Over the centuries, acupuncture therapy has continued to be refined and developed both in its theoretical underpinnings and clinical applications. Modern physicians know and understand better acupuncture, in order to make this treatment procedure more applicable to modern health needs. Even though there are many forms of acupuncture practice, with various diagnostic methods, selection of acupoints as well as needling techniques, the treatment goal remains constant: to restore the smooth flow of meridians so that different body parts can work in harmony again, thus providing the body with extra energy for self-healing.

In Chinese medicine understanding, the smooth and balanced flow of the meridians can be disturbedd by both external and internal factors, such as improper diet, pollution, germs, internal weakness, emotional distress, climatic influences and accidental injuries. No matter what causes a disease, physicians always take into account the whole developmental process, the area of disturbance, the nature of the pathogenic factors, and the state of the body's resistance. Some general rules for acupuncture treatment are:

• If the conditions are due to excessive pathogens or hyper-functioning of certain organs, use reducing techniques to eliminate or depress the undesirable aspects. Special stimulation techniques will be applied on the selected acupoints, which are likely to have a reducing property too, such as the shi xuan (Ex-Ue11), shu gou (Gv 26), su liao (Gv 25), feng long (St 40), xue hai (Sp 10);

• If the body is weak and in a low resistance, use reinforcing techniques to promote the overall healing power. The points with an invigorating property are likely selected, such as guan yuan (Cv 4), qi hai (Cv 6), ming men (Gv 4), shen shu (Bl 23), or they are combined in a particular way, such as source and connecting points used together for improving organ functioning and replenishing blood and qi;

• When the conditions are due to excess accumulation of heat, use gentle and rapid needling techniques to expel the heat pathogens, or in conjunction with the blood-letting method. For example, common cold with fever is indicated to select points like da zhui (Gv 14), qu chi (Li 11), he gu (Li 4), wai guan (Sj 5), when there is also throat soreness, then bleed-letting at shao shang (Lu 11) can be applied to enhance the overall outcome;

• When there is excessive coldness, leading to qi stagnation in the meridians and organs, the needles should be retained or should used be in conjunction with moxibustion for expelling the cold pathogens. In case if the exterior meridians are involved, moxibustion is more suitable, but if the interior organs are  involved, a deeper needling and with longer retention time are more appropriate;

• When both blood stasis and qi stagnation occur at the same time, the flow of meridians is seriously compromised; then blood letting or cupping method is combined to unblock the obstruction.

• When only one meridian is affected, and not involved other organ meridians, the points along the meridian is usually selected, and applied in even techniques.

• When qi deficiency appear and with a sinking tendency, moxibustion is usually indicated. For example, moxing points like bai hui (Gv 20), qi hai (Cv6), guan yuan (Cv4) can enhance yang qi, and arrest the uterus coming down.

It is essential to identify the involved meridian so as to obtain an optimal outcome. Generally, disharmonies in the meridians and organs are diagnosed according to syndrome differentiation, which also forms the basic guideline when prescribing an individual acupuncture treatment. This chapter provides a summary for TCM disharmony patterns (also known as syndromes) , their appropriate target meridians and suggested techniques.

>Lung and large intestine syndromes
>Spleen and stomach syndromes
>Heart and small intestine syndromes
>Kidney and bladder syndromes
>Pericardium and triple burner syndromes
>Liver and gall bladder syndromes