Study on Acupoint Selection Rules of Treating Infertility in Ancient Literature

OBJECTIVE To explore of acupoint selection rules of treating infertility recorded in ancient literature. METHODS Chinese Medical Classics (5th Edition) was used to search and collate the records of treating infertility in the books written before the founding of the People's Republic of China. Based on the database， the authors made statistical analysis. RESULTS 301 clauses of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment on infertility were retrieved， referred to 41 points for 358 times. It has been found that acupoints on Ren channel and Kidney meridian were often used to treat infertility， among which Zhongji (RN3) and Guanyuan (RN4) were the most frequent. The points were mostly selected from the lower abdomen and lower limbs and most of them are specific. The convergent acupoint of Ren Channel and Chong Channel were key to the treatment. CONCLUSION In the treatment of infertility， we can select the most frequent prescribed acupoints in ancient literature as a basic prescription for acupuncture， such as Zhongji（RN3）， Guanyuan (RN4)， Zhaohai (KI6) and Yongquan (KI1)， combined with moxibustion and syndrome differentiation. In addition， it was recorded that acupuncture at Shimen (CV5)， Sanyinjiao (SP6)， Xuehai (SP10)， Zhiyang (GV9) might lead to worse condition， so acupoint selection to treat infertility should be deliberate.