(To fellow geeks out there: let me know if I can be of help in creating a program that can calculate other ‘useful combos’. This could be within Tan/Tung/5-elements etc. )

Dr Tan’s Balance Method acupuncture focuses on selecting meridians to obtain ‘local balance’ and ‘global balance’. It is based on how one channel can balance other channels. Painful areas are not needled directly. Rather pain is alleviated by selecting distal points on the four limbs or on the head. Any one who has witnessed his treatments can be in little doubt of how effective it is. (谭无边老师立竿见影) The system is very logical. In fact it is so logical that an application can do the required analysis, calculate the channel combinations and show the the result in an understandable fashion. This procedure is known as doing the ‘matrix analysis’. If you are a practitioner, and, like me, still have not memorised all the balance tables, then this application may be of use. The Balance Method application below does the ‘matrix analysis’ for you, saving you time. It is intended to be used in clinic. It does assume that you already know the principles behind Dr Tan’s Balance Method. While using this functionality, do keep in mind that a drawback of software like this is that it only works in one way. Unlike a practitioner, it has no freedom of mind. Your mind is more flexible than this application! If you’d like additional functionality, let me know. It is also said that the Global Balance Method is best for Global issues, i.e. chronic internal issues. Local issues, like local acute pain, are best dealt with using ordinary local balance. Approach

1. Identify channels in proximity to the painful area
2. In the diagram, select those channels
3. Click button ‘Show Matrix Analysis’

The results shown are:

1. The minimum set of channels that balances all the selected channels
2. Any Yin Yang Yin Yang combos across the 4 limbs
3. Any Global Balance combos, whether it be of type (a), (b) or (c).

   

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Meridian Conversion

LI 11, LI 3, SP 9, SP 3	LU 9, LU 5, ST 43, ST 36	YangMing/TaiYin Balance (Frontal Systems) nasal problems, mouth, throat, chest, digestion/stomach, bladder, penis, uterus, ST channel sciatica, sinus HA, thyroid, sleep apnea
LI 4, LI 1 LIV 4, LIV 1	PC 9, PC 6, ST 45, ST 42	YangMing/JueYin Balance (Frontal Systems) emotional, insomnia, depression, neurotic, high strung, fear, IBS, PTSD. neurotic, nervous, anxious, vibrating, afraid, pulse is rapid, slippery, floating, wiry. Use PC, LV, LI, ST.
LI 4, LI 1, KID 4, KID 1	PC 9, PC 6, ST 45, ST 42	4 Magic Meridians (YangMing + PC/KID) (Frontal Systems) Any Zang Fu problem, Ren ST KID problem, abdomen/chest
SJ 10, SJ 3 Tan LIV 8, LIV 3	PC 7, PC 3 GB 41, GB 34	ShaoYang/ JueYin Balance (Side systems) side of body, SI joint, ribcage pain, temple HA, traps/side of neck, tension, lateral/medial sciatica, angry, stress, insomnia, manic phase of bipolar, wiry pulse. uptight people, achievers, tight, they hold resentment, pulse is wiry, tight. Things are “supposed to be” or “not supposed to be”. Use PC, SJ, GB, LIV pattern.
SJ 10, SJ 3 KID 10, KID 3	HT 7, HT 3, GB 41, GB 34	ShaoYang/ ShaoYin Balance (Side Systems) deficient heat, chronic low back pain, chronic depression, chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue, deep pulse, deficient type. Apathetic, deficient, fatigue, tired, no motivation, depression caused by expectation, negative. (Pulse: choppy/irregular?)
SI 8, SI 3, KID 10, KID 3	HT 7, HT 3, BL 64, BL 40	TaiYang/ShaoYin Balance (Back Systems) back of body, occipital HA, neck tightness/pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue
LU 11, LU 8, BL 67, BL 64	SI 4, SI 1, SP 4, SP 1	TaiYang/TaiYin Balance (Back Systems) cold/flu bodyaches, cough, fever, back ribcage area pain, mid-scapular, hunched over.
SJ 3, LI 3, SI 3 KID 1, Sp 1, LIV 1	PC 6, LU 8, HT 5, BL 40, GB 34, ST 36	12 Magic points for Cardiovascular issues(western not TCM)
LI 5, SJ 4, SI 5, SP 5, LIV 4, KID 3	PC 7, HT 7, LU 9, BL 60, GB 40, ST 41	All neck & throat problems
LI 4, SJ 5, SP 9, Tan LIV 8	PC 6, LU 7, ST 36, GB 34	8 Magic Digestive Crohn’s, IBS, bloating, ulcers, diarrhoea, constipation, chemo, morning sickness
SJ 5, SI 3 KID 6, SP 4	PC 6, LU 7 BL 62, GB 41	Confluent Headache Points
LI LIV,KID	PC ST	Genitals: at shoulder LI 15 (ahshi), PC 2 (ahshi). Testicle: at wrist hand: LingGu to LI 3, PC 7 to PC 8.5 (ahshi), ST 41 to ST 43 (ahshi). Prostate: at wrist. LI 5 (ahshi), PC 7 (A), ST 41 (A) Penis: LI 1 to LI 2, PC 9, ST toes.
Sp 4, SP 1 GB 34, GB 41	HT 3, HT 7, SJ 4, SJ 1	Hormone Balance PMS, menopause, menstrual disturbances, disturbed sleep, digestion disorders with emotional stress, heart palpitations, pulse = R guan might be weak
SI 3, SJ 3 LI 3, Tan Liv 8, SP 9, KID 10	PC 6, LU 8, HT 5, ST 38, GB 37, BL 58	Frozen Shoulder

