Muscles are vital organs of the human body, yet they are frequently overlooked in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Over 30 years of clinical practice has enabled Fu's Subcutaneous Needling (FSN) to gradually recognize that muscles sustaining persistent tension under general relaxation play a crucial and direct role in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. As the examination targets and therapeutic organs of this therapy, muscles also constitute the major pathological source of pain. Integrating multidisciplinary resources to establish myology represents an inevitable trend in medical development. A systematic myological system will help refine the theories for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain, build an academic platform for the exchange and integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, promote the coordinated development of various medical disciplines, and lay a solid theoretical foundation for the national health management of chronic diseases.

A brain-computer interface (BCI) records and decodes activity signals from the central nervous system, converts them into executable commands to control external software or hardware, and thereby realizes interaction, communication and control between the brain and the external world. Based on the MetaBCI software platform and the steady-state visual evoked potential paradigm, this study establishes a mapping relationship between multi-classification tasks and acupoint electrical stimulation. It thus forms a closed loop between electroencephalographic coding and acupoint stimulation, develops an authentic acupuncture BCI platform, and enables brain-controlled adjustment of acupuncture stimulation intensity as well as brain-controlled selection of therapeutic acupoints. This platform represents a methodological exploration integrating acupuncture therapy with BCI, and can serve as a model reference for similar research.

Sudden deafness (SD), also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, has a complex and multifactorial etiology, and its underlying pathogenesis remains not fully elucidated. Restricted by anatomical structures such as the blood-labyrinth barrier, Western medical treatments still lack efficient and reliable therapeutic strategies for SD. As a characteristic therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture boasts advantages including diverse treatment modalities, favorable clinical efficacy, and high safety profile. Accumulating studies have indicated that acupuncture may improve the inner ear microenvironment by regulating multiple pathways, such as enhancing inner ear blood perfusion, modulating vascular endothelial cell function, and inhibiting neuronal and cochlear hair cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, it can regulate neural activities in the auditory cortex and associated brain regions, promote the remodeling of auditory neural networks, and thereby facilitate hearing recovery. However, high-quality clinical studies on acupuncture for SD remain relatively scarce, with limitations such as small sample sizes and inconsistent acupuncture protocols. In the future, large-sample, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials should be conducted, and the multi-dimensional mechanisms of acupuncture should be further explored systematically and in-depth. This work aims to provide more sufficient scientific evidence for the clinical application of acupuncture in treating SD.

Chengjiang(CV24) is the crossing point of the Conception Vessel and the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming. It has been widely used clinically for the treatment of mental disorders such as depression in successive dynasties, yet its therapeutic mechanism lacks systematic elucidation. From the perspective of neuroanatomy, this paper reviews the local anatomical structures and multi-level neural conduction pathways of Chengjiang (CV24), analyzes the modern biological basis corresponding to its meridian crossing characteristics, and further explores the potential mechanisms of this acupoint in treating hysterical aphasia, epilepsy and facial spasm. The results show that Chengjiang (CV24) is innervated by both sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve and motor branches of the facial nerve, presenting a characteristic of dual-source innervation, which lays an anatomical foundation for the transmission of acupuncture signals. Its therapeutic effects are mediated by the three-level conduction pathway of "trigeminal nerve-pontine nuclei-reticular formation-limbic system", which sequentially realizes signal reception, bidirectional regulation of consciousness and modulation of emotion and memory. Stimulation at Chengjiang (CV24) can also regulate autonomic nervous function via the trigeminal-vagal complex, providing modern biological interpretation for the traditional theory of convergence of the Conception and Governor Vessels. Based on the above neural pathways, this study innovatively proposes that the treatment of hysterical aphasia with Chengjiang (CV24) involves the coordination of nucleus ambiguus and cortical arousal mechanism; it exerts desynchronization regulation on epilepsy, and achieves bidirectional modulation on emotion-related facial spasm through the limbic system-brainstem reflex. This study provides theoretical evidence for the modern clinical application of Chengjiang (CV24) from a neuroscientific perspective.

To explore the therapeutic regimens and acupoint selection rules of acupuncture for chronic lumbar muscle strain (CLMS).

Clinical literature on acupuncture treatment for CLMS was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, with the retrieval period from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2024. A database was established using Microsoft Excel 2021 to analyze the literature types, therapeutic protocols and frequency of acupoints. SPSS Modeler 18.1 was adopted to conduct correlation analysis on acupoint selection in included studies.

A total of 41 articles were enrolled, involving 70 acupoint prescriptions and 45 acupoints, with a total application frequency of 229 times. Acupuncture, warm needling and fire needling ranked the top three commonly used interventions for CLMS. The top five frequently used acupoints were Shenshu (BL23), Weizhong (BL40), Ashi points, Dachangshu (BL25) and Yaoyangguan (GV3). The Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang and Governor Vessel were the most frequently applied meridians, and most acupoints were distributed over the lumbodorsal region and lower extremities. Back-shu points and Five-Shu points were the top two categories of specific acupoints in terms of usage frequency. High-frequency acupoint combinations included Weizhong(BL40)-Shenshu(BL23), Shenshu(BL23)-Weizhong(BL40), Shenshu(BL23)-Ashi points, Weizhong(BL40)-Ashi points-Shenshu(BL23) and Weizhong(BL40)-Dachangshu(BL25).

