Points are chosen by three principles: near the site of the disorder, distant along the affected channel, and by pattern differentiation, where the point addresses the underlying imbalance rather than the symptom. Most prescriptions combine all three, with local points for the site, distal points for the channel and a small number of points for the pattern.
The four methods of arrangement are front and back, above and below, left and right, and interior and exterior. Front and back pairs a front-mu point with a back-shu point; above and below pairs a point on the upper body with one on the lower; left and right uses the unaffected side; interior and exterior pairs channels in an interior-exterior relationship.