Needling Technique: Tissue Layers, Pain Pathways, and Therapeutic Response

Course overview

*Identify the distinct tissue layers an acupuncture needle traverses and explain their anatomical significance for safe needle insertion. *Describe the ascending neural pathways that transmit acupuncture stimuli, including the role of the reticular formation in autonomic responses. *Explain the local tissue response to needle insertion, including mast cell degranulation and the axon reflex underlying acupuncture's healing cascade. *Differentiate how needle depth, manipulation strength, and retention time produce sympathetic versus parasympathetic therapeutic effects.