Abstract: OBJECTIVE:To probe the effects of acupuncture reinforcing and reducing methods on the human body.METHODS:Studied acupuncture reinforcing and reducing actions in the ancient literature,based on modern clinical and experimental studies,in combination with experience of acupuncture teaching and clinical treatment.RESULTS:The key to the generation of reinforcing and reducing actions is not the acupuncture reinforcing and reducing methods themselves,but instead the functional state of the patient during the acupuncture.When reinforcing and reducing methods act on the human body,a reinforcing-reducing effect is produced through regulation of Qi,indicating that the production of the reinforcing-reducing effect requires a certain condition.Specifically,acupuncture does not produce the reinforcing-reducing effect under all conditions,but can produce a reinforcing effect in patients with deficiency syndrome and a reducing effect in patients with excess syndrome.CONCLUSION:Reinforcing and reducing methods each have therapeutic effects on both deficiency syndrome and excess syndrome,but a reinforcing method should be selected first for deficiency syndrome and a reducing method should be selected first for excess syndrome.

Key words: Acupuncture theray, Reinforcing-reducing, Relative specificity