Chinese Acupuncture

And Moxibustion

XIAMEN UNIVERSTITY
 Simple
obesity
 Simple
obesity
Introduction
Acupuncture and
moxibustion, one of the
therapeutic methods in
traditional Chinese medicine
with a history of several
thousand years,
developed in the ancient
times and has contributed
much to the healthcare and
medical treatment for the
Chinese people.
During their long clinical
practice, people accumulated
rich clinical experience and
discovered a number of the
therapeutic principles.
The summarization of the
clinical experience and
therapeutic principles has
gradually paved the way to the
establishment of the theory of
acupuncture and moxibustion
 which has promoted the
clinical practice and
development of acupuncture
and moxibustion,(acmo) and
eventually directing it to
evolve into an independent
clinical specialty scinence of
acupuncture and moxibustion
Science of acupuncture and
moxibustion develops under the
guidance of TCM theory, its
essential theory is the doctrine of
meridians and collaterals which
mainly includes meridians,
collaterals and acupoints, directly
guiding the clinical practice of
acupuncture and moxibustion.
Clinical treatment with
acupuncture and moxibustion is
done in light of syndrome
differentiation,therapeutic
principles and methods, by means
of needling and moxibustion with
certain manipulating
Methods to stimulate the
selected acupoints for the
prevention and treatment of
disease acupuncture and
moxibustion is an external
therapy. By means of needling
and moxibustion ,
it can stimulate the body and
activate the regulating
functions of the body to
improve and rectify the
disturbance and dysfunction
of certain organs in the body.
Such a therapy not only can
treat disease, but also can
prevent disease. It is noted
for extensive application,
significant curative effects
and no side effects.
It is just because of the
characteristics mentioned
above, the therapy of
acupuncture and moxibustion
is not only used in China, but
also practised in over 100
countries in the world.
It has gradually become a
component in the world
medicine and plays a certain
role in the healthcare course
for all human beings.
2 brief history
A brief introduction to the
establishment and development
of acupunture and moxibustion
is helpful for the study ,
practice and research of such a
unique therapy.
In the ancient literature since
the sixth century B.C., there
was the record of treatment
of disease with stone needle.
The earliest needle was made of
stone.In Huangdi Neijing
published over 2,000 years ago,
silk medical books unearthed in
the modern times and ancient
Chinese classics,
there was the description about
how to treat disease with stone
needle. In the 1960s, a stone
needle was found in the ruins of
new stone age in the north of
China.
With the development of
metallurgy, needles were
gradually made of bronze,
iron. gold and silver.
Huangdi Neijing mentions
nine needls, the relics of
which were found in
archaeology.
The materials used for
moxibustion were various in
the early practice,gradually
moxa was selected as the
most suitable material for
performing moxibustion
In using acupuncture and
moxibustion to treat disease,
people discovered some
therapeutic cognition like the
conception of meridians.
In the silk medical books unearthed
in the tomb of West Han Dynasty
in 1970s in Mawangdui,Changsha
City, Hunan province, there are the
descriptions of eleven meridians
named as Eleven meridians of foot
and arm for moxibustion
And Eleven yin and yang
meridians for moxibustion.
Huangdi Neijing compiled in
the Han Dynasty contains rich
knowledge of acupuncture and
moxibustion,
Including meridians,acupoints,
needling methods, indications
and cautions as well as
therapeutic principles,diagnosis
and
 syndrome differentiation,
Huangdi Neijing lays the
foundation for the theory of
acupuncture and moxibustion
and guides the development
of such a unique specialty.
Zhenjiu Jiayijing compiled by
Huangfu Mi in the Jin Dynasty
is a collection of the related
contents in Huangdi Neijing
and Mingtang kongxue Zhenjiu
Zhiyao and described the
locations ,.
indications and needling
methods of 349 acupoints as
well as specific treatments
for various diseases
Sun Simiao, a great doctor in
the Tang Dynasty , described
Ashi point and moxibustion
methods for healthcare in
Qianjin Fang with colored
illustrations of meridians.
This book also contains many
therapeutic methods for various
diseases. In the book Waitan Miyao
written by WangTao contains rich
methods for performing
moxibustion, which has promoted
the development of moxibustion
therapy.
In the Imperial Medical Bureau,
acupuncture and moxibustion
became an independent specialy
practised by doctors, assistants
and acupuncturists who were
also responsible for teaching.
In the 11th century A.D.,Wang
Weiyi, an official in charge of
medicine in the government in
the Song Dynasty,rectified 354
acupoints and compiled Tongren
Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing which
was published nationally .
Two bronze figures, the normal size
of man, were modelled for teaching
and examination of acupuncture
and moxibustion. Such an
improvement promote the unity in
the location of acupoints and
education of acupucture and
moxibustion.
In the Jin and Yuan
Dynasties ,there was further
development in the theory of
meridians, methods for
selecting acupoints and
needling techniques.
Hua Boren,a celebrated
doctor in the Yuan
Dynasty ,believed that the
governor and conception
vessels were as important as
the twelve meridians..
Therefore he called them
fourteen meridians and
