Acupuncture Skill “Piercing Shoulder Heat”
“Piercing Shoulder Heat” refers to needling the Tianzong point above the scapula using specific techniques to produce a warm, comfortable sensation in the shoulder joint, thereby achieving effects such as warming meridians, activating blood flow, relieving pain, and improving weakness. It achieves remarkable results for conditions like upper limb pain, numbness, paralysis, and inability to move.
Acupoint location: Instruct the patient to lie prone. Locate the sensitive point at Tianzong. Disinfect with iodophor. Use the left thumb as the stabilizing hand, right hand holding a 1.5-inch filiform needle, insert obliquely upward. Seek the needle sensation. Once the patient feels soreness and distension, apply reinforcing manipulation by twisting the needle. Allow the sensation to spread along the scapula to the shoulder joint. Hold the needle at the sensation site for 1 minute. At this moment, the patient reports a gradual feeling of warmth—then withdraw the needle to subcutaneous level, reinsert the needle at a 30-degree angle downward to a depth of 1.2 cun, seek sensation again, apply reinforcing manipulation, causing the patient to feel a pulling sensation in the shoulder joint. Hold for 1 minute, then withdraw to subcutaneous level. Repeat the process of upward oblique insertion, holding, withdrawing, downward oblique insertion, holding, for a total of three times. After removal, the patient immediately feels warmth and comfort in the shoulder joint.