The Husband/Wife Imbalance | Acupuncture Today (2024)

The Husband/Wife Imbalance (AKA "H/W"), like Aggressive Energy – discussed in my July (2018) column, is an energetic block that will result in death, unless cleared, as its presence indicates that nature has given up the fight against the internal or external pathogenic factors that have assaulted the body/mind/spirit of the patient.

Causes of H/W Imbalance

The causes of this block are much the same overwhelming stresses as those listed for Aggressive Energy—

• Illnesses that pound away relentlessly at a person, overwhelming an organ or function.
• Continual or overwhelming stress or strain (physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual) beyond what a person can take.
• Toxicity - usually prolonged consumption of toxins (including, but not limited to, prescription or recreational drugs, toxic food and drink, or severe environmental toxicity) and combinations of the above.

Resolving this condition is of utmost and immediate importance. Only Possession (September 2018) and Aggressive Energy take precedence, in that order. If a patient is possessed, the practitioner will not be able to clear any of the other blocks that may also be present. As will be discussed later in this article, the treatment to resolve a Husband/Wife Imbalance involves transferring of energy. If Aggressive Energy is present, any transfer of energy risks transferring destructive and toxic energy (Aggressive) to other organs and functions, unless it is first fully cleared. Only then is the practitioner free to safely undertake the treatment protocols to remove a Husband/Wife Imbalance.

Historical Perspective

From antiquity, the Chinese observed that the male of the species was, in general, outwardly larger and physically stronger than the female. As such, the male (or Husband) was better equipped to hunt and protect the territory. The female (or Wife) was outwardly smaller and physically weaker (though internally stronger), and equipped to bear and nourish children. Both roles are necessary, complementary, and of equal value. If each performed the roles that nature assigned, the family would thrive. If the roles were reversed, the family would perish.

The Diagnosis

Within every person (males and females alike, married or unmarried, gay or straight) exist the qualities of the male (Husband) and female (Wife). According to the Law of Husband and Wife, the pulses on the left hand side (HT, SI, LIV, GB, KI, BL) correspond to the Husband and those on the right hand side (LU, LI, SP, ST, PC, SJ) correspond to the Wife. The Law of Husband and Wife states that sum total of the pulses of the Husband side should be qualitatively and quantitatively slightly stronger than those of the Wife. If this situation is reversed, the patient's condition will deteriorate until death, and no treatment will be of any effect until the Husband/Wife Imbalance is removed.

This block is only detectable by pulse diagnosis. If present, all pulses of the Wife side (right), will feel aggressive, pushy, and excessive, while all pulses of the Husband side (left), will feel weak, deficient, and resigned.

The Treatment

First Protocol: To treat this condition, we employ simple (one needle) transfers of energy, pulling the excess from the Wife to the Husband. The energy transfers are accomplished by tonifying the following points:

• UB 67 and KI 7, both used to pull the energy from Metal to Water
• KI 3, to pull the energy from Earth to Water
• LIV 4, to pull energy from Metal to Wood

Then, as part of the protocol, tonify the source points of the Husband side of Fire:

• SI 4
• HT 7

The technique for tonification is as follows: Each point is fully needled on the left side first, then the right. Before insertion, position the needle tip on the point, needle angled slightly in the direction of flow of the meridian; insert and turn 180 degrees clockwise; quickly withdraw, and briefly press the point immediately, sealing the hole.

The above protocol will work successfully in the majority of cases.

If the block has cleared, there will be a softening and lessening of the pushy, dominant qualities of the Wife side, and a significant increase in strength of the Husband side. In the Classical Five-Element tradition, once the block has cleared, assuming there are no other blocks present, we support the patient at the core – appropriately treating the meridians that, by means of traditional diagnosis, were determined to be those of the patient's primary elemental imbalance – the Causative Factor (AKA "CF"). There is no association of people of a particular CF to be more, or less, prone to any blocks, including this one.

Following the successful outcome of this protocol and depending on the need of the patient, we may need to use an appropriate point (or points) for their spiritual connotations to support the patient's spirit, prior to anchoring with appropriate command points (distal to the elbow or knee) on the CF, or simply anchor with command points of the CF. Usually, source points are a safe and secure choice. We must then bring the patient back for a checkup within 1-3 days to make sure the block has not returned and, perhaps, to reinforce core support. If the block has returned, we start the process from the beginning.

Stubborn Cases

If the above protocol didn't work, it is advised to repeat the above treatment and re-needling the points again. Accurate point location is vital. If a point was missed, no transfer was accomplished by its use. We must continue treatment, right then and there, incorporating whatever protocols are required until the block is cleared.

It is possible, however, that points stronger than the foregoing may be needed. The Wife may be holding on more strongly than what the first protocol could resolve. It is also possible that the patient is truly terminal and the block is beyond our reach to reverse. We will not know, however, unless and until we do everything we can to resolve it, and hopefully save the patient's life.

Second Protocol: The second protocol is much stronger than the first, as we utilize a group of points called "Associated Effect Points" (AKA "AEPS"). These are also known as "Back Shu" or "Correspondence" points. AEPs provide a very strong, powerful, and direct influence on the organ or function to which they correspond. In this situation, there is a Wife that is stubbornly holding on to energy that is not naturally hers, and a Husband too resigned and weak to take up his tasks. Thus, we must employ strong and forceful means.

Demanding Release

We first sedate the AEPs corresponding to the Wife. This is akin to saying, "We asked you nicely to give up the excess you are holding and you refused. Now, we're not asking; we're demanding." Our first needles will be sedating (bilaterally) the predominantly yin Officials of the Wife (can be done in any order):

• UB 13 (AEP of LU)
• UB 14 (AEP of PC)
• UB 20 (AEP of SP)

The technique for sedation is as follows: Position the needle tip on the point, right side first, the needle angled slightly against the flow of the meridian (upwards, as the UB channel flows downward). Insert to depth and turn 180 degrees counter-clockwise. Leave the needle in place. Repeat the technique on the same point on the left side. Continue until needles of the above points are in place. All are retained until the Wife pulses begin to soften – usually within a few minutes.

Then, leaving the sedation needles in place, tonify the predominantly yin Officials of the Husband:

• UB 15 (AEP of HT)
• UB 18 (AEP of LIV)
• UB 23 (AEP of KI)

The technique for tonification is the same as described in the 1st protocol. In this case, position the needle in the AEP, angled slightly downward, insert, and give 180 degree turn clockwise. Remove immediately and press the hole. With tonification, treat the left side first, followed by the right. The points may be done in any order. As an example, going from above to below, tonify UB 15 left side, then right side, followed by UB 18 and 23 in the same fashion.

Then, remove the sedation needles. Check the pulses. If the block has broken, the change will be the softening and lessening of all of the Wife side pulses and a significant increase in strength of all of the Husband side pulses as described above. The follow-up treatment considerations are the same, as well.

If, after the second protocol, the H/W persists, repeat the first protocol, which may be more successful this time. If the block persists (and this is rare), there is one more – even stronger protocol – which we can use. This will involve the Four Needle technique and will be discussed in detail in a future article.