A survey of the studies on white tiger shaking head method described by ancient and modern physicians.

Having studied white tiger shaking head method described by ancient and modern physicians, and analyzed and compared its manipulation techniques, the authors believe that the core of white tiger shaking head method originating from Zhenjiu Daquan ([Chinese characters: see text] Complete Book of Acupuncture-Moxibustion) by XU Feng lies in the techniques of "squarely withdrawing and circularly inserting" and "shaking and vibrating", and the manipulation factor is "circularly inserting and shaking, and squarely withdrawing and vibrating". Physicians such as WANG Ji (his second method), YANG Ji-zhou, LU Shou-kang and ZHENG Kui-shan inherited and developed white tiger shaking head method. WANG Ji's first method and what LI Chan and modem physicians YANG Zhao-min and LU Shou-yan described do not belong to white tiger shaking head method. The authors have made a new suggestion on standardizing the manipulation of white tiger shaking head method and approached to new ideas on research into standardization of ancient acupuncture.