The author has gained clinical experience in acupuncture and moxibustion at the Pain Clinic of the Department of Anesthesiology, the Department of Physical Medicine (now the Department of Allergy and Rheumatology), the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Tokyo Hospital and the Printing Bureau Hospital of the Ministry of Finance, psychiatric and internal medicine clinics, and integrated health care facilities. From our clinical experience and research in acupuncture and moxibustion, we believe that in order to position acupuncture and moxibustion in modern medicine, it is important to understand diseases and symptoms from a modern medical perspective, to understand the disease state, to provide treatment based on the disease state, and to evaluate and examine the efficacy and usefulness of acupuncture and moxibustion on a scientific basis. Acupuncture and moxibustion are characterized by the following: 1) Individualized patient care is possible, 2) treatment is possible even without a diagnosis, 3) there are few side effects that are harmful to the body, 4) it is possible to selectively approach the tissue near a lesion, and 5) as a non-pharmacotherapy, it can be combined with modern medical treatments (such as pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy). With these characteristics, acupuncture and moxibustion can be useful as non-invasive forms of treatment in modern medicine. Furthermore, what is required of acupuncture and moxibustion practitioners is the ability to cooperate with doctors and other medical professionals to gain a common understanding and mutual trust.

Currently, disease patterns in Japan are centered mainly on lifestyle-related diseases and diseases of the elderly, but in addition to these, mental illnesses, including stress and depression, are also increasing. This situation is expected to worsen in the future, and therefore, more efforts for health maintenance and its promotion, disease prevention, treatment of pre-symptomatic diseases, and care after illness are required more than ever before. Acupuncture and moxibustion have set "mibyo-chi" (treatment of pre-symptomatic diseases) as the highest behavioral health goal, and it recommends health maintenance and its promotion through "regimen." Acupuncture and moxibustion are based on the principle of maximum utilization of the body's self-control system through its natural healing power, which is, so to speak, the human body's renewable energy. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been trying to apply this power for the purpose of health maintenance and its promotion, disease prevention, treatment of pre-symptomatic diseases, and care after illness, respectively. The most important objectives of acupuncture and moxibustion have been health maintenance and its promotion and treatment of pre-symptomatic diseases. In the future, if society requires medical care that incorporates a social model, the era of acupuncture and moxibustion will have arrive. Acupuncture and moxibustion are based on the principle of maximum utilization of the body's self-control system through its natural healing power.

[Introduction] There is as yet no clear medical treatment for acute phase COVID-19, and treatment of some cases using drugs alone have proved challenging. We report on a severely ill COVID-19 patient whose symptoms improved after receiving acupuncture during recovery from COVID-19.[Case] The patient was a 53-year-old man whose chief complaint was dyspnea. He developed dyspnea and fever on August 24 (20XX) and became aware of taste disturbances on August 27. His respiratory symptoms worsened during the evening of August 29, and he was transported to hospital via ambulance on August 31. He tested positive on a PCR test, and widespread pneumonia was observed, so he was hospitalized following a diagnosis of severe COVID-19.[Treatment] To improve the patient's breathing, acupuncture was used in combination with Chinese medicine (Kampo) to treat lung qi deficiency and kidney failing to receive qi. Chest pain which appeared during the treatment period and low back pain due to long-term bed rest were also treated. At the first acupuncture intervention, the fraction of inspiratory oxygen (FiO2) was 80% with high-flow oxygen therapy, and body movement was difficult. Following treatment, oxygen therapy became unnecessary (FiO2: 21%), and the patient was subsequently discharged from the hospital.[Discussion and Conclustion] This case indicates that acupuncture may be effective for improving respiratory symptoms during the acute phase of COVID-19. In this case, oxygen demand was improved by treatment of relevant acupoints based on Kampo diagnosis. However, one symptom which remained was that the chest did not expand upon inspiration. The relevant locale of this symptom was detected on the kidney meridian. The movement of the thorax was visually improved after performing thoracic acupoint, and oxygen saturation was also improved. In conclusion, it appears that acupuncture is effective for both the acute and chronic phases of COVID-19, and can be applicable for active intervention.

[Objective] We report a case in which we unexpectedly encountered a patient with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) caused by severe stenosis of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) during the course of acupuncture treatment.Patient: A 79-year-old man suffered from bilateral shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with a frozen shoulder at the orthopedic department and was referred to the acupuncture department.[Results] During the course of acupuncture treatment, the subject occasionally exhibited subtle behavioral features, such as difficulty in speech, holding incoherent conversations, and forgetting where he put things. The symptoms were observed repeatedly during treatment, so the acupuncturist referred the patient to the neurosurgical department for a consultation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed an old cerebral infarction in the watershed area in the left paraventricular region, and MR angiography (MRA) revealed left middle cerebral artery stenosis. Single photon emission computed tomography showed decreased blood flow in the left MCA area. The symptoms could be considered TIA with motor and sensory aphasia. The administration of aspirin was started, and the symptoms disappeared.[Discussion and Conclusion] The acupuncturist has more opportunities to obtain information about the patient due to the longer time spent in acupuncture therapy compared to general outpatient treatment. Acupuncture can play an important role in medical partnership. It is also important that the acupuncturist has sufficient medical knowledge.