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Volume 2,Issue 3

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20 September 2026

Experience Summary of Acupoint Catgut Embedding with the “Shouji Four-Point Formula” in Intervening Muscle Loss After Fat Reduction

Yuzhu Lan1 ,  Zhenyu Zhang1 ,  Yaona Piao1 ,  Ziyue Du1 ,  Liu Xu1 ,  Jingyi Wu1 ,  Lingyi Cai1 ,  Su Fan1*
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1 Special Treatment Center, Wangjing Hospital Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, China
AMCMR 2026 , 2(3), 42–52; https://doi.org/10.61369/AMCMR.202603006
© 2026 by the Author. Licensee Art and Technology, USA. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Obesity has become a global public health challenge. The concomitant muscle loss during fat reduction directly affects long-term weight loss outcomes and physical recovery. Based on the classic TCM theory of “spleen governing muscles”, this paper proposes a self-designed acupoint catgut embedding protocol—the “Shouji Four-Point Formula”—to address the common issues of muscle flaccidity and mass reduction after fat reduction. Six core acupoints (Daimai, Jingmen, Chengshan, Zusanli, Binao, Siqiang) are selected to target four major muscle-loss-prone areas: lateral waist, calf, upper arm, and thigh. Through clinical case reviews, this paper summarizes practical experiences in enhancing limb muscle strength, tightening muscle contours, and preserving muscle mass, offering a new TCM external therapy approach and practical reference for clinically managing post-fat-reduction muscle loss.

Keywords
Acupoint catgut embedding
Fat reduction and body shaping
Muscle loss
Spleen governing muscles theory
Obesity intervention
Funding
China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Graduate Series Textbook (Second Batch) Construction Project (Project No.: Zhong Ke Yan [2022] No.20); High-Level Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Construction Project of Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (Project No.: WJYY-PYTD-2025-05); Key Research Project on Postgraduate Education and Teaching Reform, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS): “Development of a High-Quality SPOC Course for Tuina Clinical Reasoning and Practice Based on the Concept of Case-Based Learning (CBL)” (Project No.: JG24-04); Key Specialty Project of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chaoyang District, Beijing (Tuina Department) (Project No.: Chaoweitongzi [2023] No.233)
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