It is well understood, that the effect of acupuncture is to balance the patient’s Qi  movement and adjust the body from an abnormal condition to normal. The basic definition of reinforcing and reducing in the acupuncture field is:  Any technique able to help hypo-activity or deficiency symptoms in the body return to normal is called reinforcing, any technique that can help hyper-activity or excess symptoms return to normal is called reducing.

            Reinforcing and reducing techniques are related to three aspects: the patient body constitution, the nature of the point, and the performance of the technique.   Depending on the patient’s constitution, in excess or deficiency, the patient will recover from an abnormal situation after treatment. In fact, the treatment will cause the appearance of reinforcing or reducing effects in the patient. That effect is via adjustment of the patient’s Qi movement, during and after needle stimulation.  This is the difference between acupuncture and herbal medicine, in which herbs or other tonic supplies exactly reinforce or reduce something in the body.

The second aspect is that of the nature of the point.   Depending what groups of points are selected for treatment, some points in the body will function as reinforcement, such as: CV-4, CV-6, and BL-23. Some points on the other hand, will have a reducing function, such as LI-4, GV-26, and Shi Xuan. Reinforcing and reducing technique results appear after stimulation to these specific points.

Performance of different reinforcing and reducing needle techniques is the third aspect involved.  This is when special needle techniques for reinforcing and reducing the movement of Qi , Blood, and body fluid are applied in order to help body re-adjust. These are the needle techniques that will be described here.

            There are seven basic (single style) reinforcing and reducing needle techniques that are mentioned in the Nei Jing.  These seven techniques could be used individually or combined together. For example, when we apply the breathing technique, it will be in the process of treatment including the insertion, the adjustment of the needle, while moving the needle to obtain Qi, while reinforcing and reducing, and finally upon removal. 

In ancient times, there were two basic principles guiding the theory of needle techniques: adjusting the direction of Qi and sending the Yang Qi in or pulling the Yin Qi out.  In order to reinforce and reduce by direction of Qi flow, one must focus on the movement of Qi and reinforce the insufficient or reduce the excess flow of Qi.  Sending the Yang Qi down into the body, or leading the Yin Qi (Blood) out means that all the techniques that can send the Yang Qi inside the body are reinforcing techniques, and all the techniques that lead the Yin Blood out are reducing techniques.  The Nei Jing states, “reinforcing is sending Yang Qi down, and reducing is leading Yin Qi up.”

Effect: Regulates Ying and Wei Qi, supports the Vital Qi, and expels pathogens.

Clinical Applications: All disharmonies of Ying and Wei Qi, and blockage of channel Qi.

Technique:  There are three methods:   

a. The thumb pushes forward (reinforcing); the thumb pulls backward (dispersion).

b. The thumb pushes forward with the Qi  flow for the three hand Yang meridians, the three-foot Yin meridians, and the Conception vessel. The thumb pulls back, against the Qi flow for the three hand Yin meridians, the three-foot Yang meridians, and the Governing vessel.

c. The handle of the needle is grasped by the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Then the needle is twisted gently with small amplitude, this is reinforcing. Twisting heavily with large amplitude, this is dispersion.

please read original book for details.......................................................................