Ashi points play a significant role in the clinical localization and qualitative diagnosis of acupuncture, as well as in selecting acupoints along the meridians and applying tonifying or reducing techniques. This paper introduces the theoretical basis and existing technical methods of objectification of ashi point diagnosis and treatment. It proposes that using sensory quantitative testing to determine the temperature and tenderness thresholds of ashi points could help to identify the pathological characteristics of "cold" "heat" "deficiency" or "excess" of ashi points. In addition, the possibility of objectification of ashi point diagnosis-treatment plan is explored from three perspectives, precision of selection of ashi point therapy, objectification of effect evaluation of ashi point analgesia, and differentiation of the studies on ashi point analgesic mechanism, aiming to provide new research ideas for the modernization of traditional Chinese acupuncture.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture ; Analgesia

Focusing on the phenomenon of "de-acupoints" of the needle insertion sites in Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN), the authors allocated the evolution and characteristics of the needle insertion sites of FSN. From six aspects, named morphology and structure, location, nomenclature, numbers and meridian tropism, indications and acupuncture manipulations, the comparison was made between the insertion sites of FSN and traditional acupoints. It is believed: ①The needle insertion sites of FSN has the basic attributes of acupoint, which not only refers to the operation site, but also indicates the reaction of disease; moreover, it is the treatment site with significant therapeutic effect. ②The optimized sites of insertion in FSN should be named differently and their locations and numbers should be specified relatively. ③The insertion sites of FSN should be further intersected and integrated with traditional acupoints, and a part of traditional acupoints should become the insertion sites of FSN. ④Accepting and integrating the insertion sites of FSN, and expanding the scope of traditional acupoints may be the new project in the research of traditional acupoints.
Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Meridians

Acupoint specificity is a key scientific issue in acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupoint electric resistance is a commonly-used biophysical index to study the functional specificity of acupoints. The non-linear characteristics of acupoint electric resistance have great impacts on the measured values, but it has been greatly ignored. By analyzing the non-linear characteristics of acupoint resistance and its application in the study of acupoint function specificity, a new idea of introducing chaos theory and technology into the study of acupoint function is proposed.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture ; Meridians

To summarize SUN Shen-tian's treatment ideas and clinical features. SUN applies meridian syndrome differentiation to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases; advocates that prevention and treatment of diseases should be regulated mind firstly; applies transcranial repetitive acupuncture combined modern cerebral cortex function positioning; emphasizes the application of multiple acupuncture methods and manipulation, and includes the meridian penetrating needling method, the flat needling and penetrating needling method, and the stagnant needle lifting method, pays attention to the importance of achieving qi and manipulation for the effect.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

Acupoint-symptom relationship in CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack was analyzed based on complex network, acupoint names and indications were extracted from the book, which provided ideas and methods for promoting the modernization of acupuncture and moxibustion by using complex network technology. A total of 112 acupoints in 201 acupuncture prescriptions were included, and the total frequency of acupoints was 880 times, forming 42 034 acupoint pairs. In terms of network indexes, compared with the complex network of comprehensive acupuncture books, such as Meridian and Acupoint Science, Zhenjiu Dacheng, Acupuncture A and B Meridians formed based on the same mathematical method, the complex network model for CHENG Dan-an's Note About Treatise on Cold-Attack shows more typical small world effect, which is characterized by higher network density (6.762) and shorter average path length (1.064). This phenomenon may be related to the tongue and pulse which added the link between acupoints. For the node indexes, the analysis of topological indexes such as Page Rank shows that acupoints represented by Dazhui (GV 14) has higher compatibility value in the treatment of exogenous diseases, which further demonstrates the clinical value of eigenvector centrality in guiding intelligent compatibility of points.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

The characteristics of meridian sinew theory at the early era have been collected. It is believed that the running courses and indications of twelve meridian sinew regions in Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot) are closely associated with Zubi Shiyimai Jiujing (Moxibustion Therapy on the Eleven Meridians of Legs and Arms) and Yinyang Shiyimai Jiujing (Moxibustion Therapy on the Eleven Meridians of Yin and Yang). Due to the attachment of twelve regular meridians, the development of its own theory is blocked. Meridian sinew theory guides the diagnosis and treatment of many dominant disorders (e.g. pain disorder and bi syndrome) with acupuncture and moxibustion. The defensive qi is circulated among meridian sinews, which is the core of meridian sinew theory. The acupoint selection relies on the meridian sinew theory at the early era, such as "consolidating muscles when they involved in disorders, using painful sites as acupoints to treat diseases" "interaction of the associated muscles" and "conducting meridian qi along with the running courses of meridians". The crack needling (one of the nine needling techniques exerted between two muscles to treat muscular pain) is adopted generally to mobilize the defensive qi so as to resist pathogens, relieve the compression in foci and promote qi and blood circulation in meridians. The rational understanding of meridian sinew theory may improve the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of meridian sinew disorders, "reduce the pressure" on meridian theory and contribute to the enrichment of the theoretical framework of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

The electronic questionnaire was adopted to survey the international demand on
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Electroacupuncture ; Moxibustion

Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.
Calcium ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Technology

To introduce professor 's clinical application of warm acupuncture and penetration moxibustion, and explain from the aspects of formation, application scope and innovation of warm acupuncture and penetration moxibustion. Professor emphasized that intensive moxibustion and moxibustion sensation are the key factors to ensure the clinical curative effect. According to the different parts of the moxibustion, it can be applied to the head, abdomen, waist and knee joints, etc, which plays the role of warming the meridians, replenishing and fixing collaterals,dispersing cold and removing stasis, harmonizing and blood.And to introduce the specific application of warm acupuncture and penetration moxibustion through the typical medical case.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Moxibustion

To cooperate with the popularization and application of the China national standard Nomenclature and Location of Meridian Points (GB/T 12346 -2021), this study introduced the differences between the 2021 version and the 2006 version, and explained the principles of the revision and the changes in the standard name, terminology, definition and the expression of meridian points' body regions. In addition, the revision of the specific contents, including the adjustment of "bone proportional cun" of several meridian points and the revision basis of location of some meridian points were explained.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Meridians ; Moxibustion