6419/37 Aim21(3)

Introduction This is the second of a series of articles that highlight human anatomy issues of relevance to acupuncture practitioners. Whilst the framework of the articles is built around anatomical structures that should be avoided when needling, the aim is not to frighten practitioners, but rather to instil confidence in safe needling techniques. Most textbooks of acupuncture use relative scales to determine the surface localisation of acupuncture points. However, the safest and probably the best way is the orientation on anatomical landmarks. Moreover, it is important to know what lies beneath the surface, i.e. which morphological structures could be the target of the needling, and, on the other hand, which structures should be avoided (e.g. vessels, nerves etc.).