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The Yao Chart

Gua	Liv	HT	SP	LU	KID	PC
Top Yao	Liv 8	HT 3	SP 9	LU 5	Kid 10	PC 3
Fifth Yao	Liv 5	HT 4	SP 5	LU 7	Kid 7	PC 5
Fourth Yao	Liv 4	HT 5	SP 4	LU 8	Kid 4	PC 6
Third Yao	Liv 3	HT 7	SP 3	LU 9	Kid 3	PC 7
Second Yao	Liv 2	HT 8	SP 2	LU 10	Kid 2	PC 8
First Yao	Liv 1	HT 9	SP 1	LU 11	Kid 1	PC 9

 

Gua	GB	SI	ST	LI	BL	SJ
Top Yao	GB 34	SI 8	ST 36	LI 11	BL 40	SJ 10
Fifth Yao	GB 38	SI 5	ST 41	LI 5	BL 60	SJ 6
Fourth Yao	GB 40	SI 4	ST 42	LI 4	BL 64	SJ 4
Third Yao	GB 41	SI 3	ST 43	LI 3	BL 65	SJ 3
Second Yao	GB 43	SI 2	ST 44	LI 2	BL 66	SJ 2
First Yao	GB 44	SI 1	ST 45	LI 1	BL 67	SJ 1

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Seasonal Balance

Think 5 elements diagram with Earth in the middle.

Jan 17 -> Feb 3	Earth
Feb 4 -> April 16	Wood
April 17 -> May 4	Earth
May 5 -> July 20	Fire
July 21 -> Aug 7	Earth
Aug 8 -> Oct 19	Metal
Oct 20 -> Nov 6	Earth
Nov 7 -> Jan 16	Water

Today we are in the season marked with a red box in the chart above. So… of the gua’s in the red box, which gua should you choose for today? Gua’s marked by a star (*) have many good qualities. Though of these, the best gua’s are the red gua’s. For instance of the Earth gua’s, the best gua is 72. Of all of the gua’s, the single best gua is gua number 18 (Yin over Yang. The bottom Yang will rise, and the top Yin will descend, representing ‘maximum change’). In fact, this gua is so good it can be used at any time of the year. Now that you have chosen a gua – assuming you want to do a seasonal balance – how do you use it? 1) First do a normal ‘Balance Method’ search above. 2) In the results, find section ‘Seasonal Balance’. There you will find a form input called ‘Season Number’ (Should perhaps have been called Season gua?). Enter your season gua in the input box and click button ‘Show Matrix Analysis’ again. This will calculate the seasonal balance matrix with suggested points to use.

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This page is dedicated to the memory of Dr Richard Tan who generously shared his insight with all.