De-qi sensation

De-qi (Chinese: 得气; pinyin: dé qì; lit. "obtaining of qi", usually translated as "arrival of qi") refers to a sensation of numbness, distension, or electrical tingling at the needling site which might radiate along the corresponding meridian. If it can not be generated, inaccurate location of the acupoint, improper depth of needle insertion, inadequate manipulation, or a very weak constitution of the patient have to be considered, all of which decrease the likelihood of successful treatment. If de-qi sensation doesn't immediately occur upon needle insertion, various manipulation techniques can be applied to promote it (such as "plucking", "shaking" or "trembling"). Once it is achieved, further techniques might be utilized which aim to influence the de-qi; for example, by certain manipulation the de-qi sensation allegedly can be conducted from the needling site towards more distant sites of the body. Other techniques aim at "tonifying" (Chinese: 补; pinyin: bǔ) or "sedating" (Chinese: 泄; pinyin: xiè) qi. The former techniques are used in vacuity patterns, the latter in repletion patterns.