Home | News | TCM | Reflexology | Acupuncture | Taiji | Qigong | Herbal Tea | Sino-western Joint | Products | Cases | Academic Exchange | Prevention | Activities | Forum | Community | Blog | About Us | Site Map
The treatment of diseases with acupuncture and moxibustion is performed under the guidance of TCM the-ory, based on the diagnosis made by means of the four di-agnostic methods (inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry as well as palpation) and according to the syn-drome differentiation (including syndrome differentiation of the eight principles, zang-fu organs, qi and blood as well as meridians and collaterals). The theory of meridi-ans and collaterals is the core of the science of acupunc-ture and moxibustion. It is also the important basis for the examination and syndrome differentiation in the clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion. Therefore apart from the general methods for diagnosis and syndrome dif-ferentiation in TCM, the examination of meridians, col-laterals and acupoints as well as syndrome differentiation of meridians and collaterals are specially significant in the clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.
4. 1. 1 Examination of meridians and acupoints
The upper, lower, internal and external parts of the body are integrated into an organic whole through the system of meridians and collaterals which promotes the circulation of qi and blood through the whole body and harmonizes zang and fu organs as well as yin and yang. The acupoints are the specific sites through which qi and the blood of the zang-fu organs and meridians is infused. Under pathological conditions, meridians, collaterals and acupoints serve as the passageways for the transmission of diseases from the exterior to the interior and from the in-terior to the exterior. So the pathological changes inside the body can be manifested on the surface of the body. Therefore the pathological changes of meridians, collater-als, zang-fu organs and the location of the diseases can be identified through the examination of the abnormal chan-ges of meridians, collaterals and acupoints, providing evi-dence for further differentiation of syndromes.
4.1.1.1 Examination of the meridians and collaterals
The examination is made according to the circulation and distribution of the meridians and collaterals through inspection and palpation as well as observation of the path-ological reactions in the distributing areas of the meridians.
Inspection of the meridians and collaterals: The inspection mainly concentrates on observation of the ab-normal changes of the colour and shape of the skin and vessels. For example, darkish purple vessels are always the manifestations of blood stagnation£»bluish vessels indi-cate cold or pain syndrome and reddish ones always signify heat syndrome. Pimples and blisters on the hypochondriac region indicate pathological changes of the gallbladder meridian of foot-shaoyang and the liver meridian of foot-jueyin. While skin lesions such as pimples and erythemas on the anterior-lateral side of the lower limbs are the manifestations of the pathological changes of the stomach meridian of foot-yangming.
Palpation of the meridians and collaterals: The distributing areas of the meridians and collaterals are pressed and touched to examine and inspect various reactions, including the states of pulsation on the arter-ies, subcutaneous nodes, lumps and cord-like mass, or looseness and depression as well as coolness, feverish-ness, pain, sensitivity and numbness of the skin. The af-fected meridians and collaterals can be identified according to the locations of the manifestations.
4. 1.1.2 Examination of the acupoints
The acupoints and the reaction points are pressed for examining various abnormal changes, including whether there are tenderness or comfortable sensation, or aching and distention as compared with the adjacent regions, or subcutaneous nodes or code-like mass, or looseness and depression. These abnormal changes mainly appear on some special acupoints. For example, tenderness or com-fortable sensation will be felt on Feishu (BL 13) when the lung is in disorder. Pathological reactions on Front-Mu acupoint Juque (CV 14) and Back-Shu acupoint Xinshu (BL 15) often indicate heart disease. Tenderness felt on the He-Sea acuppoint Zusanli (ST 36 ) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) or the area between them usually indicate the disorders of the hand- and foot-yangming meridians. Ten-derness felt on the crossing-point Sanyinjiao (SP 6) sug-gests the disorder of the foot triple yin meridians.
In clinical practice apart from the consideration of ex-amining the meridians, collaterals and acupoints, the four diagnostic methods of TCM should be employed at the same time to have a comprehensive understanding of the pathological conditions and make a correct diagnosis of the disease in question.
