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● English Translation of TCM

On English translation of infant Tuina points in
traditional Chinese medicine
Xiao Ye1, Jing Wang2
1. College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053,
Zhejiang Province, China
2. TCM Pediatric Department, Qingdao Haici Medical Group & TCM Hospital, Qingdao 266033, Shandong
Province, China

Keywords: nomenclature; TCM translation; Tuina; terminology; terms, traditional Chinese medicine
Citation: Ye X, Wang J. On English translation of infant Tuina points in traditional Chinese medicine. J Integr Med.
2015; 13(3): 205–207.


1 Introduction 2 The necessity of including English of infant Tuina

In recent years, several international standardized traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) nomenclatures have been published,
including the major ones A Proposed Standard International
Acupuncture Nomenclature by World Health Organization
(WHO) in 1991[1], International Standard Terminologies
on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region[2] by
WHO in the Western Pacific Region (WPRO) in 2007 and
International Standard Chinese-English Basic Nomenclature
of Chinese Medicine[3] by the World Federation of Chinese
Medicine Societies (WFCMS) in 2007. However, an English
translation of points applied in infant Tuina therapy is neither
contained in any of these standardized nomenclatures, nor in
major Chinese-English dictionaries of Chinese medicine[4–6].
Infant Tuina is an effective and common therapy used in the
pediatric department of Chinese medicine. As the points used
in infant Tuina therapy are different from the points used
in standard acupuncture, and are essential to practice, the
authors believe it is important to make an English translation
of infant Tuina points and explore the principles and protocol
of their translation.
points
There are three aspects that entail the inclusion of English
translation of infant Tuina points in the international standardized
TCM nomenclatures and dictionaries.
First, reviewing several major international standardized
TCM nomenclatures[4–6], the authors found that although
the general inclusion of Chinese medicine in these references
was complete, there was no information on infant Tuina
points. As a result, practitioners may not be aware of infant
Tuina points or may underestimate the importance of infant
Tuina. Therefore, it is necessary to pay some attention to
this nearly lost field.
Second, although acupuncture points already have a
standardized English translation, the infant Tuina points
fall into another category; while all the main standard acu-
puncture points are located along the channels, the infant
tuina points are not necessarily located along channels.
Among all the commonly used infant Tuina points, only a
few of them are located at the same place as acupuncture
points. Moreover, some infant Tuina points share names

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2095-4964(15)60174-1
Received December 26, 2014; accepted February 5, 2015.
Correspondence: Jing Wang; E-mail: xiaojing-01@163.com

