The assessment phase for Kampo herbal medicine consultations is detailed and extensive, including comprehensive questioning, tongue and pulse diagnosis, and finally fukushin, which is the topic of this article.
Fukushin abdominal assessment
In all of my treatments, the diagnosis phase plays a pivotal role in guiding me towards effective treatments for my clients, and Kampo herbal medicine consultations are no different.
Fukushin is the physical and methodical palpation of the client’s abdomen to derive direct, physical evidence and signs. When performing fukushin during a Kampo consultation, I am looking for very specific and concrete findings which point to formula “families” to consider.
Fukushin is similar to hara diagnosis, but takes on a more “physical” form.
Fukushin and “listening touch”
The concept of “listening touch” is an integral aspect of fukushin, and a unifying element that spans the traditional East Asian medicine treatments that I practice.
Listening touch is used mostly in Zen Shiatsu or acupuncture. But even fukushin requires the hands to be “listening”. During a Kampo herbal medicine consultation, my hands still play a crucial role in deciphering the body’s messages.
Fukushin is an extension of listening touch, and a distinctive method that serves as a bridge between my intuitive understanding and empirical evidence, giving me an opportunity to decipher the body’s underlying imbalances and disharmonies.
The tactile approach of fukushin enables me to connect with my clients on a profound level, utilizing the body’s responses to inform diagnostic insights.
During a Kampo consultation, this heightened sensitivity to physical findings allows me to pinpoint specific patterns within the abdomen that align with particular formula families, guiding me towards tailored herbal treatments.
Navigating Kampo formula families
At the heart of fukushin’s application in Kampo lies the art of identifying abdominal patterns that serve as signposts towards specific formula families.
The abdomen literally “tells” me which herbs and formulas need to be prescribed. Put another way, if a finding is not present on the abdomen, the use of the associated Kampo formula-family is not indicated.
These formula families encompass a collection of herbal combinations that have been prescribed, refined, and validated over 1000s of years. They have been subjected to modern, scientific review, and developed to address various imbalances and ailments.
About Daniel
I am a practitioner of traditional East Asian medicine based in Toronto, Ontario. You can find more about me on my bio or learn more about the treatments I offer.
As always, thanks for reading!
– Daniel (T’agyol) Adler