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Applied Optics Oct 2014A novel laser-acupuncture system was developed that can be used to implement the manipulation methods of traditional acupuncture, such as lifting and thrusting. A 780 nm...
A novel laser-acupuncture system was developed that can be used to implement the manipulation methods of traditional acupuncture, such as lifting and thrusting. A 780 nm laser diode with a maximum power of 90 mW was used as the light source. The focus point of the laser beam was adjustable by changing the position of the lens, facilitating the implementation of the lifting and thrusting methods of traditional Chinese medicine and achieving various stimulation depths at the acupuncture point. The images for the light spots from the outlet of the emulated laser acupuncture were captured at various distances and their sizes were calculated. The result showed that the diameter of the focused light spot (i.e., at the focus point) was 0.11 mm, which is close to the diameter of commonly used needles (with diameters of approximately 0.22 mm). The area of the light spot 1 cm from the focus point was approximately 50 times larger, indicating that the unit power might be 1/50 of the power of the focus point. To study the effect of emulated laser acupuncture on human meridians, after stimulating the Shenmen point (HT7) of five subjects and obtaining their Ryodoraku values of the heart meridian and the small-intestine meridian, a paired t test showed that the laser stimulation incorporating lifting and thrusting was significantly higher than the laser stimulation without lifting and thrusting (p<0.05). The result is consistent with traditional acupuncture in that acupuncture incorporating lift and thrust is more effective than that without lift and thrust.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Female; Humans; Lasers, Semiconductor; Male; Miniaturization; Photic Stimulation
PubMed: 25322416
DOI: 10.1364/AO.53.00H170 -
Medicine Jul 2022Enhanced recovery pathways can be further improved for postoperative sore throat (POST) that occurs after surgery under general anesthesia. Medications have shown some... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Enhanced recovery pathways can be further improved for postoperative sore throat (POST) that occurs after surgery under general anesthesia. Medications have shown some effectiveness in preventing POST, but acupuncture or related techniques with better safety and lower cost can be used as an alternative or adjuvant therapy to treat perioperative symptoms by stimulating acupuncture point (acupoint). Therefore, we aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to assess whether acupoint stimulation helps patients prevent POST in adults undergoing tracheal intubation for general anesthesia.
METHODS
Publications in PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register, ScienceDirect, and ClinicalTrial.gov were surveyed from January 2000 through August 2020. Studies that compared interventions between true acupoint stimulation and no or sham acupoint stimulation were included. The primary outcomes were the incidence and severity of POST at 24h.
RESULTS
Four randomized control trials and 1 comparative study involving 1478 participants were included. Compared with the no or sham acupoint stimulation, the true acupoint stimulation was associated with a reduced incidence (risk ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18-0.55; P < .001) and decreased severity (standardized mean difference, -2.79; 95% CI, -4.59 to - 0.99; P = .002) of POST. There were no significant adverse events related to acupoint stimulation. The finding for POST was assured by subgroup, sensitivity, and trial sequential analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint stimulation may reduce the occurrence of POST. It can be considered as one of nonpharmacological methods to prevent POST in enhanced recovery pathways. Further rigorous studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of acupoint stimulation.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Adult; Anesthesia, General; Humans; Intubation, Intratracheal; Pain; Pharyngitis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 35839013
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029653 -
European Journal of Pain (London,... Oct 2012Acupuncture textbooks, schools, practitioners and clinical researchers designing randomized controlled trials on acupuncture all assume that acupuncture points are small...
BACKGROUND
Acupuncture textbooks, schools, practitioners and clinical researchers designing randomized controlled trials on acupuncture all assume that acupuncture points are small and must be located precisely.
METHOD
Seventy-one medical doctors with ≥200 h acupuncture training and ≥2 years of clinical experience independently identified 23 commonly used acupuncture points on a male volunteer, using sticky transparent films with an X/Y grid placed asymmetrically around acupuncture points.
RESULTS
For each acupuncture point, the field covering 95% (68%) of all point locations varied from 2.7 (0.7) cm(2) for PC-6 up to 41.4 (10.2) cm(2) for ST-38. Commonly-used acupuncture points showed unexpectedly large variance in location: 95% (or 68%) areas were SP-6: 12.2 cm(2) (3.0 cm(2) ), ST-36: 20.7 cm(2) (5.1 cm(2) ), LI-15: 18.7 cm(2) (4.6 cm(2) ), BL-23: 22.4 cm(2) (5.6 cm(2) ) and BL-54: 22.5 cm(2) (5.6 cm(2) ). Points close to anatomical landmarks (forearm, ankle, poplitea; BL-60, BL-40, TW-5, PC-6) were located with less variance. Precision of point location was independent of length of acupuncture experience, kind of training or medical specialty.
CONCLUSIONS
In respect to the high degree of variation in the localization of acupuncture points, we suggest that the term 'acupuncture field' is more appropriate than 'acupuncture points' to describe the clinical reality; for the design of sham-controlled acupuncture trials, we recommend a minimum distance of 6 cm between verum and sham points on face, hands and feet, and up to 12 cm for all other parts of the body.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Physicians
PubMed: 22492604
DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2012.00145.x -
Journal of Alternative and... Mar 2018Despite having made substantial progress in academic rigor over the past decades, acupuncture research has been the focus of long-standing and persistent attacks by...
