Influenced by the concept of "qi-void" in Taoist philosophy during the Qin and Han dynasties, the early acupuncture theory attaches the importance to the "fascial (muscular) interstices" distributed widely in the human body. The defensive qi runs through everywhere in these interstices that is easily invaded by the pathogenic wind and cold, and bi syndrome of jingjin (muscle region of meridian) is involved. Besides, fascial (muscular) interstices are the places for the delivery of relaxing needling and joint needling. Fascial tissue is a crucial structure to produce deqi, while, the function of defensive qi is tightly connected to the autonomic nerve in modern medicine, both of which actually belong to the different expressions of patients' body feeling. Medical scholars at early era, in reference with "fascia" and "defensive qi ", has summarized and refined their clinical practice experience. Thereby, the concepts of "arrival of qi " and "fascial (muscular) interstices" are extended, which constructs the peripheral framework of core concepts in acupuncture theoretic system, e.g. meridians and acupoints, and becomes an important component of the body view in classic acupuncture theory.
受秦汉道家哲学中“气-虚空”观念的影响，早期针灸理论重视人体内分布范围极广的“筋膜（分肉）之间”，卫气通行其间，浅深皆达，易被风寒之邪所侵袭，并且与经筋痹证密切相关，同时又是恢刺、关刺等针刺方法的施治部位所在。筋膜组织是产生得气感的重要结构，而卫气的功能与现代医学中的自主神经关系密切，二者实际上属于患者身体感的不同表述方式。早期医家借助“筋膜”与“卫气”，对针灸临床实践经验进行总结与提炼，由此延伸出“谷气（得气）”“筋膜（分肉）之间”等概念，构成针灸理论体系中经脉、腧穴等核心概念的外围框架，成为古典针灸理论身体观的重要组成部分。.
Keywords: body view; defensive qi; fascia; jingjin theory.