The Active Points Test: A Clinical Test for Identifying and Selecting Effective Points for Acupuncture and Related Therapies

The Active Points Test is a clinical instrument for identifying and selecting the points on the skin that are most effective for treatment. These points may be close to the seat of the disease, for example on the shoulder for periarthritis, or far away, for example on the ear or head for stomach pain or a cough. Drawing on principles from TCM and Western medicine, Dr Stefano Marcelli sets out the theory of the approach and offers detailed guidance on how to carry out the test and how to interpret the results, as well as explaining how the test can be used in different therapies. The test is based on the discovery that a patient experiencing an ongoing symptom can be made aware of the capacity of a few points on the skin to treat his or her discomfort. The test involves stimulating the skin to the appropriate degree whilst asking the patient to identify whether there is any change in the symptom he or she is suffering, and can be used to treat a wide range of symptoms, from articular pain to migraine, tachycardia, asthenia and depression. Published for the first time in 1995, this substantially updated edition contains the most recent supporting evidence and many new explanatory diagrams and photographs. Providing a comprehensive and effective system for point selection, this is essential reading for practitioners and students of acupuncture and related reflex and manual therapies, including massage, tuina, Shiatsu and Rolfing.

Stefano Marcelli graduated from the University of Bologna with a degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1982. He has since trained in Acupuncture, Auricular therapy and Mesotherapy in Italy, France and China. He initiated the anatomical comparative approach in acupuncture research. He is the founder of the Italian School of Mesotherapy and has written ten books on acupuncture and Mesotherapy. He lives in Darfo Boario Terme (Brescia), Italy.