I'm all for "eastern" medicine, provided you can make a good case for it being "dwarfy". Dwarfs aren't humans, and they certainly aren't European humans, but there's a lot of European tradition bound up into what a dwarf "is", so some consideration/respect should be paid to that.
It's not the end all-be all of the conversation, though. Dwarfs are an Eastern European phenomenon, as well as a Western one, and they *do* have their Asian (and African, and Polynesian, and American, etc etc.) counterparts.
It's really up to Toady and Threetoe to give the final word, though. They're the ones who decide what goes into the game and what doesn't, so if they want shiatsu, we'll get shiatsu
As far as rest requirements after surgery, I'm of the opinion that while surgery *might* reduce rest somewhat (and I'm kindof on the negative side of rest reduction), it probably shouldn't eliminate it.
It could very well be the deciding factor on whether or not your dwarf survives at all (especially if they have red wounds), which-providing the surgery is a success *AND* the patient lives (often mutually exclusive states--Shock is a real bastard, there's lots of things that can complicate a surgery that our dwarfs just aren't going to fully understand, or even be aware of, and sometimes patients just die because they die), it would then allow them to continue their existence, via bedrest and with care, as we currently have it in the game. Not go out dancing, just because they "made their saving throw".
Surgery and healing are kind of almost separate things, in that surgery goes in and fixes specific problems, like a badly broken leg, but it doesn't (arguably) cause the leg to heal any faster, it just helps it heal *better* than it would, if it had never been properly set and cared for by a competent surgeon.
I also think the very real and very deadly risk of infection, aggrivation, and reinjury, should be considered, when thinking about rest.
Until the healing process is completed, no serious wound (yellow or worse) should ever be...less than serious.
And if it's reinjured, even lightly, there could be a chance it might open up the previous wound to it's previous level of injury.
If nothing else, running around with a wound could be a good excuse for the demons to climb in and make you their bitch.
That doesn't mean our dwarfs couldn't engage in some light activity and excercise while they're recuperating. Infact, light activity would probably help them, but their should be serious risks and penalties for sending your dwarfs out to perform hard labour, go without sleep/food, fight battles, attend stressful meetings (perform magic?), or go very far from your fortress, when they're supposed to be recovering.
And if they should be struck by an Artifact mood, there should maybe be a chance that it'll just kill them outright, if they aren't in good health. That's just one of the many hazards of being a dwarf.