We could say “the treatment of the abdomen from its origin to the present day” … 

A new interview with Dr. Tian Hong.

Yes, the abdomen is an “ancestral” area treated by the origin of life and also “probed” by modern science. 
Leaning your hand on your stomach and massaging it is a spontaneous and unconscious gesture that we all often do when we have discomfort and pain, when we feel it swollen but also when we simply need to find some relief and serenity. 

Different cultures have made it a useful and effective practice to regain well-being and often the easily practicable abdominal massage is adopted to relax mind and body, bringing benefits on a physical and psychologist level. 

In modern times, profound connections between the brain and the gut have been discovered, so much so as to indicate the latter as the “second brain”. It contains, in fact, millions of cells and neuronal fibers that constitute a real autonomic nervous system capable of processing external and internal stimuli received by the body and interacting with the central nervous system through an exchange of information mediated by the psychoneuroimmunoendocrine system (release of hormones , vagus nerve, immune system). 

It is common experience to feel an increase in motility or a state of intestinal inflammation following a stressful event and studies have shown that inflammatory states cause hormone production thanks to the vast neurochemical assets available to the enteric nervous system, comparable only to that of the central nervous system.
The cells of both brains speak the same chemical language, they use the same mediators. 

Even traditional Chinese medicine has highlighted a profound correlation between the abdominal area and the rest of the body, identifying a microsystem to be stimulated for therapeutic purposes on the abdomen.

What is abdominotherapy?

It is the meeting of two brains , a new oriental therapeutic method based on the existence of the brain-abdominal. 

The theory was developed by Dr. Bo Zhiyun in 1991 and was born from the idea that around the navel there is a microsystem called the Shenque System ( CV8 acupoint located at the navel), which develops before any other, under the influence of stimuli derived from the placenta , during embryonic life. This system ( mother system ) continues to develop after birth and becomes the central nucleus of the meridian system ( child system ). 

In other wordsumbilical cord and placenta , which represent the center of the fundamental regulation system during intrauterine life, are replaced at birth by the activity of the Organs and Viscera , but retain the memory of their function within the brain by centralizing it in the umbilical point, which it becomes the control nucleus for the distribution of blood and energy throughout the body. 

A sort of bio-holographic principle: each part of the organism has embryological potential and contains the information of the whole organism , so parts of the body and its internal organs are projected onto a limited portion of tissue. This phenomenon is identified with the concepts of reflex zone.

Starting from this theory, Dr. Bo Zhiyun introduces the abdominal system or ABDOMINAL MERIDIAN SYSTEM (AMS).

What is the “magic turtle”?

It is the vision of the meridian regulation system . 
He highlighted three different levels of depth – superficial, medium and deep – each of which has its own functional mechanism and relative therapeutic effect. 

The superficial level is found on the congenital AMS , which develops together with the embryo and is in connection with the osteoarticular system; it is represented by a map in the shape of a turtle (the “Magic turtle”), a symmetrical pattern that corresponds in each area to various areas of the body. 

The intermediate level connects the superficial to the deep system .

The deep level involves all organs and viscera and is represented by an octagonal map (ba gua). 

Distinguishing the three levels means effectively intervening on the energy imbalance that has been created, considering the course, the duration and the system concerned. 

In which countries is abdominal treatment practiced? What ailments can it treat?

In China it is applied in many health facilities as an effective therapy for various diseases and is also spreading in some European countries with excellent results.  

Here in Italy it can become a valid support to traditional therapies for all osteo-muscular-articular disorders such as cervical, stiff neck, cervical-dorsal-lumbar spondylopathy; scapulohumeral periarthritis; tendonitis; rheumatoid arthritis; lower back pain with sciatica; arthrosis. 

The treatment of deep levels acts on the organ / viscera balance, mitigating the symptomatic manifestations of numerous disordersneurological (e.g. headaches and neuralgia), pneumological (e.g. asthma), gastrointestinal (e.g. gastritis, colitis, constipation, belching and regurgitation) and gynecological (e.g. amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, etc.) types. 

With what methods can abdominotherapy be applied?

The points of the abdomen, in Italy, can be treated with needles by doctors specialized in acupuncture or manually by recognized professional Tuina operators .

In the case of using acupuncture, the needles penetrate only superficially , so the treatment is not painful.
The therapeutic effects manifest themselves very quickly, often already in the first session.  

* Dr. Tian Hong practices and teaches tuina and traditional Chinese medicine at many Italian schools, maintaining a close collaboration with Chinese universities.