The paper summarizes the authorized invention patents, device registration and the relevant published articles of acupuncture medical devices of TCM in recent 5 years, and analyzes the current status and challenges in this field. It is discovered that the optimization and substitution in diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture are involved in the development of acupuncture medical devices. The technology application of these devices are composed of traditional and emerging engineering technologies; and the theoretical guidance for their development requires the integration of traditional acupuncture principles with modern medical theories. The development of acupuncture medical devices highlights the characteristics of multidimensional integration, treatment for specific ailments, portability and wearability, painlessness and non-invasion, precision and personalization, as well as intelligent automation. Upon analysis, it is shown that in the development and product transformation of acupuncture medical devices in recent years, the theoretical principles of acupuncture of TCM have not been fully utilized yet, the transformation of patented product is low, the clinical evidence of product is insufficient, and the market competitiveness needs improvement. In the future, The theoretic guidance of acupuncture of TCM should be enhanced in the development of acupuncture medical devices, a production-education- research model with the combination of medicine and engineering be constructed, clinical verification of product be emphasized, and product development paradigms be advanced, so as to meet the demands of the medical market.
Acupuncture Therapy/trends* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/instrumentation* ; Equipment and Supplies

Zhenjiu Bianyong Tukao (Illustration on Acupuncture and Moxibustion) is composed of the empirical prescriptions, dictated by ZHANG Xichun, the medical master of acupuncture in the Qing Dynasty, recorded and drawn in detail by SU Yuanzhen. There are 5 existing editions of this book preserved, and stored in library of Shanghai University of TCM, bookstore of Nanjing Ancient Classics, library of Heilongjiang Provincial Institute of TCM, library of Beijing University of CM, and China Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, respectively. Different from the official canonical book, this book provides a simplified and easily understandable contents, including 3 sections, named illustrations, prescriptions, and medicinal properties. In the book, the acupoints were illustrated specially rather than character portrayal, and the empirical treatment for painful symptoms was emphasized. The majority of prescriptions was intended for external application, often accompanied by ritualistic incantations. Medicinal herbs were systematically classified, and the effects were described clearly. This book provides the records on the experience in treatment for common diseases in rural areas, combined with the unique pictorial view of acupuncture-moxibustion prescriptions, representing the diversity of local medicine in the Qing Dynasty.
China ; Humans ; Books/history* ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture/history*

The Fragment of Dunhuang Ancient Tibetan Moxibustion Therapy contains rich content on fire moxibustion therapy of Tubo-period Tibetan medicine, characterized by distinctive clinical features of Tibetan acupuncture and strong regional attributes. This paper systematically reviews the relevant materials on moxibustion in the Fragment and summarizes the findings as follows: Tibetan fire moxibustion mainly uses mugwort as the material, and terms like "fine mugwort", "broad bean" and "sheep dung pellet" refer to the size of the moxa cone. The number of moxa cones used is predominantly odd numbers, usually ranging from 5 to 21. The main indications for fire moxibustion cover internal medicine, external medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and various pain syndromes. The therapy advocates for treating acute conditions and heat syndromes with moxibustion. The manuscript also records detailed contraindications, including time-based and seasonal taboos. Moxibustion is applied to both local and distal acupoints, reflecting the therapeutic concept of treating both proximal and distal regions. Furthermore, it documents simple and practical acupoint localization methods such as surface anatomical markers, proportional bone measurement, finger measurement, and hand-span measurement. Compared with contemporaneous Chinese medical moxibustion techniques, the moxibustion methods recorded in this Fragment are rich in content and present unique Tibetan theoretical characteristics. It provides valuable data and evidence for the excavation, application, and further research of Tibetan acupuncture and moxibustion.
Moxibustion/instrumentation* ; Humans ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional/history* ; Tibet ; Acupuncture Points

The acupoint name is a core term in traditional Chinese medicine and has its own mysterious and abstruse feature. Designated by the international organizations such as World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, World Health Organization, the phonetic translation method has been adopted for the standardization of acupuncture nomenclature. But this method neglects the cultural attributes of acupoint names. The liberal translation should be considered appropriately. English translation of acupoint name should be composed of two steps, intralingual translation (exegesis) and interlingual translation. During exegesis, the methods for discriminating phonetic loan character, selecting meanings and identifying character patterns should be sufficiently used. The interlingual translation is launched only after the fully understanding of acupoint names (based on intralingual translation).
Acupuncture Points ; Terminology as Topic ; Humans ; Translations ; Language ; Translating ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

"Jingmai binghou" (meridian symptoms) is not the original term in ancient works, and it is proposed in modern teaching materials of acupuncture. It refers to "the diseases caused by the invasion of pathogenic factors into meridians", and "diseases of the affected meridians", recorded in jingmai (Meridian) of Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot). The proposal of this term is related to the academic tendency of textbook writers and the influence of TCM policy in China. Through collating and analyzing the records of meridian disorders in ancient works, it is found that besides the classic "meridian symptoms", many zangfu disorders, the disorders along the running course of meridian based on meridian differentiation, collateral disorders and the disorders of the exterior-interior relationship of meridians should be classified as meridian disorder. In order to accurately express the rich content of "Jingmai binghou", from the perspective of terminology normalization, it is believed that the expression as "meridian-collateral dominated disease" may reflect its connotation more comprehensively.
Meridians ; Humans ; China ; Terminology as Topic ; History, Ancient ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history*

