Reinforcing and reducing needling manipulations are important factors affecting clinical therapeutic effect.In the present paper

the relevant elements of the reinforcing and reducing techniques of acupuncture needle including the left-and right-ward twirling

gender

needling at the left and right

front and back parts of the body

needling along or against the running course of the meridian

and their origin and development recorded in ancient Chinese medical books were collected and sorted out

followed by analysis on the understandings of Chinese ancient medical practitioners about them.Results show that the right-or left-ward twirling of needles

gender

and needling at the right or left part

the front or the back part of the body of patients are not the core components of the reinforcing and reducing techniques.Of the three stimulus parameters of needling

named amplitude

frequency and duration which are frequently researched at present

only the duration of single twirling(frequency)was highly noted in GAO Wu's book Zhenjiu Juying(A Collection of Gems in Acupuncture and Moxibustion).It is worthy of being studied in the further.Regarding the stimulation intensity of acupuncture involving the identification of reinforcing or reducing manipulations

the factors influencing the patients' feelings of needling intensity of acupuncture should be studied at the same time.