Meridian is an important concept in Chinese medicine theory, but the modern interpretation of the essence of meridian has been debated, this paper, through the discussion of meridian in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine as well as the analysis and summary of the modern understanding of the essence of the meridian, it is believed that meridian is a generalization of the structure and function of the soft tissues of the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues, which is based on the normal innervation of the muscles. Its lesions include lesions of muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues caused by trauma, strain injury and other factors and the resulting peripheral neuropathy, as well as changes in the function of muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues caused by lesions of the nervous system (including the central and peripheral nerves). Meridian tendon is an important concept in Chinese medicine theory, which is discussed in the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), but the modern interpretation of its essence has been debated, which restricts the application of meridian tendon theory in clinical practice. An in-depth study of the essence of the meridian tendons is conducive to the enrichment and development of the theory of meridian tendons, so that it can more effectively guide the clinical practice of acupuncture and improve the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion. In this paper, we try to make a discussion on the essence of the theory of meridian tendon. First, “Huangdi Neijing” on the understanding of the meridian tendon meridian tendon is an important part of the human body, its physiological function and pathological changes scattered in the “Huangdi Neijing” in the “Lingshu Jing筋 “篇 most detailed and systematic. The main physiological function of the meridian tendons is summarized in “Suwen, Treatise on Impotence” as “the main binds the bones and facilitates the organs”, and in “Suwen, Generation of the Five Viscera”, “all tendons belong to the joints” summarizes the structural characteristics of the meridian tendons. The tendons are attached to the bones and joints, and play a role in restraining and connecting the bones and joints. Under normal physiological conditions, the relationship between the tendons and bones can be summarized as “bone and tendon soft”, tendons and bones and joints constitute a whole, coordinated to maintain the normal posture of the human body and complete the body’s motor functions. Pathological changes in the tendons are mainly contractures, reflexes, pulling, pain, turning tendons, ankylosis, flaccidity, and unfavorable joint activity, limb loss and so on. For example, the “spiritual center, meridian tendon” chapter describes in detail the distribution of the twelve meridian tendons of the human body, and each meridian tendon circulation after the description of its symptoms, pointing out that “the meridian tendon disease, cold is reflexed tendon anxious, hot is relaxed longitudinal not to collect, impotence. When Yang is in a hurry, it is reflexed, and when Yin is in a hurry, it is bent down and not stretched out.” Su wen, angry Tongtian theory, mentioned “dampness and heat, the large tendon short, small tendon relaxation long, short for the constraint, relaxation long for impotence.” Second, the modern understanding of the essence of the meridian tendons At present, the essence of the meridian tendons of the interpretation of the two main: an interpretation of the meridian tendons are muscles, ligaments and other soft tissue system, another interpretation of the meridian tendons is the nervous system. Meridian is muscle, ligament and other soft tissue system is the current understanding of the essence of the meridian is more consensus, that the meridian is the meridian as the outline, the human body muscle, ligament and its subsidiary tissues physiological and pathological laws of the generalization and summary [1, 2]. Because from the relevant discussion in Huangdi Neijing, it is easy to explain most of the symptoms of meridian disease by considering meridian as a soft tissue system such as muscles and ligaments. However, there are some diseases that are far-fetched or cannot be explained by this understanding. For example, “the hand of the sun tendon, starting in the little finger above, knot in the wrist, up the arm inside Lian, knot in the elbow after the sharp bone, play should be above the little finger ……”, which “play should be above the little finger,” obviously is the phenomenon that occurs when the hand plucks the ulnar nerve in the ulnar nerve groove on the inner side of the elbow; and then “the tendons of the foot of the Shaoyang …… left in the right, so the injury to the left corner, the right foot is not used, the order is that the Velvic tendon intersection,” it is a description of the cross innervation of the central nervous system in the pyramidal fasciculus. . Therefore, some people have put forward the view that the meridian tendon is the nervous system. For example, Qin Yuge [3] argued that the essence of the meridian tendons of the Neijing is mainly peripheral nerves of the somatic nerves, including a small portion of the central nervous system and plant nervous system functions through the comparative analysis of the anatomy, localization, symptoms, clinic and the five elements theory. And that “the power of flesh” does not mean that the muscles and tendons that can produce power are tendons, on the contrary, if the sound skeletal muscles lose the innervation of nerves, not only immediately become powerless waste of flesh, but also due to the loss of nerve nourishment will be atrophied. Wu Lagan et al [4] also agreed with this view, and discussed the relationship between the theory of meridian tendon and acupuncture anesthesia. Liu Tao et al [5], on the other hand, synthesized the above two views and believed that due to the limitations of the level of understanding of the ancients, the content of the nerves was included while the sinews were recorded. Therefore, it is advocated that specific problems should be analyzed clinically, and it is too absolute to think that the meridian tendon is the tendon system, or the nervous system. Third, on the essence of the exploration of the meridian tendon “Shuowen Jiezi” said: “tendon, meat force. From force, from meat, from bamboo.” From the literal meaning of the text can be said that “tendon” is the muscle and tendon to produce strength. However, looking at the “Spiritual Pivot – by the tendons” chapter of the discussion, purely “tendons” understood as muscles, tendons and other soft tissues it is difficult to explain the “spring should be above the little finger”, “Velvet tendon intersection” and so on. Phenomenon; if the tendons as the “nervous system”, also can not make a reasonable and satisfactory explanation of the content of the tendons. