardium Mer.
II. The Eight Extra Acupuncture Meridians:
- (13) DM (GV) = Dumai (Governor Vessel)
- (14) RM (CV)= Renmai (Conception Vessel)
- (15) ChV = Chong Vessel
- (16) BV = Belt Vessel
- (17) Yin HV = Yin Heel Vessel
- (18) Yang HV = Yang Heel Vessel
- (19) Yin LV = Yin Link Vessel
- (20) Yang LV = Yang Link Vessel
* Many textbook uses The Fourteen Primary Meridians, i.e. (1) to (12) plus (13) and (14).
III. List of Many Acupuncture Codes and Abbreviation Used in Different Countries:
- (1) Liv = Liver Mer. : XII, LIV, LV, Lv, F, G, H, LE, Le;
- (2) G = Gallbladder Mer.: XI, GB, Go, VB, VG;
- (3) H = Heart Mer.: V, HE, He, HT, Ht, X;
- (4) SI = Small Intestine Mer.: VI, Si, Di, ID, IG, IT, XCH;
- (5) Sp = Spleen Mer.: IV, SP, B, BP, LP, MP, P, RP, RT, Rt;
- (6) S = Stomach Mer.: III, ST, St, E, Est, M, Ms, V, W;
- (7) L = Lung Mer.: I, LU, Lu, P;
- (8) LI = Large Intestine Mer.: II, Li, CO, Co, DCh, DI, Di, GI, IC, IG;
- (9) K = Kidney Mer.: VIII, KI, Ki, N, NI, Ni, R, RN, Rn, Sh;
- (10) B = Bladder Mer.: VII, Bl, BL, PG, UB, V, VU;
- (11) TE(SJ) = Triple Energizer (Sanjiao) Mer.: X, T, TB, TH, TR, TW, SC, 3E, 3H;
- (12) P = Pericardium Mer.: IX, CS, CX, ECS, EH, HC, Hc, KS, MC, MdH, PC, Pe, XB;
- (13) DM (GV) = Dumai (Governor Vessel): XIII, DU, Du, GG, Go, Gv, LG, Lg, T, TM, VG, Vg;
- (14) RM (CV)= Renmai (Conception Vessel): XIV, Co, J, JM, KG, Kg, REN, Ren, VC, Vc.
Q7. Can The MNEF-Eight Hui Acupoint System take place the Primary Acupoint System?
Yes and Not.
Yes, because the MNEF System may cover most of the problems already. If you are not a health professional, it's enough.
Not, because the 14 Primary Meridians are still the basic system used by most health professionals today. For some cases, you need to combine the MNEF-Eight Hui Acupoint System with the 14 Primary Meridians System, and your patients' symptoms. For a health professional, you need to learn more,but MNEF System is a good beginning for easy practicing.
Q8. Do I need to consider different Time Zones?
It's Not necessary in the US. The Biological Clock in your body follows the local time no matter what Time Zone it is. The Time Zones used in the US are already follow the turning around of the Earth scientifically. We already use a 3 Hour Time Zone difference for the whole country in the US. It's about 45th Meridian degrees across the West coast and the East coast of the US. That's about 3 hours in natural time difference because the 15th Meridian degrees is equal to 1 hour difference by the Earth's turning around.
You just need to consider in a few special cases:
(1) You travel from one place to another. For a few hours to a few days, if you still have Time-Zone Reaction or sickness -- That means your Biological Clock does not fit the local time yet, it's better that you follow the old Time Zone.
(2) In some countries, e.g. China, there is not Time Zone used. All the areas in the whole country use the standard Beijing Time. You may need to adjust (plus or minus) the Standard Time to your Local Time. Check a standard map and figure out how many Meridian degrees difference between your home location and Beijing (or the Standard Time location). For example, The Meridian degree in a city west to Beijing minus the degree in Beijing is equal to 14. 15th Meridian degrees is equal to 1 hour. 14/15 x 60 = 56 minutes, about 1 hour early -- minus one hour to your calendar hours. You may disregard Time Zone if it's less than one hour because the acupoints are the same in a 2-hours period.
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