On the acupoint and its specificity / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

Although acupuncture has spanned thousands of years in the history of traditional medicine, still some basic questions are not clarified. Acupuncture is the theory based on long time medical practice of the ancient sage, combined with objectivesymptom and medical expertise from diseases, and being applied for the instruction in clinic. In this way, acupoint is discovered by doctors in the practice of disease treatment other than a natural occurrence in the healthy population. And acupoint specificity is attached to the target organ involved in pathological condition. In our opinion, acupoint originates from somatic referred area reactive to visceral disorders. And accordingly, referred hyperesthesia of the somatic area is phenomenon of acupoint sensitization. Acupoint is the situ having health code formed in the biological evolution. Corresponding acupoint of a given organ is the alarmer for the state of health, and also is the trigger for self-healing where acupuncture can work as a gating-button. Therefore, acupoint must be accompanied with diseases in that it is reinforced by, relayed on, responsive to and neutralize by the pathological course. In conclusion, acupoint cannot exist without the disease. In another word, acupoint will be unshown, or be functionally hidden, under physiological condition.