If you trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, you learned a systematic approach to diagnosis and treatment. Tung's acupuncture builds on that foundation but operates quite differently in practice.
Key Differences
Opposite Side, Opposite End Treatment
One of the core principles of Tung's system is treating the opposite side and opposite end of the body from where the problem is located. Pain in the right shoulder? You may needle points on the left leg. This approach often produces immediate results that surprise both practitioner and patient.
Fewer Needles, Faster Results
Where a standard TCM treatment might use 15-20 needles, a Tung's treatment often uses just 2-6 needles — yet produces faster and more dramatic results. The precision of point selection and technique focuses the body's energetic response, so that every needle is essential and nothing is detracting.
Structural and Organ System Approaches
Tung's points are organized by whether they treat structural problems (pain, mobility issues) or organ system problems (internal medicine conditions). This makes point selection more intuitive once you understand the system.
Immediate Feedback
With Tung's Points, you often know within minutes whether your treatment is working. The active qi moving technique has patients move their affected area during treatment, providing instant feedback on effectiveness.
Bleeding, Cupping, and Moxibustion Integration
While these modalities exist in standard TCM, Tung's system integrates them in specific ways that can dramatically accelerate results. As Susan often says, proper use of bleeding and cupping can "cut your treatments in half."
Volume Two and the
Ancient Art of Bleeding and
Ancient Art of Cupping courses cover these techniques in depth.
The Seven Operative Theories
Tung's acupuncture is built on seven key principles:
- Opposite Side/Opposite End
- Dao Ma (multiple needle technique)
- Active Qi Moving
- Guiding Points
- Element Points
- I Ching Relationships
- Bleeding Points
Understanding these principles allows you to move beyond memorizing protocols to truly understanding why treatments work — and how to adapt them to any situation. The Beginning Series introduces these theories, and Volume Two explores them in depth.
Does It Replace TCM?
Tung's acupuncture doesn't replace your TCM training — it enhances it. Many practitioners use Tung's points as their primary treatment approach while drawing on their TCM foundation for diagnosis and overall case management. The two systems complement each other beautifully.
