Su = hand - Jok = foot
Korean words relating to a therapy that employs hands and feet as treatment areas for the whole body.
The late Professor Park, Jae Woo was a Korean scientist and philosopher. He is the originator of Su Jok Therapy. Through his scientific works he developed a variety of simple and effective systems of treatment, which have gained wide acceptance all over the world among doctors, practitioners and lay people alike. He had great perception, was able to explain oriental wisdom in terms of modern science and was undoubtedly a visionary par excellence.
On our hands and feet we host correspondence systems. The systems are highly active points connected to every area of the body through correspondence globules, positioned below the surface of the skin. When these globules are stimulated energy waves are passed to the corresponding organ and to the brain which in turn brings about curative energy waves.
You would be correct in assuming Su Jok therapy resembles reflexology as in both systems the hands and feet are considered to be blueprints of the body, however, Su Jok is more evolved than reflexology which looks to be an unfinished system. This statement does not denigrate the effectiveness of reflexology as it is fact that it has helped many people. Professor Park has located and proven there is more than one map of the body on the hands and feet and through treating all of the pain spots, a more effective and lasting treatment is assured. The treatment of the correspondence areas is carried out in a different manner; utilizing several effective correction techniques to ensure optimum benefit to the client.
Since it cured my back pain completely I feel at liberty to say that Su Jok therapy is one of the most advanced therapies available in the world today.
If you look at the hand, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the structure of the body. Take first the thumb, it has two phalanges and resembles the head and neck. If the thumb had been placed at the centre of the wrist, it would be blatantly obvious that the hand is unmistakably an exact replica of the body. However, Prof. Park, Jae Woo’s intuition showed him, without doubt, that even with the thumb positioned off centre it is head, palm is trunk and fingers are appendages (arms and legs).
The top part of the thumb, palm side (yin), is face and positioned below the nail plate on the yang side is the brain. Under the first joint is the neck, on the yin surface is the location of the throat and on the yang surface the cervical vertebrae.
Now flex your thumb and notice the shape beneath, which resembles the thorax. This area is the correspondence area for the lungs, with the heart positioned between the lungs, slightly off centre to the left, with the apex sitting on the life-line crease. This crease indicates the line of the upper diaphragm.
And so we are able to continue through the body, with exact mirror images of all organs, body systems and appendages mapped onto the hands and feet.
To carry out effective treatment, the therapist first carries out a consultation with the client to ascertain the nature of the problems presenting which will enable the therapist to make a treatment plan.
Accurate identification of the point to be treated is only halfway to successful treatment. For treatment to be effective, one must stimulate the point correctly. This is achieved in different ways.
For example if the client is suffering acute pain to the right knee, the area would relate to the middle joint of the middle finger on the right hand. A probe would be used on and around this area to find the most painful spots. If there is no inflammation of the knee, the area can first be warmed with moxa.
Following the moxa treatment, further warming with an elastic massage ring could be considered. The ring is placed on a finger and the area corresponding to the afflicted part of the body is massaged till it grows red and warm. Black pepper seeds could then be taped to this area which the client would press for periods of 20/30 seconds throughout the course of a day. Itching, tingling, painfulness or feelings of warmth that may follow are all indications of the effect of the natural energy of the seed being exerted on the active point. After 24 hours the seeds are replaced with new ones and the procedure is repeated.
Seed treatment is particularly effective with long-lasting chronic diseases accompanied by constant pain, also for diseases of joints as well as in the treatment of children who are invariably very responsive to this method.
In cases of severe chronic diseases affecting many organs and systems or large regions of the body, metaphysical Su Jok Energy Flow treatment is also applied. One method of energy flow treatment is the application of magnets to the hands or feet which releases blockages of Byol meridians and/or Byol chakras. Su Jok Energy Flow Therapy, together with treatment of the standard energy systems, is highly effective and reduces duration of disease and treatment time.