Diachronic analysis of major acupoints used in ancient and current acupuncture treatments: Changes in main acupoints over time

BACKGROUND: Over time, a large body of knowledge on acupoint selection patterns has accumulated. This study compared the main acupoint selection patterns between ancient and current acupuncture treatments. METHODS: Data on the 10 most frequently used acupoints were obtained from a current medical database, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the ancient medical text Donguibogam. Network analysis was used to identify the most commonly used major points across various diseases. RESULTS: The most commonly used acupoints in both ancient and current acupuncture were ST36, SP6, LR3, LI4, and GV20. Acupoints CV3, CV4, CV6, CV8, and CV12 were more widely used in ancient acupuncture, while in current acupuncture, HT7, PC6, KI3, GB34, and EX-HN3 were more prevalent. CONCLUSIONS: Ancient and current acupuncture practice had similar and distinct acupoint selection patterns. Diachronic analysis sheds light on how patterns of acupoint selection have changed.