Journal of Integrative Medicine 205 May 2015, Vol.13, No.3

 www.jcimjournal.com/jim
with acupuncture points but have different locations and
indications. The majority of these points are either lines,
arches, joint points, or extra points that are not on the
channels. Since the infant Tuina points are uniquely different
from the acupuncture points, their terms in English should
be expressed in other ways.
Third, infant Tuina points are mainly used during the
application of infant Tuina, a therapy that has long been
in existence and is still used to treat a wide variety of
infantile conditions. Many classics of TCM have records of
infant Tuina, such as the General Treatise on the Causes and
Manifestations of Various Diseases (Zhubing Yuanhou Lun,
《诸病源候论》) and Valuable Prescriptions for Emergency
(Beiji Qianjin Yaofang, 《备急千金要方》). There are also
classics that deal exclusively with infant Tuina, such as the
Magic Tuina Classic of Infant Care (Baoyinger Shenshu
Anmojing, 《保婴儿神术按摩经》) and Secrets of Infant
Tuina (Xiaoer Tuina Mijue, 《 小 儿 推 拿 秘 诀》)[7]. In
contemporary practice, infant Tuina is an indispensible
part of Tuina courses in most Chinese colleges of Chinese
medicine. As a non-medicinal and painless natural therapy
that is simple, convenient, effective, and cheap, it is familiar
and widely accepted by many people, and is a treatment
modality that is offered in the most Chinese medicine
pediatric departments in the major cities of China. Judging
from its long history and wide application in modern
times, having accurate English translation of infant Tuina
points seems essential.
3 Translation principles
In the course of formulating international standard
terminologies on Chinese medicine, both the WPRO and the
WFCMS held many conferences to discuss the translation
principles for Chinese medicine[8]. In the WPRO standard,
the translation principles are accurate reflections of the
original concept of Chinese terms, with no creation of new
English words, avoidance of pinyin (Romanized Chinese)
and consistency with WHO’s Standard Acupuncture
Nomenclature. Among these principles, the authors of this
paper do not agree with “avoidance of pinyin” for two
reasons: many terms have complex meaning and bear layers
of symbolism involving Chinese language and culture;
also, when we use terms involving medicinals, formulas,
acupuncture points or classic books in clinical practice, it
is very common to directly apply Chinese pinyin. Using
pinyin can sometimes help to clear up misunderstandings
when faced with different English versions of a TCM
term. Hence, in the WFCMS standard, the principles of
May 2015, Vol.13, No.3 206
translation are to be equivalent, concise, and identity;
and English terms should be applicable in popular usage,
without mentioning avoidance of pinyin.
For the infant Tuina points, since they are not distributed
along channels like most acupuncture points, it is impossible
to use the number code of a channel to name most of them
(except in some cases that share the same name and indications
as adult points, for which they can share the same number
code). Second, in order to retain the identity and reduce
ambiguity, the present authors think that Chinese pinyin
must be included and Chinese characters should remain
as the last component. Third, clear and concise English
translation is required to reflect the original concept. All
of this will help to bring the principle of equivalence to a
proper translation.
4 Protocol of the English translation
Following the analysis mentioned above, the present
authors are putting forth the English of commonly used
infant Tuina points in the following[9,10].
4.1 Points on the head and face
天门 : heaven gate (Tianmen); 坎宫 : kan palace (Kangong);
太 阳 : EX-HN5 (Taiyang); 耳 后 高 骨 : retroauricular
prominence (Erhou Gaogu); 百会 : DU20 (Baihui); 印堂 :
EX-HN3 (Yintang); 人中 : DU26 (Renzhong); 颊车 : ST6
(Jiache); 风池 : GB20 (Fengchi); 天柱骨 : heaven pillar
bone (Tianzhugu).
4.2 Points on the chest and abdomen
膻中 : RN17 (Danzhong); 乳旁 : nipple side (Rupang);
乳 根 : ST18 (Rugen); 腹 : abdomen (Fu); 中 脘 : RN12
(Zhongwan); 天枢 : ST25 (Tianshu); 脐中 : RN8 (Qizhong);
丹田 : elixir field (Dantian); 肚角 : belly corner (Dujiao).
4.3 Points on the upper limbs
脾 经 : spleen channel (Pijing); 肝 经 : liver channel
(Ganjing); 心 经 : heart channel (Xinjing); 肺 经 : lung
channel (Feijing); 肾经 : kidney channel (Shenjing); 大肠
经 : large intestine channel (Dachangjing); 小肠经 : small
intestine channel (Xiaochangjing); 内八卦 : inner bagua
(Neibagua); 四 缝 : EX-UE10 (Sifeng); 小 天 心 : small
heaven center (Xiaotianxin); 板门 : board door (Banmen);
胃 经 : stomach channel (Weijing); 外 劳 宫 : EX-UE8
(Wailaogong); 二 扇 门 : two doors (Ershanmen); 二 人
上 马 : two people mounting the horse (Erren Shangma);
总 筋 PC7 (Zongjin); 大 横 纹 : large transverse crease
(Dahengwen); 一 窝 风 : a flocking wind (Yiwofeng); 膊
阳池 : arm yang pool (Boyangchi); 天河水 : heaven river
water (Tianheshui); 三关 : three passes (Sanguan); 六腑 :
six fu (Liufu).
Journal of Integrative Medicine

4.4 Points on the lower limbs
箕门 : dustpan gate (Jimen); 血海 : SP10 (Xuehai); 足
三里 : ST36 (Zusanli); 承山 : BL57 (Chengshan); 涌泉 :
KI1 (Yongquan).
5 Concluding remarks
In summary, as a branch of TCM and being different from
acupuncture points, it is reasonable to include infant
Tuina points in the future international standardized TCM
nomenclatures or dictionaries. However, due to their particular
features, inclusion of Chinese pinyin and equivalent principles
are essential. Under such principles, the present authors
suggest an English translation protocol for them. Though
the English translation for these infant Tuina points may
still have some defects, we hope it can draw attention
from related scholars and authorities to work towards a
better version.
6 Acknowledgements
This study was supported by fundings of Hangzhou’s
Planned Program of Philosophical and Social Sciences
(No. D11YY21); and Research Achievement of Zhejiang
Provincial Federation Social Sciences (No. 2012B007).
7 Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no commercial or
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