Four ways to remember the positioning of acupoints

The acupuncture point is the site where acupuncture is administered, and the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture is closely related to the accuracy of acupuncture point positioning. However, memorization of acupoint positioning is a big problem for many learners, so how can we remember the positioning of acupoints quickly and well? The author consciously used the following four methods in the learning process to achieve more satisfactory results, which are described below. First, the main points of memory method on the textbook on the positioning of acupuncture points is very detailed, word for word rote memorization down not only time-consuming, laborious and easy to forget. Therefore, during the study process, I adopted the method of refining the main points of acupuncture point positioning in the textbook to streamline the text to reduce the amount of memory. For example, the positioning of Zhongfu of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian in the textbook is “in the upper part of the anterior chest wall, 1 inch below Yunmen, level with the first rib space, 6 inches from the front median line”. In my book dedicated to the positioning of acupuncture points, I only wrote down “flat in the first rib space, 6 inches from the front median line. I found that the positioning of many acupuncture points can be clearly expressed in two short sentences like Zhongfu, and the modifying phrases can be ignored as long as they do not affect the understanding. This method is applicable to all acupoints, the method is to use as few words as possible to express the positioning, as long as they can understand, the simpler the better. This method is applicable to two or more acupoints that belong to the same meridian and are positioned in a similar way. For example, the hand Taiyin lung meridian Tianfu and Man Bai, both positioned at the radial edge of the biceps muscle, only the upper and lower dimensions are different, Tianfu in the axilla 3 inches below the head of the front stripe, Man Bai is 4 inches. This can be combined and memorized with the key points mnemonics as “Tianfu and Manbai: 3 and 4 inches below the axilla, radial edge of the biceps”. Similarly, there are many other acupoints that can be combined and memorized, which has the advantage of avoiding repetitive memorization of the same textual expressions. Third, the song memorization method This method emphasizes the memorization of the song must be the most to their taste, preferably self-made. Because in the process of self-editing there is a process of self-creation, people tend to have a deep memory of what they have created with their own hearts. And it must be read over and over again to reach the point where it can come out of your mouth at any time. Like the acupuncture points on the first lateral line of the back of the foot solar bladder meridian, I compiled the song is “the first loom two Fengmen, the third lung four Yu, heart five governor six diaphragm Yu seven, nine liver ten gallbladder eleven spleen twelve stomach; a waist three jiao two waist kidney, three waist Qihai four large intestine, five waist Guan Yuan; a sacral small intestine two bladder, three sacral brawn four white ring. Fourth, contrast memory method This method is applicable to two or more acupuncture points that are comparable and easily confused. The comparison can be multifaceted, such as based on the similarity of acupuncture point names, site proximity or relative. This requires us to develop a habit of comparison in the learning process, to consciously think about which acupoints are easily confused with a certain point name, and then list them one by one in the book to focus on memory. In the process of memorization, you can take an associative approach to help remember accurately, such as Taixi and Kunlun, and Shining Sea and Shen pulse, which are positioned opposite to each other and different from each other. In the process of memorization, I make this association: Taixi and Zhaohai both have water in their names, and the kidney is the main water, so these two points should belong to the foot Shao Yin Kidney meridian, so naturally they are on the inner side of the foot, while the remaining two points are on the outer side of the foot. For Shouze and Quze, whether they are on the radial or ulnar side of the biceps tendon, I associate them as follows: Shouze is on the radial side, and Quze has to be on the ulnar side.