How to choose acupuncture points
By Dr. Yang Zhao-ming
How to choose acupuncture point for
acupuncture treatment? It should be based on the TCM diagnosis.
The TCM diagnosis determines which points should be used, and
which way to handle the needles (supplying or depleting).
It has been introduced in TCM bible level
books the principles to decide the acupuncture points that
should be used in each and different clinic conditions. Here I
share some of my clinic experience.
(1). For weakness condition, choose points
that is higher than the diseased position in the body and for
extra condition, choose the points that is lower than the
diseased position. For example, for kidney deficiency, choose
acupuncture points mostly above the level of naval. For blood
accumulation syndrome in urinary bladder, choose acupuncture
points below the urinary bladder.
(2). For new disease, choose the
acupuncture points that are located in the far extreme of the
body, such as on hands or feet. For old disease, choose the
acupuncture points that are close to stem of the body, such as
back or front of chest and stomach.
(3). For disease that is “mobile”, choose
the acupuncture points that are in the far extreme of the body
(the hands or feet). For disease that is “quite”, choose the
points that are close to the diseased location. In clinic, Qi
stagnation or Qi accumulation syndrome shows sometimes pain is
here and sometimes there (mobile) and sometime cause noise and
sometime is quiet (such as stomach spasm). Quiet disease means
that it has fixed location of pain and not mobile to other place
from time to time.
(4). Each meridian has its own “Root” point
and “Tie” point. Every acupuncturist should know this. I am sure
most of the acupuncture students do not know this from their
text book, although it has been indicated in TCM old bible that
this is very important. For acute disease, choose the root point
and for chronic trouble, choose the tie point of the related
meridian.
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