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a more in-depth discussion of the essence of the theory of meridian tendons, in order to explain the scientific meaning of the theory of meridian tendons. When we try to explore the theories created by the ancients, a very crucial step is to “take the heart of the ancients as our heart”, that is, we must first understand the thought world of the ancients [6]. We should do the same when understanding and interpreting the theory of jing ji. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine was written during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and due to the limitations of the level of understanding at that time, the ancients’ understanding of the structure and function of the tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves would not be as clear as it is now, and even though the theory of the meridian tendons established by the ancients contains part of the anatomical knowledge, we must note that the basis for the establishment of the theory is based on the observation and summarization of various clinical phenomena. Therefore, its structure may not be a single organizational structure, but a group or a class of organizational structures of the functional generalization, which of course may also contain some errors in understanding. Recognizing this, we will have new understanding and discovery when we review and explore the theory of meridian tendon. Associated with the physiological function of the tendons “the main bundle of bones and organs” and the structural characteristics of the “tendons, all belonging to the joints”, it can be assumed that the tendons are muscles, ligaments and other soft tissue structures undoubtedly. However, only muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues can not play its role, but must rely on the innervation of the nervous system, in order to show its function. Panjabi [7], when discussing the stability of the spine, pointed out that the stabilization system of the spine consists of three subsystems, i.e., the vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, and ligaments constitute the passive subsystem, and all the muscles and tendons around the spine provide the power to the spinal column, which constitutes the active subsystem, while the nerves and the central nervous system constitute the nervous system. The nerves and central nervous system make up the neural subsystem, which maintains the stability of the spine by modulating a variety of sensor signals and modulates the active subsystem to provide the required stability. The passive subsystem is called the static system, and the active subsystem is called the dynamic system. Under the control of the neural subsystem, the balance and coordination of the dynamic and static systems ensures that the spine is able to perform its normal function. In fact, this theory can also be applied to the meridian system, the human body’s bones, joints, ligaments for the static system, and attached to the skeletal muscles for the dynamic system, under the regulation of the nervous system, the static system and the dynamic system of the equilibrium between the system is like a mast and a cable [8], the two coordinated in order to maintain the posture of the human body and play the function of the movement, in which any link suffered damage, can cause or A disruption of any of these links can cause or induce a loss of homeostasis, leading to disease. Scholars have recognized this characteristic of meridian tendons, such as Zhou Shihua [9] that the twelve meridian tendons disease is equivalent to the modern medicine of muscular rheumatism, inflammation of joints, soft tissue injuries, as well as motor system, neurological disorders caused by the muscles, tendons and veins of the contracture, ankylosis, throbbing pain or flaccidity, paralysis, paralysis and other lesions. Zhang Jun [10] also believes that tendon diseases are mostly seen in bone and joint and nervous system diseases in modern medicine. Therefore, the meridians and tendons of Chinese medicine actually include both their structural basis – muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues – and their effector basis – the nervous system. The meridian tendon in TCM cannot be regarded purely as the soft tissue system such as muscles and ligaments, nor can it be regarded purely as the nervous system, but it should be a complex that includes both of them and is capable of accomplishing the human body’s motor functions. Its lesions also include the muscle, ligament and other soft tissue lesions caused by trauma, strain injury and other factors, such as contracture, pain, etc.; nervous system (including central and peripheral nerves) lesions caused by muscle, ligament and other soft tissue lesions, such as hemiplegia, impotence, etc.; as well as by the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues of their own lesions, stimulation, compression of peripheral nerves between the peripheral nerves, resulting in peripheral neuropathy, such as Various dermal nerve entrapment syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome and so on. In summary, we can generalize the meridian tendon and its lesions as follows: meridian tendon is a generalization of the structure and function of muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues based on the normal innervation of muscles. Its lesions include muscle, ligament and other soft tissue lesions and the resulting peripheral neuropathy, as well as due to neurological lesions caused by muscle, ligament and other soft tissue function changes. Correctly understanding the essence of the theory of meridian tendon is the premise and foundation of clinical application. Further comprehensive and in-depth discussion and interpretation of the theory of meridian tendons will help to guide the clinical treatment of meridian tendon diseases, expand the scope of acupuncture treatment, and also help to expand the ideas of acupuncture treatment, so as to better inherit and develop acupuncture medicine. References [1] Ligong Xue. Exploration and play of the theory of meridian tendon [J]. 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