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Therapy using the acupuncture meridian system is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrical conduction properties of the meridians. The current conduction and potential profiles were compared after switching the current direction in the Hegu (LI-4) and Quchi (LI-11) meridians and over a non-acupuncture point 1 cm from Quchi (LI-11) in 20 healthy subjects. Both meridians demonstrated significantly higher conductivity between Hegu (LI-4) and Quchi (LI-11) than between Hegu (LI-4) and the non-acupuncture point. The direction of current, peak frequency and absolute potential values in the direction Hegu (LI-4) to Quchi (LI-11) differed significantly from those in the direction Quchi (LI-11) to Hegu (LI-4). These results suggest that the conducting pathways are stronger in the meridians than in the non-meridians and that preferential conduction directions exist between two acupuncture points. These results are consistent with the theories of Qi-circulation and traditional Chinese medicine.

This study is to present a new scheme for the detection of human meridian system non-invasively. The optical transport properties along the pericardium meridian and a non-meridian path about 1 cm away from the meridian were measured non- invasively on 20 healthy people in vivo. 633 nm, 658 nm and 785 nm red lasers were used for irradiation, and the diffuse light emittances at different points on meridian and non-meridian directions were collected respectively and compared. Our study suggested that the light propagation characteristics along both the meridian and non-meridian directions conformed to the Beer's exponential attenuation law. Statistical analysis of the results suggested that the optical properties of human meridian differ from those of the surrounding tissue (p < 0.05), and the light attenuation is less when propagating along the pericardium meridian than along the non-meridian direction. These findings not only confirmed the objective existence of acupuncture meridians, but also shed new light on the understanding of meridians.

The objective of this study was to compare the acupoint infrared radiation spectrums of patients and healthy volunteers to show whether those of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients carry distinctive pathological information. PHE201, using a highly sensitive infrared spectrum detection device applied to the acupoint Neiguan (PC6) and to a control point on 50 CHD patients and 47 healthy adults. A total of 73 wavelength spots were detected. The scanned wavelengths ranged from 1.5 μm to 16 μm, and the scanning spacing was 0.2 μm. The data were automatically recorded in the database of the device for statistical analysis. Infrared radiation intensities of 23 in the 73 detected wavelength spots significantly differed in the CHD patients' Neiguan as compared to those of the healthy subjects (from p = 0.048 to p = 0.002), while only 12 wavelength spots at a non-acupuncture control point showed significant differences. By the χ² test, these differences between Neiguan and the non-acupuncture control point are statistically significant (p = 0.033). At 2-2.5 μm, which is related to energy metabolism, the intensity at the CHD patients' Neiguan was significantly lower than that of the healthy adults (from p = 0.026 to p = 0.017). No difference was observed at the non-acupuncture control point (from p = 0.094 to p = 0.052). The data suggest that the changes of infrared spectrum at Neiguan in coronary heart disease patients may reflect the distinct pathological changes. This may be the result of hypoactive energy metabolism in the area of the acupoint.

The present study aims to examine the effect of acupuncture stimulation of an acupuncture point (PC-6) and nonacupuncture point on electroencephalograms (EEGs) and electrocardiograms (ECGs). We used EEG in 10 healthy subjects to investigate cortical activation during stimulation of acupuncture points (neiguan: PC-6) and nonacupuncture points. Our most interesting finding was the marked differences of amplitude of EEG power between acupuncture points and nonacupuncture points stimulation. Wavelet transform was used as the EEG signal processing method, because it has advantages in a time domain and frequency domain characteristics analysis. EEGs were collected from 16 channels, and the α-wave (8–13 Hz), β-wave (13–30 Hz), θ-wave (4–8 Hz) and δ-wave (0.5–4 Hz) were used as standards for frequency bands. According to the experiment results, EEG signals increased considerably after acupuncture stimulation; in each frequency band, the average amplitude was higher after acupuncture stimulation; ECG heart rates were faster by at least 10% after acupuncture stimulation. Consequently, it will be possible to verify the function of acupuncture stimulation on neiguan (acupuncture points; PC-6) more effectively.

