The basis for AP lies in a knowledge of the position and functions of the AP points and in relationships between the Channels, the direction and time sequence of Qi flow in the

Channel circuits and the MASTER (energy transfer) points.

2. Few (if any) Master Acupuncturists know all the points. (There are over 1000 points if all AP systems are included). However, to claim to be an acupuncturist and not know the main points is tantamount to charlatanism, if not fraud.

3. Beginners can get good clinical results by Trigger Point (TP) Therapy, Scar Therapy, Neural Therapy, Dermatomal/Segmental Nerve Stimulation. These are all part of AP therapy but they are the simplest part and need no knowledge of Oriental medical concepts or AP principles. Thus, a TP therapist is not always an acupuncturist but an acupuncturist always uses TP therapy, where appropriate.

4. As a prospective acupuncturist, you can be as good or as mediocre as you wish to be. There are four main options in the study of AP therapy:

a. TP and allied therapy (very simple, little study needed).

b. Classical AP therapy (very complex; needs years of study; may not be essential; adequate training difficult to get in some countries).

c. Cookbook AP (Incorporates TP therapy. Relatively simple, if you have good charts, system - and a minimum of home study of AP methods).

d. Intermediate AP (Cookbook system plus a minimum of formal lectures on basic AP principles, plus a 6-12 months of part-time home study). The minimum requirement for proper use of AP is study of the location, function, uses and contraindications of the main AP points.

I suggest that option 4 is the best for most busy professionals. Your National AP association can help you to select a suitable course.

ESSENTIAL READING (the most authoritative texts; * = highly recommended)

 Anon (1973) Newest Illustrations of the AP Points (Charts & Booklet). Med. &

Health Publ. Co., Hong Kong 100pp.

 Anon (1977) Basic AP: Scientific Interpretation & Application. Chin. AP Research Foundation. 84-223 Taipei, R.0.C. 313pp.

 Anon (1980)* Essentials of Chinese AP. Foreign languages Press, Peking 432pp.

 Anon (1980)* Barefoot Doctor's Manual -Official paramedical Manual. Running Press, Philadelphia. 948pp.

 Chung, Chien (1983) The Ahshih Point: Illustrated Guide to Clinical AP. Chen Kwan Books, 5-2-1F Chung Ching South Road, Taipei, Taiwan 212pp.

 Connolly, Dianne (1979) Traditional AP: The Law of the Five Elements. Centre for Traditional AP. American City Bldg. Columbia, Maryland 21044, 197pp.

 Lee, Jane F. & Cheung, C.S. (1978) Current AP Therapy, Med. Interflow Publ. House, Hong Kong 408pp.

 O'Connor, J. and Bensky, D.(1983) AP: A Comprehensive Text. Shanghai College of Trad. Med. (Eastland Press, Chicago) 750pp.

OTHER ORIENTAL TEXTS IN ENGLISH (* = highly recommended)

 Anon (1974)* China's New Needling Treatment. Med. & Health Publ. Co., Hong Kong 80pp.

 Anon (1974) Principles & Practical use of AP Anaesthesia. Med. & Health Publ. Co.

Hong Kong 325pp.

 Anon (1979)* Treatment of 100 Diseases by New AP. Med. & Health Publ. Co., Hong Kong, 89pp.

 Anon (1980) AP Manual, AP Research Centre, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C. 229pp.

 Anon (1983) Anatomical Atlas of Chinese AP Points, Shandong Scientific &

Technical Press, Jinan, China, 256pp.

 Cheng, W.C. & Yang, C.P. (1976)* Synopsis of Chinese AP. Light Publishing Co.

Hong Kong 128pp.

 Hyodo, Mayayoshi (1980) Recent Advances in AP Treatment. Dept. Anaesthesia, Osaka Med. College, Japan, 245pp.

 Hyodo M. & Kitade, T. (1980)* Guide to Silver Spike Point Electrotherapy, Dept.

Anaesthes. Osaka Med. College, Japan 212pp.

 Kao, F.F. & Kao,J.J. (1973) AP Therapeutics, Eastern Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 98pp.