Despite having made substantial progress in academic rigor over the past decades, acupuncture research has been the focus of long-standing and persistent attacks by skeptics. One recurring theme of critics is that the concept of acupuncture points has no scientific validity. Meanwhile, the subject of whether-or-not acupuncture points "exist" has been given too little attention within the acupuncture research community. In this article, we argue that failure to use clear terminology and rigorously investigate the subject of acupuncture points has hindered the growing legitimacy of acupuncture as an evidence-based therapy. We propose that a coordinated effort is needed to improve the use of terminology related to acupuncture points, combined with rigorous investigation of their "specificity" and possible biological basis.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Biomedical Research; Humans; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 29493256
DOI: 10.1089/acm.2017.0366 -
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine... Jun 2024Acupuncture is a typical example of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used in China for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of illnesses. However, in the... (Review)
Review
Acupuncture is a typical example of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used in China for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of illnesses. However, in the clinic, issues and deficiencies were primarily seen in four areas: loss of accuracy in the operation process; difficulty understanding the depth of acupuncture; difficulty using reinforcing and reducing techniques; and lack of a clear dynamic effect of acupuncture points following acupuncture. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography may quantitatively evaluate the acupuncture location and display the distribution of small nerves near and within the fascia of the acupuncture point in real time. The subjects were asked how they felt about receiving when the needle body reached different depths and different tissues. The obtained from an acupuncture point and the connective tissue of the fascia can be further understood by combining the physiological response of the acupuncture point with the anatomical structure, which offers a new method for defining the nature of the acupuncture point and standardizing the acupuncture point.
Topics: Humans; Acupuncture Therapy; Ultrasonography; Acupuncture Points; Musculoskeletal System
PubMed: 38767648
DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240322.001 -
International Journal of Nursing Studies Dec 2016
Review
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Humans; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27817841
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.07.004 -
International Journal of Clinical... Nov 2009
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Humans; Research
PubMed: 19832811
DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2009.02222.x -
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 1992Acupuncture is based on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. At each acupuncture point, there are peripheral nerves and terminals. Acupuncture will be useful for further... (Review)
Review
Acupuncture is based on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. At each acupuncture point, there are peripheral nerves and terminals. Acupuncture will be useful for further understanding of the nervous system. A conceptual view of acupuncture's physiology is presented.
Topics: Acupuncture Analgesia; Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Humans; Neuroanatomy; Neurophysiology; Peripheral Nerves
PubMed: 1471618
DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X92000369 -
Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian... Dec 2019Cervicogenic somatic tinnitus is a subtype of subjective tinnitus and is defined as tinnitus in which forceful contractions of jaw and neck muscles modulate its...
Cervicogenic somatic tinnitus is a subtype of subjective tinnitus and is defined as tinnitus in which forceful contractions of jaw and neck muscles modulate its psychoacoustic attributes. Various physical therapies have been proposed for the treatment of somatosensory tinnitus although there is no definitive cure for it. This report describes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a 71-year-old woman with chronic neck pain who suffered from a left-sided tinnitus for 2 years as well. The tinnitus and neck pain severity was rated as 7 and 6, respectively, on a numeric rating scale of 10. On examination, she had restricted cervical range of motion and several myofascial trigger points in cervical muscles. Audiometric tests of the patient were normal. She received trigger point acupuncture of cervical muscles twice per week for 10 sessions. Her tinnitus completely disappeared after the third session and did not return during the 5-year follow-up. Her neck pain intensity also decreased to 1 on the numeric rating scale after 10 sessions. Based on the results of this study, direct trigger point acupuncture of cervical muscles may be beneficial in the treatment of somatic tinnitus with a long-duration effect.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Aged; Female; Humans; Neck Pain; Tinnitus; Trigger Points
PubMed: 31369860
DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2019.07.004 -
Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian... Jun 2017This study aims to explore the potential use of ultrasound in locating the second posterior sacral foramen acupuncture point, quantifying depth of insertion and...
This study aims to explore the potential use of ultrasound in locating the second posterior sacral foramen acupuncture point, quantifying depth of insertion and describing surrounding anatomical structures. We performed acupuncture needle insertion on a study team member. There were four steps in our experiment. First, the acupuncturist located the acupuncture point by palpation. Second, we used an ultrasound machine to visualize the structures surrounding the location of the acupuncture point and measure the depth required for needle insertion. Third, the acupuncturist inserted the acupuncture needle into the acupuncture point at an angle of 30°. Fourth, we performed another ultrasound scan to ensure that the needle was in the desired location. Results suggested that ultrasound could be used to locate the acupuncture point and estimate the depth of needle insertion. The needle was inserted to a depth of 4.0 cm to reach the surface of the sacral foramen. Based on Pythagoras theorem, taking a needle insertion angle of 30° and a needle insertion depth of 4.0 cm, the estimated perpendicular depth is 1.8 cm. An ultrasound scan corroborated the depth of 1.85 cm. The use of an ultrasound-guided technique for needle insertion in acupuncture practice could help standardize the treatment. Clinicians and students would be able to visualize and measure the depth of the sacral foramen acupuncture point, to guide the depth of needle insertion. This methodological guide could also be used to create a standard treatment protocol for research. A similar mathematical guide could also be created for other acupuncture points in future.
Topics: Acupuncture; Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Humans; Sacrum; Spinal Cord; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 28712482
DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2017.03.001