Acupuncture is safe and effective for CLMS. The main interventions are conventional acupuncture, warm needling and fire needling, and Shenshu(BL23), Ashi points, Weizhong(BL40), Dachangshu(BL25) and Yaoyangguan(GV3) serve as the primary acupoints for treatment.

To explore the clinical acupoint selection rules of acupoint therapy for hyperthyroidism based on data mining technology, so as to provide references for its clinical application.

Relevant literature on acupoint therapy for hyperthyroidism was retrieved from CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, PubMed and Web of Science, with the retrieval time ranging from the establishment of each database to January 31, 2025. An Excel database was established to collect acupoint prescriptions. Statistical analyses were performed on literature types, syndrome differentiation, intervention methods, as well as the frequency, distribution, meridian tropism and categories of specific acupoints. SPSS Modeler 18.0 and SPSS Statistics 21.0 were used for association rule analysis and cluster analysis.

A total of 52 eligible literatures were included, involving 63 prescriptions and 78 acupoints, with a total usage frequency of 520 times. The high-frequency acupoints for hyperthyroidism treatment were Neiguan (PC6, 7.69%), Sanyinjiao (SP6, 7.31%) and Zusanli (ST36, 7.12%). The top five meridians in terms of total usage frequency were the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (66 times, 12.69%), the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin (66 times, 12.69%), the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang (62 times, 11.92%), the Conception Vessel (43 times, 8.27%) and the Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin (42 times, 8.08%). Most acupoints were distributed in the lower extremities, head, neck and upper extremities. Among the 78 acupoints, 61 were specific acupoints, with a total frequency of 365 times, accounting for 70.2% (365/520) of the total. The top three specific acupoints were Five-Shu points, Yuan-source points and Eight Confluent Points. With the minimum support set at 30% and minimum confidence at 80%, 22 acupoint combinations were obtained via association rule analysis, among which the combination of Zusanli (ST36)-Sanyinjiao (SP6)-Neiguan (PC6) showed the strongest correlation. When the dendrogram scale was set at 20, four valid clusters were identified through cluster analysis: Sanyinjiao (SP6) -Zusanli (ST36) -Neiguan (PC6)-Ashi points-Jianshi (PC5), Dazhui (GV14)-Fengchi (GB20), Hegu (LI4)-Shuitu (ST10)-Tiantu (CV22), and Shenmen (HT7)-Taichong (LR3)-Taixi (KI3)-Fuliu (KI7)-Ganshu (BL18).

Acupoint therapy for hyperthyroidism mainly adopts acupoints of the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming. Both distal and local acupoints are commonly selected with priority given to specific acupoints, following the principle of upper-lower acupoint matching. The core acupoint combination is Neiguan (PC6)-Sanyinjiao (SP6)-Zusanli (ST36).

Post-stroke oculomotor nerve palsy (PSONP) is a common sequela of stroke, clinically characterized by diplopia, vertical strabismus, blurred vision, and ocular motility disturbance, which severely impairs patients' quality of life. Currently, pharmacological therapies and surgical interventions are limited by suboptimal efficacy and inherent risks of complications. In contrast, acupuncture, a classic modality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic effects in managing PSONP through long-term clinical practice. Focusing on the clinical research progress of acupuncture for this condition, this review systematically collates relevant literature over the past decade, elaborating on clinical diagnosis and treatment ideas, specific acupuncture protocols, including characteristic TCM techniques such as Xingnao Kaiqiao (resuscitating and inducing consciousness), Weijin Xiangjiao (collateral tendon interaction), Jingjin Paici (meridian tendon row acupuncture), and periorbital special needling, and combined synergistic approaches like electroacupuncture and acupuncture-medication combination therapy. This work aims to synthesize existing clinical evidence and provide practical references for optimizing acupuncture treatment protocols for PSONP.

To evaluate the effect of teaching reform on the doctoral course Clinical Design and Methodology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

In terms of teaching content innovation, guided by the backward design principle of Outcome-Based Education (OBE), six lectures were arranged, covering original clinical researches and clinical practice guidelines of acupuncture and tuina. In the aspect of teaching method innovation, following the procedures of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), the teaching mode was divided into four stages: grouping, self-study, classroom discussion and evaluation, which integrated Case-Based Learning (CBL), Team-Based Learning (TBL) and OBE philosophy.Questionnaire survey was adopted to assess the teaching effectiveness.

Among the 77 doctoral students who completed the questionnaire, 80.5%（62/77） were very satisfied with the overall course performance. A total of 94.8%（73/77） held that the course basically or largely covered the knowledge required for conducting high-quality clinical researches on acupuncture and tuina. 98.7%（76/77） believed that this course had excellent or good complementarity and coherence with relevant courses on clinical research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Meanwhile, 98.7%（76/77） considered the diversified teaching methods applied in this course very or reasonably appropriate. Moreover, 89.6%（69/77） stated that the course greatly improved their ability of clinical research innovation and provided substantial support for carrying out high-quality clinical researches on acupuncture and tuina.

The teaching reform of the course with the hybrid teaching model integrating PBL, CBL, TBL and OBE helps enhance the clinical research and innovation capabilities of doctoral students majoring in acupuncture and tuina.