Yuan Shi Dian is defined both broadly and narrowly. In the broad sense, Yuan Shi Dian represents Yuan Shi Dian medicine. In the narrow sense, Yuan Shi Dian represents Yuan Shi Dian locations. “Yuan Shi Dian along the Spine and Seven Regions of the Body” are located at a series of fixed points, and each Yuan Shi Dian covers a specific area of the body. Together, they act on the entire body. The tender points found at these locations through Antui are called Yuan Shi Tong Dian. The reason Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian is conducive to resolving Symptoms and Signs is undoubtedly because the tender points represent the location of Tishang of disease and illness and are the principal switches for healing disease and illness.

However, more importantly, Yuan Shi Dian are mostly located near their areas of coverage next to the bones for ease of conduction; they are also close to the Affected Area; thus, the curative effect can be more significant. Hence they are root cause locations of disease and illness and the main switches for curing disease and illness. As such, by locating the tender points from “the Spine and Seven Regions” to Antui, coordinated with applying Heat Sources for warming, Remote Tishang within the Yuan Shi Dian’s range of influence can be quickly resolved. This serves to eliminate disease and illness instantly or make them disappear to achieve the goal of treating pre-existing disease and illness or treating them before their onset.

Further, in the treatment process, the location of Tishang (for preexisting disease and illness or pre-disease) can be identified to determine the treatment location of Antui and Heat Sources. Antui belongs to treatment, applying Heat Sources is health maintenance, and identifying the location of Tishang is diagnosis. Hence the practice of Yuan Shi Dian encompasses the essence of diagnosis and treatment. It can also integrate diagnosis and treatment as one and accomplish in a single step. Therefore, in the broader sense, Yuan Shi Dian is referred to as medicine.

In terms of structure, the body is made up of various tissues and organs. Tissues include muscles, tendons, ligaments, sinews (jin 筋 ), blood vessels, blood, nerves, bones, etc. Organs include the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, small intestines, gallbladder, stomach, large intestines, bladder, uterus, breasts, eyes, ears, nose, brain, and so on. The operations of all these tissues and organs complement each other, driven by Heat Energy and aided by various Contributing Factors such as air, food, and water to sustain this living body. When this interdependent and cooperative functional relationship is disrupted by Contributing Factors detrimental to health, Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency will be created, leading to Symptoms and Signs of disease and illness.

So why do Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency cause disease and illness? The reason can be illustrated as follows: The formation of pain Symptoms must be through nerve conduction. To maintain the function of the nerve conduction, not only do nerves have to be nourished by blood, but blood vessels, muscles, bones, and other tissues must participate in the operation. Even so, if the heart stops beating, nerves will not be able to transmit information. By analogy, participation by various organs is also needed. In addition, Heat Energy is required to drive the functioning of tissues and organs. So if the body is functioning normally, there will be no pain Symptoms. However, once there is malfunctioning from Tishang or insufficient energy required for the normal functioning of tissues and organs, it may lead to pain Symptoms. On the other hand, abnormalities and tissue damage detected by medical instruments are not only different from Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency, but they are caused by Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency; therefore, they are Effects and not Causes. Hence to treat disease and illness, one must consider the functioning of the entire body instead of just targeting abnormalities or damage of tissues and organs.

If there is disease and illness, there must be Tishang. Yuan Shi Dian through Antui of its tender points at the location of Tishang can stimulate the functioning of tissues and organs and the effect of Heat Energy within the body. This serves to enhance the self-healing and repairing abilities of the areas impacted. Then the functioning of tissues and organs improves, and Symptoms caused by Remote Tishang are quickly resolved. This is connected to the principle of the remarkable curative effect of Ashi Points [ 阿是穴 ] in traditional Chinese medicine. It is also similar to why acupuncture obtains treatment efficacy by creating the needle sensation. But the curative effect of Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian will diminish with distance from the Affected Area until it dissipates entirely. Therefore, treatment must involve Antui of the Yuan Shi Tong Dian corresponding to the Affected Area. If there is no immediate improvement, one should find the tender points near the vicinity of the Affected Area to Antui. This serves to enhance the self-healing and repairing power locally and compensate for what is beyond the power of Yuan Shi Tong Dian Antui to resolve Symptoms and Signs caused by Affected Area Tishang.

However, it would be difficult with just Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian and the tender points of the Affected Area to ameliorate Heat Energy Deficiency and enhance stamina. Therefore, to safeguard life and heal disease and illness (if there is disease and illness), counter aging, increase longevity, and prevent disease and illness (if there is no disease and illness), Antui must still be combined with applying External and Internal Heat Sources and other health maintenance measures.