Acupuncturists have always paid high attention to deqi (needling sensation) in clinical. However, relationship between deqi and curative effect has not been elucidated yet. In order to have a further understanding on effect of deqi on clinical effect, through study on literature associated with deqi since the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, it is held that various factors can influence therapeutic effect of acupuncture treatment, including whether needling sensation appears or not, the speed of deqi, the intensity of deqi, different types of sensations as well as propagated sensation along meridians (PSM). Joint launched multidisciplinary researches should be carried out to reveal the influence principle of deqi on acupuncture effect, and to lay foundations for the further studies on mechanism of deqi.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Meridians ; Qi ; Treatment Outcome

The Sun's acupuncture includes Sun's painless acupuncture technique, Sun's reinforcing-reducing method and Sun's hand-manipulating method. The key points of Sun's painless acupuncture method are summarized as one fast manipulation, two slow manipulations and finger pressure during needle insertion. While the key points of Sun's reinforcing-reducing process refers to needle insertion firstly, twisting secondly and followed by scraping the handle of the needle. The contents of Sun's hand-manipulating method includes short hand-manipulating, continuous hand-manipulating and intermittent hand-manipulating. There are four characteristics of Sun's reinforcing-reducing method. The first is dexterity and gentleness; the second is the combination of strong stimula tion and weak stimulation; the third characteristic is the requirement of the same manipulation rhythm during the whole needling process; and the fourth is to use different stimulus to distinguish reinforcing and reducing. Emergent cases treated with Sun's acupuncture method are also provided in this article for reader's references.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Emergencies ; Emergency Treatment ; Humans

Some issues on the auricular acupuncture including its effectiveness and side effects, the relationship of positive reaction and diseases, the key point of auricular point selection and standard auricular point popularization and application, are debated in this paper according to the authors' comprehension based on their many years clinical and teaching practice. In the paper, the authors point out that the auricular acupuncture has the characteristics of the high effective rate, low cured rate and some recurrence rate. The relationship of positive reacted point in the auricular acupuncture and disease include two kinds of reaction as "one point for multiple diseases" and "one disease for multiple points". Correct locating and reasonable selection of auricular points are the key point for using auricular point. Finally, the authors propose that standard auricular point still has not been popularized, and also, it should be paid attention to the problem of side effect induced by the auricular acupuncture.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Clinical Protocols ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome

Specificity of acupoints is one of the basic theories of the acupuncture and moxibustion sciences and is a very important basis to guide the clinical treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion. However, the scientific foundation of specificity of acupoints is still unclear, which has greatly restricted to the clinical effect improvement of acupuncture and moxibustion and has influenced to academic status of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences both in China and abroad. In this paper, the recent related researches are reviewed and then the key effects and mechanism that the tissue structure of acupoints can decide and affect specificity of acupoints-organs effects are analyzed and explored. It is held that acupuncture at the different tissue structure of the different depth in the different or the same acupoints will cause changes of varying qualities or degrees of visceral function because of stimulation of the different receptors in the different tissues followed by excitation of varying afferent nerve fibers.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of scraping needling technique combined with western medication and simple western medication for neurogenic tinnitus of kidney essence deficiency. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with neurogenic tinnitus of kidney essence deficiency were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 34 cases in each group. In the control group, oral methylcobalamin tablets were given, 0.5 mg each time, 3 times a day; oral flunarizine hydrochloride capsules were given before bed, 5 mg each time, once a day, 4 weeks in total. On the basis of the treatment as the control group, scraping needling technique was applied at Tinghui (GB 2), Yifeng (TE 17), Yangchi (TE 4) on the affected side and Shenshu (BL 23), Lieque (LU 7), 5 min each acupoint, once a day, 5 times a week for 4 weeks. Before treatment, 2, 4 weeks into treatment and 4 weeks after treatment (follow-up), the tinnitus severity score, tinnitus visual analogue scale (VAS) score and pure tone average (PTA) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: The tinnitus severity scores, VAS scores and PTA of each time point after treatment in the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rates of each time point after treatment in the observation group were 50.0% (17/34), 79.4% (27/34), 79.4% (27/34), which were higher than 26.5% (9/34), 64.7% (22/34), 61.8% (21/34) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Scraping needling technique combined with western medication could improve tinnitus severity, tinnitus volume and hearing in patients with neurogenic tinnitus of kidney essence deficiency, and its curative effect is better than simple western medication.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Kidney ; Tinnitus/etiology* ; Treatment Outcome

Physicians in the past dynasties have improved the theory of fire needling from the aspects of fire needling instruments, clinical efficacy, application scope, operation, precautions, etc., which promoted the clinical application of fire needling. Modern fire needling breaks through the traditional clinical taboos such as heat syndrome, face, forbidden acupoints, and no needle retention. By using modern fire needling with various types, characteristics and functions, multiple needles and multiple methods are used to treat various diseases, which can further exert the therapeutic effect of fire needling and promote the popularization and application of fire needle therapy.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Vascular Surgical Procedures ; Needles ; Treatment Outcome

