Electro-Meridian Imaging (EMI)
Case histories

John A. Amaro D.C., FIAMA, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac.

In the September 2002 issue of "Acupuncture Today" my column on Contemporary Acupuncture Diagnosis Electro Meridian Imaging created a tremendous amount of interest according to the sheer numbers of request for further information received regarding this procedure. If you failed to see this article or failed to see the importance of it, go to AcupunctureToday.com and access the article by going to "columnists" and seeing my previous articles.

I have personally used this procedure for diagnosis in acupuncture since I first learned it in 1973. Prior to that time I practiced pulse and tongue diagnosis. Even though I was obviously a neophyte in 1973, Electro Meridian Imaging allowed me to practice at the level of an accomplished Master.
As pointed out in the article I renamed this procedure from "Ryodoraku" to Electro Meridian Imaging (EMI) in 1982.

In my previous article, I illustrated the procedure of EMI by showing a graph which could be utilized manually on a pre-printed form by simply adding all of the measurement figures of the Yuan points together than dividing by 24 to develop a base average. By establishing the normal range for each individual patient based on that formulation, it is clearly shown which meridian is energetically involved. Again I reference you back to the September 2002 issue of Acupuncture Today for the explanation of the procedure.

However one of the most exciting applications of EMI is without question the computer enhanced version of Electro Meridian Imaging. The entire procedure with the computer takes less than two minutes to perform and the information derived is landmark. Clinical response using this diagnostic procedure is legendary. This article will focus on a few case histories illustrating the graphing from the computer enhanced EMI.

The following case histories are from my own personal patient files. They are typical examples of the significance of this procedure. Please look over the following case scenarios and the related EMI finding. This method of diagnosis can potentially be an incredible addition to your practice regardless of your style of acupuncture.

Case history #1:
The patient enters the office fills out the preliminary medical history along with the other entry forms and proceeds to see me for consultation. During the consultation, I discover the patient has been referred to me for severe adult onset asthma. His situation is extremely grave having been taking to the hospital on three separate incidences by ambulance. The patient is a 27-year-old male with no prior history of asthma or respiratory distress in his history except for sudden onset four years prior. He has seen numerous physicians. He reports extreme shortness of breath in the middle of the night specifically between the hours of 3am to 5 am which is consistent with the horary cycle in the Midday-Midnight law of acupuncture.
Upon EMI examination it was noted the patient was virtually normal in all meridians with the exception of the Large Intestine meridian which was pathologically depressed (see Figure #1). Upon further questioning of the patient, he stated and wondered if the low Large Intestine meridian reading could be a result of his colostomy. "Your colostomy???? There was no mention of a colostomy in his medical history form. It was learned, the patient had been on a mission with his church in the outback of Australia and due to an amoeba/parasite in the water, developed severe intestinal distress which ultimately led to the surgical removal of his large intestine and half of his small intestine. However, following this discovery of his Large Intestine meridian involvement it was learned, his asthma developed within the first two weeks following his colostomy surgery. Based on the acupuncture principle Lung is paired with Large Intestine and what affects one could potentially affect the other, It was reasoned his asthma may very well be caused by his extremely depressed Large Intestine meridian.

The treatment was extremely elementary by using the tonification point for the Large Intestine meridian (LI 11) followed by the Mu (Alarm) point (ST 25) and the Shu (Associated) point BL25. No treatment was geared for his lung as either an organ or meridian. The entire treatment revolved simply around his Large Intestine meridian as discovered by the EMI examination.

The patient was given two treatments and regraphed at which time the EMI graphing showed a correction of the problem. The patient remained a patient receiving maintenance type treatments four times a year with routine Electron Meridian Imaging examinations twice a year. He remained a patient for eight years at which time he re-located to another city where we eventually lost track of him. In the eight years of follow up care, he never experienced another asthma attack or as much as even shortness of breath. He was virtually asymptomatic following the second treatment.

FIGURE 1:


Case History #2:
Sixty-five year old female. Extreme femoral nerve neuritis three years duration. Unable to walk more than 7-10 steps without severe disabling pain. Patient was referred by a physician in another State in the hopes acupuncture may bring about a clinical response. Patient had done extensive physio-therapy, six months of chiropractic care. Under the care of both a neurologist and an orthopedic who prescribe a variety of medication which the patient states has little if any effect. During the EMI examination, it was learned that she had gallbladder surgery just prior to the onset of the condition. She returned for a second surgery to surgically remove scar tissue which had apparently formed as a result of the first surgery. The patient was treated according to the protocols set forth in the EMI examination to tonify the Liver with LIV 8, to sedate the BLADDER by using Bladder 65 and to tonify they GallBladder by using GB 43. She further was treated with laser beam stimulation directly to the abdominal scar tissue. Her debilitating pain was completely and permanently resolved. She received two treatments from me and was referred to her local practitioner for follow up care.
Every Christmas I receive a special card from her thanking me for acupuncture.

Figure #2:


Case History #3 and #4.
The following two case histories share precisely the same identical symptomatology of severe panic attacks. Both of these individual cases share very common findings making their condition seem almost exactly the same. They both have very dramatic stories of their severe disabling panic attacks. Neither of them can leave the house to perform simple tasks like running to the grocery store or picking up the kids after school without grave consequences. They are both confined to their home. The sheer thought of going out of the house is overwhelming. On EMI examination each of these individuals even though their symptoms are practically identical show complete polar opposites of the graph. As one can see one graph shows a very depressed Pericardium, Heart, Small Intestine and Triple Heater meridian. Whereas the other patients graph shows each of those same meridians to be very elevated.

The rule in EMI evaluation is likened to, "This bed was too hard and this bed was too soft-This one is just right" Meaning it makes little difference if the meridians are too high or too low if they are involved this is the clinical significance. Just as one may tune the radio to 94.5 for a clear station, both 94.6 and 94.4 will each broadcast nothing but static. There is nothing wrong with the radio, just something wrong with the fine tuning.

Please note the meridians comprising the Fire Element are all involved. This is a classic finding for panic attacks. This condition is very responsive to acupuncture when balanced.

Figure #3:

Figure #4:


I have thousands of interesting cases in my patient files I would love to share with you, however, as you are aware, space is at a premium. For further information on Electro Meridian Imaging, drop me an e-mail at DrAmaro@IAMA.edu

Best Wishes

John A. Amaro D.C.,FIAMA, Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM)
Box 1003 Carefree, Arizona
DrAmaro@IAMA.edu