It attempts to determine the theoretical connotation and clinical application of the twelve-meridian based syndrome/pattern differentiation of TCM through the systematic analysis and elaboration, so as to promote the completion of meridian differentiation system. The exploration is conducted on the main body of traditional meridian-syndrome differentiation, meaning the meridian differentiation in terms of location of illness and that in terms of symptoms. The existing problems and causes are analyzed, and the specific methods of meridian differentiation put forward in line with the characteristics of meridian distribution and symptoms. In reference with Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperors' Canon of Medicine) and other ancient literature, the theoretical evidences of meridian differentiation are deeply analyzed in view of physiological/pathological characteristics that has been neglected in the past, such as qi and blood of meridians, opening, closing and pivoting, and time. Additionally, the category issues related to twelve-meridian differentiation and their relationship with six-meridian differentiation are expounded. The summary on the multiple connotations of twelve-meridian differentiation is of great significance on re-understanding meridians, perfecting meridian-collateral differentiation system and improving the accuracy on meridian-based treatment. Besides, the reconstruction of meridian differentiation and its framework is considered profoundly.
Meridians ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; History, Ancient ; Acupuncture Points ; Medicine in Literature

The paper introduces the reconstruction of Professor JI Laixi's modern paradigm of thought, "making use of various therapeutic methods". Professor JI Laixi reveres the concept of "integration of western medicine and TCM" and advocates the "combination of advantageous techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion". Guided by the concept of "combination of superiority, and coordinated adjustment", a multi-mode intervention is delivered in treatment, including the operation with the nine needles, relaxation with acupotomy, acupoint thread-embedding, Chinese herbal compounds and adjuvant therapy with western medicines, so as to obtain dynamic adjustment of multiple targets and levels, "taking effectiveness as the first priority". The pathway of clinical practice is determined and clear, which provides a paradigm of "upholding the right and innovating" for the modernization of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; China ; Moxibustion/history* ; History, 20th Century ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Acupuncture/history*

In 1929, George Soulié de Morant and Paul Ferreyrolles co-authored their first acupuncture-moxibustion paper titled "L' Acuponcture en Chine vingt siècles avant J.-C. et la réflexothérapie moderne", greatly advancing the development of acupuncture-moxibustion in Europe. Their paper systematically explains the holistic view and the concept of yin-yang balance in traditional Chinese medicine, describes the techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion, innovatively classifies acupuncture-moxibustion as "reflexotherapy", organizes the effects of certain acupuncture points illustrated on human acupoint atlas; and for the first time, it summarizes the correspondence between acupuncture points and Weihe trigger points. In the historical background of the neo-Hippocratic movement, they used the existing theories at that time to explain acupuncture, and adopted the analogical medicine to explore the mechanisms of acupuncture-moxibustion, which gradually initiated the modern era of acupuncture-moxibustion in France. Such research method is conducive to reducing the unfamiliarity of acupuncture-moxibustion among westerners, deepening their understanding of its theories and therapeutic effect, and also integrating it with other medical research. It breaks through the limitations of traditional theories and obtains the self-improvement and progress.
Humans ; Moxibustion/history* ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; China ; History, Ancient ; History, 20th Century ; Acupuncture/history* ; Reflexotherapy/history* ; Acupuncture Points ; History, 19th Century ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history*

In 2012, a total of eight medical books were compiled from Tianhui medical bamboo slips unearthed in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, which for the first time, recorded bafa (ba technique) and acupuncture technique. Bafa is only found in Tianhui medical bamboo slips. Based on the records in medical bamboo slips, it is believed that the essential theory of bafa refers to an outlook of life for the harmony between form and spirit, meaning "the heart mind is the monarch of form". It is the initial view of physique centered on five-zang organs. In clinical application, bafa is used for prevention of diseases in four seasons, specially for wubi (five-bi disorders) and wufeng (five-wind disorders), covering a extensive parts of the body. Compared with the stone technique, "bafa must work on meridian points, while stone on meridians". Bafa is often used for deficiency syndrome, while stone technique is for excess syndrome. Hence, these two types of technique should be applied cautiously. It is speculated that bafa is an external therapeutic method based on the theory of meridian medicine in the Han Dynasty.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; China ; History, Ancient ; Meridians ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; Books/history* ; Acupuncture Points ; Medicine in Literature

The paper introduces Professor ZHAO Hong's clinical experience and the thinking of diagnosis and treatment for gynecological diseases based on spleen-stomach theories of TCM and explore the effects of the dysfunction of spleen and stomach on gynecological diseases. In clinical practice, Professor ZHAO proposes the "theory" for protecting the spleen and stomach, and in consideration of the other organs; focuses on the "principle" for strengthening the spleen, harmonizing the stomach, promoting qi circulation, removing stagnation and mutually-regulating the body, qi and mind; and adopts the "methods" of integrating acupuncture with medication and specially uses the warming and resolving techniques. She attaches importance to "acupoints" on the detection, and the selection of fewer but more effective ones; and delivers the "needling techniques" for releasing the stagnation and obstruction and inducing muscle jumping and sensation transmission. Professor ZHAO Hong integrates acupuncture with medication in views of spleen and stomach theories of TCM for ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, thin endometrium and dysfunctional uterine bleeding, which provides the references for the treatment of gynecological diseases.
Humans ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Spleen/physiopathology* ; Genital Diseases, Female/physiopathology* ; Stomach/physiopathology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Acupuncture Points