EXPLORATION OF USUAL MANIPULATION OF ACUPUNCTURE

Zhang Jiasheng

(Wuhan Hospital of TCM, Wiihan)

The manipulation of acupuncture is one of the important methods for treating disease. The important role in this paper' is to explore the response of the manipulation of the insertion of acupuncture needle and the manual skill of reinforcing and reducing. Expert manipulation of acupuncture is important for gaining the effect of treatment. It comes from the skillfullness of the fundamental manipulations. During inserting the needle, the acupuncturist handles the needle correctly, with his hands in cooperation with great attention to the needle. During treatment with acupuncture, needle response is the key for gaining satisfactory effect. It is necessary to activate and enhance needle response, if the needle response has not reached after inserting the needle. Needle sensation is an index of needle response. Usually, there are three kinds of needle sensations: i.e. common needle sensation;  specific needle sensation and post-needle sensation. The principle of "Bu-Xie" manipulation of acupuncture is determined by the deficiency or sufficiency of the patient. The author in this paper has summarized his clinical experiences as follows:

There are five kinds of manipulations of the reinforcing and reducing in acupuncture. i.e. twisting the needle, manipulating the needle up and down, taking expiration and inspiration, making quick or slow insertion and along the meridian course or adverse to it.

1. Twisting method: According to the kind of disease, the acupuncturist may regulate "Qi" (vital energy) of the meridian by means of deep or superficial insertion of the needle, and strong or weak, and quick or slow twisting the needle, in order to produce reinforcing or reducing effects.

2. Manipulating the needle up and down: Gradual insertion of the needle from the surperficial part of the body into the deep part of it is called the reinforcing method. Gradual taking out the needle from the deep part of the body to the surperficial part is called the reducing method.

3. Inserting the needle according to expiration and inspiration:

Inserting the needle during expiration reinforces the deficiency. Taking out the needle during inspiration prevents the vitality of the human organs from going out. This is the manipulation of reinforcing method. The manipulation of reducing method is vice versa.

4. The manipulation of quick or slow insertion of the needle:

The manipulation of reinforcing method is to insert the needle quickly and takes it out slowly. The manipulation of reducing method is vice versa.

5, The manipulation of "Yingsui Buxie": According to deficiency or sufficiency of the patient, the manipulation of reinforcing or reducing method is determined by obedience or inversion of "Qi" (vital energy) and blood circulating in various parts of the body along the course of the meridians. These five kinds of manipulations may be used only one or more, and it is precarious to fix one manipulation in treating all patients.