described meridians
and acupoints according to
the fourteen meridians in his
book Shisijing Fahui
Such an arrangement has
helpful for understanding and
using the theory of meridians
and acupoints in the later
generations.
Acupucture and moxibustion
spread to the other countries
even in the ancient times. In
about 6th centuryA.D.Zhenjiu
Jiayijing was spread to Korea
and Japan
In 552 A.D., the Chinese
Government then presented a
set of Zhenjing to Japanese
Emperor. In the Tang Dynasty,
Qianjin Fang and Waitai
Miyao were brought to Korea.
Following the example of
the Tang Dynasty, Japan also
established acupuncture and
moxibustion specialty and
Korea appointed doctorate
position for acupuncture.
The textbooks used were
Zhenjing and Zhenjiu
jiayijing. In the 17th century,
acupuncture and moxibustion
was spread to Europe.
1 General introduction to
meridians and acupoints
The theory of meridians and
acupoints is the basic theory
of acupuncture and
moxibustion therapy.
while the science of
acupoints elucidates the
relation between the viscera
and the meridians in light of
the theory of meridians
The science of meridians
expounds the routes that
connect different parts of the
body based on the clinical
applicatin of acupoints..
 1.1 General introduction to
meridians
Meridians refer to the routes that
transport qi and blood,regulate
yin and yang, connect the zang-
organs with the fu-organs,
associate the external with the
internal as well as the upper with
the lower..
 Meridian System
The Meridians is a
comprehensive term of
"Jingluo" in TCM. They are
the passages through
which the Qi can be
conducted.
The meridians mainly
refer to the paths of main
trunks which run up and
down, interiorly and
exteriorly within the body.
The branches of
meridians are called
collaterals which imply the
networks, thinner and
smaller than meridians,
run crossly over the body.
The meridians are internal
trunks, its transversing
branches are collaterals,
the subdivisions of
collaterals are minute
collaterals.
The meridians and its
collaterals belong to the
Zang-Fu organs interiorly and
extend to the extremities and
joints exteriorly integrating
the Zang, the Fu, tissues and
organs into an organic whole,
by which they transport Qi of
blood and regulate Yin and
Yang, keeping the functions
and activities of all parts of
the body in harmony and
balance relatively.
 Development of the
Theory
The theory of Meridians
of the the meridians
is formed through longtime
practice and observation of
Chinese people. Based on the
analysis of records, the
formation is as follows:
1. Observation of
Needling Sensation:
Acupuncture produces
sensation of soreness,
numbness, distension or
heaviness.
This sensation usually
goes to the distal region
along a definite pathway.
 2. The acupoints which
have similar clinical effects
are regularly lined on the
same course.
3. Reference of the Pathological
Phenomenon on the Body
Surface: When there appears
the disorder in a certain organ,
way of discovering the system
of meridians.
then on the corresponding
areas of the body surface
appear tenderness,
tubercles, skin rash and
changes of the skin color,
this is also another way.
 4. Suggestions from knowledge
of Anatomy and Physiology:With
the help of anatomy, Chinese
doctors in ancient times got to
know the position, the
appearance and some
physiological functions of
internal organs,
and observed the
tunnellike and the cordlike
structures are distributed
over the body and
connected with four limbs
as well.
The phenomenon of the
circulation of blood can be
seen in same blood
vessels
 Meridian
The mainly refer to the
paths of main trunks which
run up and down, interiorly
and exteriorly within the
body.
The meridians include the
Twelve Regular
Meridians,the Eight Extra
Meridians and those
subordinate to the Twelve
Regular Meridians,
the Twelve Divergent
Meridians,the Twelve
Muscle Regions and the
Twelve Cutaneous
Regions.
The Twelve Regular
Meridians include
three Yin Meridians of
Hand(Lung Pericardium
and Heart)
Three Yang Meridians of
Hand(Large
Intestine Triple
Energizer and Small
Intestine)
Three Yang Meridians of
Foot(Stomach,Gall-
bladder and Bladder)
Three Yin Meridians of
Foot(Spleen Liver and
Kidney)
They are the major trunks
of the system of the
meridians so they are
called the Twelve Regular
Meridians.
The nomenclature of the
Twelve Regular Meridians is
based on the three factors:
a) hand or foot,
b) Yin or Yang,
c) Zang or Fu organ.
The Twelve Regular
Meridians pertain to the
twelve Zang and Fu organs
correspondingly, each
regular meridian is named
after the organ to which it
pertains.
In consideration of the
factors, such as hand or foot,
interior or exterior, anterior,
middle or posterior aspect of
the meridian travels through,
and also in accordance with
the theory of Yin and Yang,.
The meridians that pertain
to the Fu-organs are Yang
meridians which mainly
travel along the lateral
aspect of the limbs.
The meridians that pertain
to the Zang-organs are
called Yin meridians which
are mainly distributed on
the medial aspect of the
four limbs.
Based on the
development of Yin and
Yang theory, the meridians
are divided into three Yin
meridians and three Yang
meridians
Body-Surface Distribution of the
Twelve Meridians
The twelve regular
meridians are distributed
symmetrically at the left
and right sides of the head,
trunk and four limbs and
go through the whole body.
The six Yin meridians are
distributed on the medial
aspects of the four limbs,
the thoracic and
abdominal regions.
The three Yin meridians of
the hands are distributed
on the medial aspects of
the upper limbs.

