Through analyzing the every textual research literature on the origin of the location method of ashi points, it is pointed out that the location method of ashi points has been generalized. It is known through systematic research and theoretical identification that this method refers to the simple way to locate the points, originated from the folk, and it is widely used to find the sites for pain relief when compared to the official education of meridians and acupoints, as well as treatment. At the time with the shortage of medical services and supplies, the poor people had no alternative, which results in a certain limitation. Modern acupuncture practitioners must associate ashi points with the acupoints of fourteen meridians and the extraordinary points in clinical practice, and deepen the exploration with modern medical knowledge and technology adopted.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Meridians ; History, Ancient ; Medicine in Literature ; China

Consensus method is not only a common technical approach to the formulation of the acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines, but also an important way to form the recommended treatment protocols of acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines. Based on the theory of implementation science, the paper explores the influencing factors of consensus-reaching to acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines, and puts forward methodological suggestions on the consensus method performed in the formulation of acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines, so as to advance the rational application of consensus method and enhance the scientificity and transparency of acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines.
Moxibustion/standards* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/standards* ; Consensus ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

From the perspective of evidence integration and utilization in guidelines, based on the carrier variety, medical experience is composed of the literature on the practical experience of medical scholars recorded in the ancient and modern time, and the individual opinions in the expert consensus. These two types of carrier for medical experience play the different roles in the key steps during formulating the acupuncture-moxibustion guidelines. Three values are summarized, named being conductive to centering the key clinical questions and strongly representing these questions; being used as a basis to judge the clinical applicability of the recommended regimens; and facilitating the recommendation.
Humans ; Moxibustion/standards* ; Acupuncture Therapy/standards* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Acupuncture-moxibustion technical specifications are a crucial component of the acupuncture-moxibustion standardization system. This study reviews the current development status of acupuncture-moxibustion technical specifications in China, and analyzes their classifications and characteristics. It is found that the scope and classification of acupuncture technical specifications remain unclear in academic circles, and the development process faces numerous difficulties and challenges. Therefore, this study proposes the need for a systematic approach to the planning and management of acupuncture technical specifications based on a clear definition of acupuncture techniques and categories. Additionally, it suggests conducting methodological research on the development of acupuncture technical specifications and promoting the rational application of the consensus method in this process.
China ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Humans ; Acupuncture/standards*

This paper analyzes the main issues exposed in the current demand investigations on developing acupuncture and moxibustion technical standards, including the lack of survey methods, insufficient data support, and inadequate demand analysis. It proposes the targeted improvement strategies by examining technical and clinical standard cases. It suggests that the demand investigations on developing acupuncture and moxibustion standards should be designed differently based on the categories and levels of standards, with a focus on multi-integration of market demand, clinical evidence, and policy background. This paper provides the research ideas and methodological suggestions for developing acupuncture and moxibustion standards, which is valuable for enhancing the applicability and practicability of standards.
Moxibustion/standards* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/standards*

The expert consensus on the clinical treatment of herpes zoster with fire needling was developed, and the commonly used fire needling treatment scheme verified by clinical research was selected to form a standardized diagnosis and treatment scheme for acute herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), so as to answer the core problems in clinical application. The consensus focuses on patients with herpes zoster, and forms recommendations for 9 key clinical issues, covering simple fire needling and TCM comprehensive therapy based on fire needling, including fire needling combined with cupping, fire needling combined with Chinese herb, fire needling combined with cupping and Chinese herb, fire needling combined with filiform needling, fire needling combined with moxibustion, and provides specific recommendations and operational guidelines for various therapies.
Humans ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Consensus ; Clinical Protocols

OBJECTIVE: To develop the clinical questions and outcomes of Clinical Practice Guideline of Fire Needling Therapy for Herpes Zosters based on Norms of Formulation and Evaluation for the Clinical Guideline on Acupuncture and Moxibustion released by World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies. METHODS: Combined the investigation with expert consultation and consensus method, and taken clinicians (members) of Chinese Association of Acupuncture and Moxibustion as the subjects, the clinical questions concerned were collected and the two-round consultation was conducted among expert group by letter. In the first round questionnaire, using the voting method, the relevant clinical questions in intervention measures were collected; and in the second round, with the Delphi method adopted, the importance of clinical questions and outcomes in the investigation was scored. RESULTS: A total of 200 structured clinical questions proposed by 153 clinicians and the clinical experience with 13 kinds of combined therapies involved and fire needling as the key measure were collected. The authority coefficient (Cr) of the Delphi questionnaire was >0.70, and the coefficient of variation for the importance scores of alternative clinical questions and outcomes was 0.06-0.26 and 0.12-0.47, respectively. The top 10 clinical questions and 12 outcomes (6 outcomes referred to the patients either in the acute stage or the post-neuralgia stage) were included, with the importance score of clinical questions>4, the importance score of outcomes>6, and the coefficient of variation ≤0.25. CONCLUSION The clinical questions and outcomes of Clinical Practice Guideline of Fire Needling Therapy for Herpes Zosters are formulated, which provides the research basis for the recommendation development of the guideline.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Humans ; Delphi Technique