OBJECTIVETo determine the recognition of healthy medical students on deqi after acupuncture, reveal the qualitative and quantitative rules of deqi and understand whether these rules are the factors of the clinical application of acupuncture therapy.

METHODSThe class questionnaires were used for the investigation study on the understanding of deqi after acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) or Zusanli (ST 36) in 86 healthy students in the clinical medicine class.

RESULTS(1) Deqi was a kind of complicated compound feelings, with many sensation qualities such as distending pain, distension and pain. (2) Deqi was a kind of mild and moderate sensations. In 10-score credit sys tem of Massachusetts General Hospital acupuncture sensation scale (MASS), the scores of distending pain (4.69 +/- 2.83), distension (4.39 +/- 2.91) and soreness and distension (3.93 +/- 2.93) were around 5 (moderate degree), the scores of stabbing pain (1.89 +/- 2.02) were around 2 (mild degree). (3) The differences in the quantitative scores were significant for stabbing pain, distending pain, distention, soreness and distention and the others before and after treatment (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONDeqi of acupuncture is the mild and moderate complicated sensations manifested as distension, soreness, pain and numbness. As the invasive therapy, the filiform needle puncture will bring a certain psychological impacts on the receptors. The subjective sensation is possibly the factor for the patients' selection of acupuncture treatment.