Acupuncture sensation: De Qi
C : I would like to go back to the sensation of “Qi grasping the needle”, which tells you that you have reached the right place, Is this what is called “Qi Zhi” ?
LX : Yes, but Qi Zhi is more than this. It includes different kinds of feelings :
1. The patient feels better
2. At the point of insertion, the patient feels numbness, pain, or soreness or a sensation going through the channels.
3. The doctor feels that the needle he is holding in his hand has been “grasped”.
4. The doctor feels that the energy of the patient is changing, moving, improving, reducing...
5. The doctor feels the Shen (神-spirit) of the patient clear or calmed.
6. The doctor feels his own Shen (神-spirit) clear or calmed.
7. The doctor feels the atmosphere of the room clear or bright.
In modern books, only 1, 2, 3 are discussed. We need to train ourselves to be able to perceive 4, 5, 6, and 7
C : Your description of 1, 2, and 3 corresponds to what I call “De Qi” or “acupuncture sensation”. I understand now that the patient’s perception of “De
Qi” is not necessarily all that matters. The doctor’s perception of”De Qi”is also fundamental to the success of treatment!
LX : Exactly ! In practice, there are different ways of feeling “De Qi”. For example, often, if a patient is suffering from cold blocked inside the body, a sensation of cold will be felt by the doctor just above the needle, up to 50cm above it. It is a good sign that cold is released from the interior and is moving out. Or sometimes, if there is pain after the insertion of the needle, it means that cold tightens around the needle. It is then better to use moxa. The “De Qi” sensation classically described by the patient (numbness, heat, heaviness, sensation along the channel ...), is not all that important to the success of the treatment. What is important is not only what the doctor feels and observes after the needleinsertion (we are going back to the feeling of “the wind blowing the clouds away, clear like you see the
sky”), but also changes observed in the patient:” Yin Qi Yi Zhang, Er Mu Cong Ming, Fan Ci Zhe Xue Qi Bu Xing 音与气彰, 耳目聪明, 反此者气不行 which means : “sound of the voice, glow of the face and eyes, hearing should be clear (or at least show some changes), if not, Qi and Xue have not been changed”.
From Dr. Li Xin, Dr.Claudine Merer TCM : BACK TO THE SOURCES FOR A MODERN APPROACH P226