 Shen, Chou AI, Stenbaeck, L., Hammond, G.L. & Clausen, T. (1973)* Practical AP, FADL Publishing House, Copenhagen, 160pp.

 Shui, Wae (1976) A research in AP and its clinical Practice. Commercial Press Ltd., Hong Kong 231pp.

 Silverstein, M.E, Chang, I.L. & Macon, N. (1975) Handbook for Barefoot Doctors of China. Schocken Books, New York 372pp.

 Wong and Law (1982) Chinese AP Handbook. Light Publishing Co., Hong Kong, 150pp.

OTHER WESTERN TEXTS (* = highly recommended)

 Austin, Mary (1974) AP Therapy. Turnstone Books, London. 290pp.

 Callehr, H. (1976) AP in Psychosomatic Medicine: Diagnostic & Therapeutic Standards Amer. J. Acup. Vol. 4, 101-.

 Chaitow, Leon (1976) AP Treatment of pain. Thorsons Publ. Wellingborough, Northants, U.K. 160pp.

 Chan, Pedro (1975) Finger Acupressure. Price, Stern, Sloan Publishers, Los Angeles, California 92pp.

 Chan, Pedro (1977) Ear Acupressure, Price, Stern, Sloan Publ. Los Angeles, CA.

109pp.

 Chang, S.T. (1976) Complete Book of AP Celestial Arts, Milbrae, CA. 244pp.

 Connolly Dianne (1979)* Traditional AP : The Law of the Five Elements. Centre for Traditional AP, American City Building, Columbia, Maryland 21944, USA. 197pp.

 Dorrigo, Bruno et al (1979)* Fibrositic Myofascial Pain in Intermittent Claudication, Effect of TP block on Exercise Tolerance, Pain, Vol 6, 183-.

 Fox, W.W. (1975)* Arthritis & Allied Conditions. A New & Successful Approach, Ranelagh Press, Hampstead, London, 9lpp.

 Houston, F.M. (1974) Healing Benefits of Acupressure. Keats Publ. Inc., New Haven, Connecticut, 76pp.

 Huneke, F. (1961) Das Sekunden Phanomen. Karl F. Haug Verlag, Ulm, Germany (In German)

 Hwang F.T.K., Wong, J.S.L. & Chan, P.C.P. (1975) AP made Easy. AP Research Institute, Chan's Books, Alhambra, CA, USA. 97pp.

 Kajdos, V. (1974) Neural Therapy - Its possibilities in everyday practice. Amer. J.

Acup. Vol 2, 113-.

 Kaptchuk, Ted (1983)* The Web that has no Weaver. Congdon & Weed, New York, USA.

 Kellgren, J.R. (1939-42) On the Distribution of Pain arising from Deep Somatic Structures & Charts of Segmental Pain Areas. Clin. Sci., Vol 4, 35-.

 Khoe, Willem (1979)* Scar Injection in AP. Amer. J. Acup. Vol 7, 15-.

 Lau, P.D. (No Date) Explanatory Manual of AP Hampton Gen. Hospital, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.A

 Lavier, J. (1974) Points of Chinese AP. Health Science Press, Wellingborough, Northants, U.K. 115pp.

 Lawson Wood, D. & J. (1973) AP Handbook. Health Science Press, Wellingborough, Northants, U.K. 141pp.

 Lee, I.J. & Lee, T.D.H. (1975) AP Atlas. Lycee Trading Corp. Melville, New York, 203pp.

 Lewitt, Karel (1979) The Needle Effect in Relief of Myofascial Pain. Pain, Vol 6, 83-.

 Lu, Henry C. (1974) Complete Textbook of Auricular AP. Acad. Oriental Heritage, Vancouver, Canada, 250pp.

 Manaka, Y & Urquart, I.A. (1973) Quick and easy Chinese Massage. Japan Publishing Trading Co., 1255 Howard St. San Francisco 31pp.

 Mann, Felix (1973)* AP cure of many Diseases. Heinemann Medical Books, London, UK.

 Mann, Felix (1974) Meridians of AP. William Heinemann Med. Books; London 174pp.

 Mann, Felix (1974) Treatment of Disease by AP. William Heinemann Med. Books Ltd. London 202pp.