Lateral epicondylalgia is a common orthopedic disorder. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is often used for treating lateral epicondylalgia. Laser acupuncture, compared with manual acupuncture, has more advantages because it is painless, aseptic and safe. However, the analgesic effect of manual acupuncture and laser acupuncture on lateral epicondylalgia has rarely been explored. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the analgesic effect of laser acupuncture and manual acupuncture for the treatment of lateral epicondylalgia. We investigated studies published in the Medline, PubMed, and CINAHL databases from January 1980 to December 2013. This review included 9 randomized articles. Six of them examined manual acupuncture and the others focused on laser acupuncture. We analyzed the meta-analysis results regarding the analgesic effect of the treatment, and observed substantial differences in 4 articles related to manual acupuncture. Manual acupuncture is effective in short-term pain relief for the treatment of lateral epicondylalgia; however, its long-term analgesic effect is unremarkable. A suitable acupuncture point and depth can be used to treat lateral epicondylalgia. Manual acupuncture applied on lateral epicondylalgia produced stronger evidence of an analgesic effect than did laser acupuncture, and further study on the analgesic effect of laser acupuncture is required.

This study was to objectively evaluate the treatment effect of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (AL-TENS) on patients with low back pain. Fifty patients suffering from low back pain for at least three months were involved in the study from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The subjects were treated with TENS (100 Hz) on acupuncture points (BL23 and BL25). Two electrodes were placed on two right acupoints and two electrodes on the left. Pulse duration of electrical stimulation was fixed at 0.1 ms. The intensity of stimulation was adjusted at a tolerable level for each subject. Patients were treated for twenty minutes per visit, three times a week for two weeks. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to rank the degree of pain before and two weeks after the treatment. A device, the design of which is based on the Ryodoraku theorem, was used to measure the electrical conductance of 12 meridians and 2 acupoints (BL23 and BL25) on both sides of the subjects. The effect of age difference on the pain score was also evaluated with the electrical conductance. The correlation between the VAS and the electrical conductance in the patients before and after treatment of AL-TENS was determined by linear regression analysis. The results showed that: (1) after the AL-TENS treatment in this study, the electrical conductances of either meridians or acupuncture points increased with the decrease of VAS of the patients; (2) the correlation was higher in the acupoints than that in the meridians; (3) the correlation was higher in the younger group than that in the older group; (4) the effect of AL-TENS on the change of VAS is more related to the change of electrical conductances of acupoints than that of meridians. These findings suggest that electrical conductance of meridian or acupoint can be used to evaluate the degree of pain more objectively, especially in the younger patients.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the treatment effect of modulated-frequency mode of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (AL-TENS) on patients with tennis elbow pain. Twenty patients suffering from tennis elbow pain for at least three months were involved in the study from Chung Yuan Christian University. The subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment groups in different time slots as repeated measures design. Each group (n = 20) was respectively treated with either 5 KHz modulated by 2 Hz frequency mode (LF group), 5 KHz modulated by 100 Hz frequency mode of TENS (HF group) on acupuncture points (LI10 and LI11) located in the area of elbow, or sham TENS (control group). Two electrodes were placed on two right acupoints and two electrodes on the left. The intensity of stimulation was adjusted at a tolerable level for each subject. Patients were treated for twenty minutes per visit, three times a week for two weeks. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to rank the degree of pain before and two weeks after the treatment. A device, the design of which is based on the Ryodoraku theorem, was used to measure the electrical conductance of 12 meridians and 2 acupoints (LI10 and LI11) on both sides of the subjects. The results showed that: (1) after the AL-TENS treatment in this study, the electrical conductances of either meridians or acupuncture points increased with the decrease of VAS of the patients; the correlation was higher in the acupoints than that in the meridians; (2) the effect of AL-TENS on the percentage change of VAS is more related to the percentage change of electrical conductances of acupoints than that of meridians; (3) 5 KHz modulated by 2 Hz or 100 Hz frequency mode of AL-TENS was effective in the treatment of the patients with tennis elbow pain.