The 5-Phase theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine has been an integral part of medical acupuncture for 2000 years. The research of John R. Cross PhD, PhDAc, has resulted in a further evolution of the 5-Phase theory to include the Ayurvedic chakra energy centers. By using chakras, a clinician can appreciate the integration of human organ systems, the neuroendocrine system, and personality attributes (both positive and negative) associated with each chakra. To create personality archetypes from chakras that have practical clinical value. By assigning chakras to the 5-Phase elements on a pentagon per Dr. Cross, it was possible to connect a series of negative or positive emotions, from one to another, using the familiar cycles and cycles, to form theoretical personality archetypes and then to demonstrate archetype usefulness in a sample clinical case. The patient was being treated with Japanese acupuncture. The main outcome sought was to determine the personality types according to the 5-Phase theory with chakra energy centers included and to demonstrate the application of this system in the clinical case. Fourteen personality archetypes-seven composed of positive emotions and seven composed of negative emotions-were identified. Easy-to-remember names and familiar patterns of emotion that are mapped to the nodes of a pentagon (adapted to chakra acupuncture) were produced. The clinical case showed that the patient's work life conflicts resulted in negative archetype emotional patterns (anger, scarcity, lack of self-esteem) consistent with the presentation of irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, liver illness, and osteoarthritis. Personality archetypes have clinical value for understanding the emotions associated with illness.

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Background: Chronic postoperative complaints (CPC), including pain and dysfunction, lasting months to years after common operations, have reached epidemic proportions. There is a paucity of reports on acupuncture acupuncture treatments for CPC. Objective: The aim of this study was to perform nonblinded observation of acupuncture treatment for chronic postoperative complaints. Design: This study was comprised of a nonblinded, nonrandomized, prospective, observational case series. The records presented in this article are a subset of research clinic records. Setting: The study was conducted at a free acupuncture research clinic, at Fletcher Allen Health Care. The clinic was managed by the Department of Anesthesia of the University of Vermont's College of Medicine. Patients: The patients in this study were 17 nonblinded volunteers. Interventions: The interventions included Kiiko Matsumoto-style pressure-release acupuncture, and supplementary electroacupuncture, auriculotherapy, and additional points when indicated. Main Outcome Measures: The study measured the patients' reported symptoms, which were assessed in each case by the treating physician as being minimum, moderate, or full improvement/recovery. Results: Eleven of 17 patients were benefited by acupuncture. Among 9 patients who received 5 or more treatments, 100% of these patients reported improvement. Eight of the 9 patients achieved moderate-to-full improvement, and 1 patient had minimal improvement. For 8 patients, who only received 1-4 treatments, 2 of these patients reported benefit, 1 moderate and 1 full. The Spearman nonparametric rank correlation coefficient = 0.6296; p-value = 0.0094. This showed improvement was highly correlated to the number of treatments received. Conclusions: Improvement in patients with CPP treated with acupuncture correlates to the number of treatments. Nonbinding pain contracts to motivate patients with CPP to stay under acupuncture treatment are advisable.