Acupuncture and
moxibustion, which medical doctors are licensed by the government of Japan to perform, can improve the psychological relationship between doctors and patients, especially when it is disturbed by a "game", a dysfunctional interpersonal interaction that is repeated unintentionally. This advantage is due to the essential properties of acupuncture and
moxibustion. Acupuncture and
moxibustion are helpful in treating
somatoform disorders, especially musculoskeletal symptoms. In Japan, a holistic acupuncture and
moxibustion therapy called Sawada-style has been developed. This is based on fundamental meridian points that are considered to have effects on central, autonomic nervous, immune, metabolic, and endocrine systems to regulate the whole body balance. In addition, some of the fundamental points have effects on Qi, blood, and water patterns associated with major depression, generalized
anxiety disorder,
eating disorders, and
somatoform disorders. The fixed protocol of Sawada-style would be suitable for large-scale, randomized, controlled studies in the future. Recent systematic reviews indicate that
electroacupuncture would be a useful addition to
antidepressant therapy for some symptoms accompanying
fibromyalgia. Acupuncture and
moxibustion are also recommended for
irritable bowel syndrome, instead of Western
drug therapy. Surprisingly, the dorsal prefrontal cerebral cortex, which is associated with a method of scalp acupuncture applied for
gastrointestinal disorders, has been found to be activated in patients with
irritable bowel syndrome. It is quite possible that regulation of this cortical area is related to the effect of scalp acupuncture. This acupuncture method can be effective not only for
irritable bowel syndrome but also for other stress-related
gastrointestinal disorders.