These points are to be noticed before and during acupuncture treatments:
1. Do not give acupuncture treatment to patients who are hungry, or overeaten, or drunk, or nervous, or over-fatigued. For patients in weak conditions, the manipulation and stimulation of needles should not be too strong, and a supine posture of the patient is recommended.
2. Do not give acupuncture treatments at acupuncture points (acupoints) on the abdomen and lumbosacral areas for pregnant women, or the points that may cause contraction of the uterus, such as Hegu (LI 4), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Kunlun (BL 60) and Zhiyin (BL 67). Generally, acupuncture is not recommended for pregnant women or women in the period of menstruation.
3. Acupoints on the vertex of infants should not be needled when the fontanel is not closed. Retention of needles is forbidden in infants since they are unable to cooperate. Usually acupressure or massage (Tui Na) methods are more recommended for infants.
4. Do not use acupuncture on patients with a tendency of spontaneous bleeding or with the disturbance of blood coagulation, or with hemorrhagic tendencies.
5. Do not use acupuncture on the areas with infection, ulcer, scars, or tumors.
6. To avoid an accident, the practitioner should be cautious on the angle, direction and depth of needling at the points located around the eyes, the neck, the chest, the back, the hypochondriac area, and areas that are close to the vital organs or large blood vessels.