The enlightenment of heat-sensitive moxibustion technology on acupuncture clinical practice was discussed from the perspective of heat-sensitive moxibustion technology on the requirements of moxibustion acupuncture points, exploration and stimulation, and strict matching of acupoint sensitization types.The heat-sensitive moxibustion technology pays attention to the selection of acupoint status, and accurately locates the heat-sensitive acupoints by moxibustion. According to the needs of the body, the heat-sensitive acupoints are stimulated by heat, so the curative effect is remarkable. From the above discussion, it is known that the dynamic grasp of the state of the acupoints and the treatment according to the objectiveneeds of the body are the key to achieving clinical efficacy.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compared the clinical effect between triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) and triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) for trunk-sciatica. METHODS: A total of 56 patients with trunk-sciatica were randomized into a triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group and a triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group, 28 cases in each group. In the triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture group, triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) was applied. In the triple needling combined with electroacupuncture group, triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) was applied. Both groups were treated with acupuncture at Weizhong (BL 40), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Chengshan (BL 57). The treatment was given once every 2 days, 10 days as one course for 2 courses. Before treatment, 1, 2 courses into treatment, the scores of pain rating index (PRI), pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI) were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: The PRI, VAS and PPI scores 1, 2 courses into treatment were decreased in the two groups ( CONCLUSION Triple needling combined with thermo-electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30) could effectively relieve pain in patients with trunk-sciatica, and the curative effect maybe better than triple needling combined with electroacupuncture at Huantiao (GB 30).
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Sciatica ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture for the improvements in various dyspeptic symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome. METHODS: The secondary analysis on the data of a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. 278 patients with postprandial distress syndrome were randomized into an acupuncture group (138 cases) and a sham-acupuncture group (140 cases). In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. In the sham-acupuncture group, 6 sites, neither located on meridians nor belonged to meridian acupoints, were selected and punctured shallowly. The duration of treatment was 20 min each time, 3 times a week, for 4 weeks totally in the two groups. The follow-up visit lasted for 12 weeks. The scores of dyspeptic symptoms were compared between the two groups before treatment, during treatment (in week 1, 2, 3 and 4) and during follow-up (in week 8, 12 and 16) separately. RESULTS: Besides the scores of early satiety and vomiting in the sham-acupuncture group in week 1, the scores of the other dyspepsia symptoms during treatment and follow-up were all reduced in the two groups as compared with those before treatment ( CONCLUSION Acupuncture remarkably relieves postprandial fullness, early satiety, upper abdominal bloating and belching in patients with postprandial distress syndrome.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Dyspepsia/therapy* ; Humans ; Meridians ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Tiaoqi Jieyu (regulating qi and relieving depression) acupuncture on the clinical symptoms of treatment-resistant depression (TRD), and to explore the relationship between the acupuncture pain sensitivity and symptom's improvement. METHODS: A total of 78 patients with TRD were randomly divided into an observation group (39 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (39 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the control group were treated with medications according to the treatment plan of psychiatrists (at least one medication was 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor). On the basis of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with Tiaoqi Jieyu acupuncture, and Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 24⁺), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Taichong (LR 3), Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Zusanli (ST 36), etc. were selected. The acupuncture was given three times a week. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. After 8-week treatment, the response rate of Hamilton depression scale-24 (HAMD-24) score after was evaluated in the two groups. The scores of HAMD-24 and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) were compared between the two groups before treatment, after 4, 8-week treatment and 12 weeks after treatment (follow-up). After the first treatment and 8-week treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score in the observation group was evaluated, and the correlation between VAS score after the first treatment and HAMD-24 score before treatment, between VAS score after the first treatment and the course of disease in the observation group was analyzed, and the correlation between difference of VAS after 8-week treatment and after the first treatment and difference of HAMD-24 score before treatment and after 8-week treatment was analyzed. RESULTS: After 8-week treatment, the response rate of HAMD-24 score in the observation group was 52.8% (19/36), higher than 17.1% (6/35) in the control group (P<0.001). Compared before treatment, the scores of HAMD-24 and HAMA in the two groups were decreased after 4-week treatment, 8-week treatment and in follow-up (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were superior to the control group (P<0.05). After 8-week treatment, the acupuncture pain VAS score in the observation group was (5.28±2.13) points, which was higher than (3.33±1.62) points after the first treatment (P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between VAS score after the first treatment and HAMD-24 score before treatment in the observation group (r =-0.486, P=0.003); there was no correlation between acupuncture pain VAS score after the first treatment and the course of disease in the observation group (P>0.05). After 8-week treatment, there was a positive correlation between the difference of VAS score and the difference of HAMD-24 score in the observation group (r =0.514, P=0.001). CONCLUSION Tiaoqi Jieyu acupuncture could improve the depression and anxiety in patients with TRD, and the symptom's improvement is related to the recovery of acupuncture pain sensitivity.
Humans ; Depression/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Pain