The three Yin meridians of

the foot are distributed on
the medial aspects of the
lower limbs.
The six Yang meridians
are mostly distributed on
the lateral aspects of four
limbs, head and trunk.
The three Yang meridians
of hand are distributed on
the lateral aspects of the
upper limbs.
The three Yang meridians
of foot are distributed on
the lateral aspects of the
lower limbs.
The three Yang meridians
of hand and foot are
arranged in an order,in
which "Large Intestine and
Stomach Meridians" are
the anterior ones,
"Triple Energizer and
Gallbladder Meridians" the
medium ones,
"Small Intestine and
Bladder Meridians" the
posterior ones.
The three Yin meridians of
hand are arranged as
follows:
"Lung Meridians" are the
anterior ones, "Pericardium
Meridians" the medium ones,
Heart Meridians" the
posterior ones,
The three Yin meridians of
foot are to the aspects of
the lower limbs and instep.
They are arranged in an order in
which
Liver Meridians are the anterior
ones,
Spleen Meridians are the medium
ones,
Kidney Meridians are the posterior
ones,
Special path
under the lever 8 cun
above the medial
malleolus,
Liver Meridians and
Spleen Meridians are
crossed,
Spleen Meridian is in the
anterior aspect,
Liver meridian in the
medium aspect,
Kidney Meridian in the
posterior aspect.
Courses and Links of the
Twelve Meridians

The Courses of The

Twelve Meridians:
Three Yin meridians of
hand start from the chest
to the hands.
Three Yang meridians of
hand run from hands to
the head.
Three Yang meridians of foot
run from the head to the feet.
Three Yin meridians of foot
run from the feet to abdomen
and chest.
Links of the Twelve Regular
Meridians
(1) The Yin Meridians link
with the Yang meridians
mainly in the limbs.
For instance, the Lung
Meridian links with the Large
Intestine Meridian on the tip
of the index finger.
The Stomach Meridian
connects with the Spleen
Meridian on the tip of the
great toe,
the Bladder Meridian
reaches the lateral side of
the tip of the little toe
where it links with the
Kidney Meridian.
The Gallbladder Meridian
runs to the distal portion of
the great toe and
terminates at its hairy
region where it links with
the Liver Meridian
(2)The Yang meridians
and Yang meridians (with
the same nomenclature)
are met on the head.

For instance, both the

Large Intestine
meridian and the
Stomach Meridian go to
both sides of the nose.
Both the Small Intestine
Meridian and the Bladder
Meridian reach the inner
canthus, and both the Triple
Energizer Meridian and the
Gallbladder Meridian reach the
outer canthus.
(3)The Yin meridians and Yin
meridians are met in the chest
region.
For instance, the Spleen
Meridian links with the Heart
Meridian in the heart,

the Kidney Meridian links

with the Pericardium
Meridian in the chest,
and the Liver Meridian
links with the Lung
Meridian in the lung.
 Collaterals
The branches of meridians
are called collaterals which
imply the networks, thinner
and smaller than meridians,
run crisscrossly over the
body.
The meridians are internal
trunks, its transversing
branches are collaterals,
the subdivisions of
collaterals are minute
collaterals."
The collaterals consists of
the Fifteen Collaterals,the
Superficial Collaterals,and