The special channels or vessels are 8, but 2 of them are the most important
- Governing vessels are in front of the spine
It contains 28 points and refers to them as Du-1 to Du-28
- Conception vessels are in the middle of the abdomen.
It contains 24 points and refers to them as Ren-1 to Ren-24
In the ancient China, they believe that the body contains 365. But in 1989 WHO agreed there were 361 points in the body, but in reality, they are 670 because they are on both sides except for the special vessels. After that, 48 more points were added because of their effectiveness and how they were used. Each acupuncturist has his or her points map and their way of using them. These points were recognized by a hole in the skin that gave a dull and aching sensation when pierced by a needle, and that sensation lasted for only seconds. But these days, they can be found by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The points show less skin resistance than normal skin surrounding them.
Types of points
They are classified according to their relation to the body structure.
- Type 1 points are related to the muscles in the connection between the muscle and the nerve.
- Type 2 points are related to the superficial nerves in the middle of the body.
- Type 3 points are related to the nerves and nerve plexuses.
- Type 4 points are related to the tendons where they connect to the joints.