Overview of Ashi Point: Flexible Acupoint Selection for External Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ashi point is a special acupoint in traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and massage, also known as "indefinite point" or "Tianying point". It is characterized by no fixed position and is based on pressing pain or sensitive reaction points. This article will start from four parts: definition tracing, clinical characteristics, application scenarios and modern research, focusing on analyzing its core principle of "taking pain as the acupoint" and comparing the differences between traditional meridian points.

1. Definition and historical origin

The concept of Ah Shi point was first seen in Sun Simiao's "Qian Jin Yao Prescription" in the Tang Dynasty. It is recorded in the book that "if a person is in pain, just pinch it, if the inside is in the right place, regardless of the hole, it will be easy to relieve constipation or the pain point, that is, 'A Shi'". Different from the 361 fixed acupoints on the twelve meridians, the discovery of Ashi point completely relies on the patient's subjective feelings and the doctor's palpation, which reflects the flexibility of "syndrome differentiation and treatment" of traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research believes that these acupuncture points mostly correspond to high tension points or nerve sensitive areas of muscle fascia.

2. Clinical characteristics and operating specifications

The selection of Ashi point follows three criteria:Obvious tenderness, local induration/stringy feeling, symptoms relieved after pressing. It is commonly used in the treatment of neck, shoulder, waist and leg pain, such as tenderness points in the scapula area during trapezius muscle spasm. Inquiry and palpation should be combined during the operation to avoid confusion with fixed acupoints. It is worth noting that the Ashi point may shift as the condition changes, and the treatment position needs to be dynamically adjusted, which is in sharp contrast to the stability of the meridian points.

3. Modern applications and scientific verification

Modern medicine has confirmed through electromyography and infrared thermal imaging that Ashi points are mostly located in areas with muscle strain or inflammatory reaction. Commonly used clinically:

Japanese scholar Kurono Hozo discovered through pain threshold experiments that stimulating the Ashi point can increase local β-endorphin levels, which provides a biochemical basis for the analgesic mechanism.

4. Summary and matters needing attention

Ashi point is a typical embodiment of the dynamic diagnosis and treatment concept of traditional Chinese medicine. Although it does not belong to the meridians, it can cooperate with the meridians to enhance the curative effect. Please pay attention when using: ① Avoid operating on damaged skin; ② Diabetic patients should be careful when using strong irritants; ③ It is necessary to cooperate with imaging examinations to rule out organic lesions. Currently, electronic acupuncture pens produced by Huatuo Brand, Jianmin Group and other companies all include the Ashi point positioning auxiliary function.

Quote sources:
1. "A Thousand Gold Prescriptions" by Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty (records of efficacy)
2. Kurono Hozo Laboratory, University of Tsukuba, Japan (Research on Pain Mechanisms)
3. Manufacturer:
- Huatuo brand (product: HT-2010 electronic hole exploration pen)
- Jianmin Group (Product: JM-3D Acupoint Locator)