Proper acupuncture technique for Zusanli (ST36)

Acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) helps health preservation and the treatment of gastrointestinal-related diseases. The specific procedures are as follows:

1. Locate the patient's acupoint and prepare the needles. (Zusanli point: With the patient standing and bending forward, encircle the upper outer edge of the patella with the web between thumb and index finger of the same-side hand, with the remaining four fingers pointing downward—the tip of the middle finger indicates the location.)

2. The practitioner disinfects their hands by washing fingers with soap and water, then wiping them with a 75% ethanol swab.

3. Disinfect the needle insertion site by using a 75% ethanol swab to clean in circular motions outward from the center of the site.

4. Insert the needle vertically into the Zusanli point, slightly directed toward the tibia. Insert to a depth of 1–2 cun and retain the needle for twenty minutes.

5. After twenty minutes, remove the needles in the order from upper to lower, and inner to outer. Hold a sterile cotton ball in the left hand to press on the acupoint. With the right hand, use the thumb and index finger to grasp the needle handle, gently twisting it until resistance decreases and the needle moves smoothly, then slowly withdraw the needle from the skin. After needle removal, continue pressing the site with a sterile cotton ball in the left hand for a short while to prevent bleeding.