[Review on the safety of deep acupuncture at Tianshu (ST 25)]

Tianshu (ST 25) is a frequently-used acupoint in acupuncture practice. It is reported that deep acupuncture has a better therapeutic effect than routine depth acupuncture. On the basis of reviewing the available literature, the present paper gives a definition about "deep acupuncture" of Tianshu (ST 25) from the anatomy angle, and makes a summary about its safety. This paper also puts forward a set of operation standards for needling Tianshu (ST 25). Moreover, the authors of the present paper also make a systematic analysis on the factors affecting the safety from the punctured depth, the diameter of the acupuncture needle and the operation technique. These methods and standards have an important significance in guiding clinical practice of acupuncture.