Does Shiatsu need Research? If so, what kind of Research does Shiatsu need? (Dr. Eduard Tripp, Karin Koers, Achim Schrievers)

A Report on the Panel Discussion from the ÖDS Days, Vienna, 13 June 2019
Dr. Eduard Tripp, Karin Koers and Achim Schrievers.
Translation: Chris McAlister
(Braucht Shiatsu Forschung? Und wenn ja, welche Forschung braucht Shiatsu?
Shiatsu Journal 98, Autumn 2019)

In answering the first question, the panel participants agreed spontaneously: Yes, Shiatsu does need research! But what do we mean when we talk about research and what do we hope to achieve through it?

We do research in order to expand and deepen our knowledge. The most natural way to gain knowledge is experience. As children, we learn to sit, stand and walk and thus learn about gravity and how to deal with it. But we are not aware of this knowledge. Awareness comes when we begin to think about the experiences we have had. With reflection comes an understanding of the laws behind the experiences and knowing these laws we can plan ahead.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has an immense wealth of experience. Through reflection on experience, an understanding of the laws of nature has developed over the millennia. This understanding forms the basis for the teachings of Yin and Yang, the five phases of transformation, the meridians and their functions, as well as the acupuncture points and their effects.

With the advent of evidence-based science, an additional way of gaining knowledge has developed in the West. In relation to Shiatsu, evidence describes the scientific proof of patient safety and effectiveness in order to scientifically justify the professional recognition of Shiatsu and its status within the public health service.

This is not the sole focus however, for another question arises beyond that: as Shiatsu practitioners, what kind of knowledge should we strive for to suit our own purposes? The range of what is feasible extends from „classical“ research approaches, such as those currently existing within medicine, to basic research and the co-development and co-design of new research as well as documentation approaches that are suitable for the depth and diversity of Shiatsu.

The participants panel, moderated by Dr. Sonia Raviola, MSc, reflected this diversity:

• Fernando Cabo: Great Britain, author of the study „Shiatsu and Acupressure Two Different and Distinct Techniques“
• Achim Schrievers: Germany, co-author of the pilot study „Shiatsu as a way into mindfulness practice“
• Karin Koers: Germany, collaboration on the pilot study „Shiatsu as a way into mindfulness practice“
• Patrizia Stefanini: Italy, co-author of the study „Modeling Meridians Within the Quantum Field Theory“
• Kristina Pfeifer: Austria, coordinator of the Shiatsu Research Network
• Eduard Tripp: Austria, professional representative of the Austrian Shiatsu Association, the ÖDS.

Questioning clients is one way of quantifiably learning more about the effects of Shiatsu from the perspective of the recipient. The subjectively experienced effects of Shiatsu depend among other things on the cultural imprint and socialization of the clients. It may be assumed that the perceived effects of Shiatsu on the psyche in Western countries, where individual feelings and needs play a major role, are different from those in Asian cultures, where the collective is of primary importance. This opens up an interesting field of research.

Another example is the treatment of cancer patients. In addition to the conventional medical treatment of the tumour, there is also the matter of coping with the overall situation and dealing with the side effects of the therapy. Experience has shown that Shiatsu can be of help here – Fernando Cabo described a study that was carried out in England in order to scientifically prove what Shiatsu practitioners know from experience in this area.

Generally speaking, research projects based on the evidence criteria of medicine can produce statistically reliable results. This can generate positive influences for the professional position of Shiatsu both in the field of research and within health care. The research project „Shiatsu and Mindfulness“ under the direction of Karin Koers follows this approach.

The project is conceived as a multinational study, with 300 volunteers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The aim is to investigate the effect of Shiatsu and the mindfulness exercise „the four anchors“ developed by Achim Schrievers on stress load, perception and mindfulness. The study will be conducted through interviewing the respondents using standardised questionnaires and documentation of the sessions by the Shiatsu practitioners. These will be supplemented by measurements of cortisol levels in saliva as a physical stress parameter. It is hoped that the promising results obtained in the pilot study from 2017 in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Kohls from the Coburg University of Applied Sciences of Coburg, will be validated.

The question of what influence the client’s self-perception has on the success of the treatment is another interesting aspect of this study. Karin Koers explained that it is not only in the pilot project that a connection was found between the awareness existing at the outset and the effect of the treatments; other studies such as the in-depth interviews as well as the results of her bachelor thesis also seem to suggest such a connection.

The question of financing studies and that of compliance with scientific research standards together form an essential basis for promising projects. For eaxample, the publication of studies in relevant journals requires the prior approval of an ethics committee, as Dr. Kristina Pfeifer illustrated with a recent example. The only exception to this rule is when a pure survey of clients is carried out and the treatment/intervention takes place independently of participation in the study. Fernando Cabo demonstrated this using the previous example of the study of cancer patients at a London clinic.

The coordination of research topics and cooperation in research projects are also important factors. The Shiatsu Research Network (SRN), founded in 2017 by Dr. Kristina Pfeifer during the the European Shiatsu Congress in Vienna, may be useful here. Its goal is the sharing of information and research results and to support the establishment of structures on which subsequent research projects can be based. It aims to facilitate exchange and to promote constructive and perhaps even – scientifically speaking – controversial discussion.

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