Point injection introduces a small volume of a drug, commonly an analgesic, a vitamin or a herbal extract, into the tissue at an acupoint. It is used where a prolonged local effect is wanted, as in chronic pain, asthma and digestive disorders.
Catgut embedding places a short absorbable thread at the point, where it produces a low-level inflammatory stimulus over two to four weeks. It is used chiefly for chronic and recurrent conditions, including obesity and asthma. Both methods extend the duration of a single treatment, and both carry the risks of injection and of foreign material, which is why they belong in trained hands.