 Matsumoto, Teruo (1973) AP for Physicians, Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois 202pp.

 Melzack, Ronald et al (1977)* Trigger Points and AP Points for pain; Correlations and Implications. Pain, Vol 3, 3-.

 Macdonald, Alex (1983)* Trigger Mechanisms and Myofascial Fain. 3rd Nordic Congress on AP (May 1983) and Annals Roy. Coll. Surg. Eng., Vol 65,44-.

 Moss, Louis (1972)* AP and You. Paul Elek Books, London, 196pp.

 Namikoshi, Tokujiro (1974) Shiatsu. Japan Publ. Trading Co., San Francisco, CA, USA. 81pp.

 Niboyet J.E.H. et al (1973) L'anaesthesie par l'acupuncture, Maisoneuve, Saint Ruffine, France 433pp.

 Patterson, Margaret (1975)* Addictions can be Cured. Lion Publ. Co., Berkhamsted, Herts, U.K. 95pp.

 Porkert, M. (1983) The Essentials of Chinese Diagnostics. Acta Medicinae Sinensis, Chinese Medical Publications Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland. 292pp.

 Rogers, Carole (1982)* AP Therapy for Post-Operative Scars. Amer. J. Acup., Vol 10, 201-.

 Pontinen, Pekka (1982) AP Seminar for Swedish Physicians, AP Research Dept., Tampere Univ. Finland.

 Shenberger, R.M. (1980) AP Therapy Prescription Index. Shenco, 205 Pinecroft Drive, Roselle, ILL 60172 U.S.A.

 Travell, J. and Simons M. (1984) Myofascial pain and dysfunction - the Trigger Point Manual, Part 1. (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore & London), 713pp.

 Turner, Roger, N. & Low, Royston, H. (1981)* Principles & Practice of Moxa.

Thorson's Publ. Wellingborough, Northants, UK 95pp.

 Ulett, G. (1982) Principles and Practice of Physiological AP. Warren Greene Inc., 8356 Olive Blvd., Missouri 63132, U.S.A. 220pp.

 Van Nghi, Nguyen (1971) Pathogenie et Pathologie Energetiques en Med. Chinoise.

Imprimerie Ecole Don Bosco, Marseille. 679pp.

 Warren, F.Z. & Fischman, W.L. (1980) Sexual AP and Acupressure. Unwin Paperbacks, London, Boston, Sydney 238pp.

 Wu Wei Ping (1973) Chinese AP. Health Science Press, Holsworthy. Devon, UK.

181pp.

SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS, OVERVIEWS, REVIEWS (* = highly recommended)

 Anon (1975) Summaries of Rep. of China (Taiwan) Delegation to 5th World Congress of AP 136pp.

 Anon (1975) Proc. 3rd World Symposium on AP and Chinese Medicine, New York (Amer. J Chin. Med., 3, Supp 1, 54pp.

 Anon (1979)* Abstracts from Symposium on AP, Moxa and AP analgesia. Peking and Jean Bossy's Synthesis (Doin Editors, Paris) 286pp.

 Anon (1981)* Symposium on Myofascial Trigger Points (Melzack, Renolds, Rubin, Simons, Travell) Archives of Rehabilitation Medicine, March 1981, 97-117.

 Lin, J.H. & Rogers, P.A.M. (1980) AP effects on the body's defence systems: a review.

Vet. Bulletin, 50, 633-.

 Rogers, P.A.M. & Ottaway, C.W. (1974) Success claimed for AP in domestic animals:

a veterinary news item. Irish Vet. J., 28, 182-.

 Rogers, P.A.M., White, S.S. & Ottaway, C.W. (1977) Stimulation of the AP points re analgesia and therapy of clinical disorders in animals. Vet. Annual (Wright

Scitechnica, Bristol, UK), 17, 258-.

 Rogers, P.A.M. & Bossy, J. (1981) Activation of the defence systems in animals and man by AP and moxibustion. Acup. Res. Quart., (Taiwan), 5, 47-.

 Rogers, P.A.M. (1983) The Taiwan Report. Acup. Res. Quart., (Taiwan), 7, 44-.

QUESTIONS