ABSTRACT
[Objective] Using a near infrared spectrometer and laser Doppler blood flowmeter, we investigated how the number of moxa applications influences blood flow at moxibustion and peripheral sites.<BR>[Method] The subjects were nine healthy adult males, aged 25-28 years (average age 25.4). Skin blood flow was measured with a laser Doppler blood flowmeter while changes in the deep tissue (deep subcutaneous level and muscle surface course level) blood volume were measured with a near infrared spectroscopy. Each of the probes was located at the moxibustion treatment site and 20 mm away from the site.<BR>On different days, measurements were taken from a control group not receiving stimulation, groups receiving five-cone and seven-cone moxibution (2 mg of moxa per application), respectively.<BR>Measurements of the control group were taken for 25 minutes, while measurements for the other two groups were taken for 5 minutes before conducting moxibustion and for 20 minutes directly after completion of moxibustion.<BR>[Results and Discussion] The skin blood flow demonstrated an further increased tendency after seven-cone moxibustion than five-cone moxibustion. This seemed to be due to the strong flare phenomenon affecting cutaneous blood flow quantity by increasing the number of moxibustion cones.<BR>The effect of moxibustion on skin blood flow volume is suggested to be due to the strong flare phenomenon induced by increasing the number of moxibustion. The effect to the deep tissue indicated a tendency for the blood flow volume to decrease.<BR>It is considered that further detailed experiment will be necessary in the future regarding these ambiguous points.
ABSTRACT
We investigated the difference between muscle-EAT and nerve-EAT basically and clinically. A basic study was performed on healthy adult males. The skin blood flow, deep-tissue temperature, deep hemodynamics, heart rate, and deep-pain threshold were adopted as indexes, and they were compared for a total of three groups: the muscle stimulation-EA group, nerve stimulation-EA group and control group (no stimulation). An acupuncture needle was inserted into the gastrocnemius muscle for muscle stimulation-EA and another needle into the tibial nerve in the femoral region for nerve stimulation-EA. Electric current was then applied at 1Hz for 15 minutes after the flexibility of the foot joint was conformed. Each index was measured after it became stable and was recorded from 10 minutes before starting stimulation until 20 minutes after ending stimulation.<br>A clinical study was performed on 41 patients with cervical radiculopathy. Muscle-EAT was applied to the patients as the first choice. Cases graded five points or less in pain score (10-point method) after one month were included in the muscle-EAT group. Cases graded six points or more were subjected to nerve-EAT and were included in the nerve-EAT group. The therapeutic results in these two groups were examined for a period of three months at intervals of one month based on the pain score and the evaluation criteria for the results of treatment of cervical radiculopathy.<br>As a result, we found that the skin blood flow significantly increased on the stimulated side in both the muscle stimulation-EA and nerve stimulation-EA group. The increase was greater in the nerve stimulation group than in the muscle stimulation group. The deep-tissue temperature rose significantly on the stimulated side in the nerve stimulation-EA group. Regarding the deep hemodynamics, deoxy Hb decreased significantly in the nerve stimulation-EA group. No difference was found in heart rate between the two groups. The deep-pain threshold was significantly raised by nerve stimulation.<br>Patients with cervical radiculopathy who did not respond to continuous muscle-EAT for one month were subjected to nerve-EAT. After three months (two months after changing to nerve-EAT), similar improvements were found in both groups. Significant improvement of paresthesia was obtained with nerve-EAT.<br>These results suggested that the nerve-EAT influences the peripheral circulation and the deep pain threshold more effectively, enhancing the clinical efficacy.
ABSTRACT
Health conditions were surveyed in elderly Persons (over sixty-five years old) liveing in two towns in Kyoto prefecture. The questionnaires were handed out and collected later. Seven hundred and sixty five elderly persons living in Hiyosi-cho, an area of agriculture and forestry, and six hundred and eight elderly persons living in Tango-cho, an area of agriculture and fishery, turned in the questionnaires.<br>On investigation it was found that elderly people living in the two towns had many symptoms or diseases. The incidence of these symptoms and diseases was over two times as high as the mean value discovered in the general elderly population nation wide. Symptoms and diseases noted included low back pain, shoulder stiffness, foot pain, hypertension, pollakiuria, cold feet, knee joint pain, eye diseases, shoulder pain and arm pain in descending order of frequency. Low back pain was noted in about 46 per cent.
ABSTRACT
The author had reported that laser irradiation with energy density 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> at every other days was most effective for wound healing.<br>But there is a report which described that laser irradiation with energy density under 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> was effective for wound healing too.<br>Then, the effect of irradiation with under 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> He-Ne laser on wound healing was studied. Twenty-four wister rats were subjected to this experiment.<br>A open wound, 20mm in diameter as deep as muscle layer were made on the back of anesthetized animals.<br>To find the suitable energy density of laser irradiation, the wound was irradiated with He-Ne laser by energy density of 4J/cm<sup>2</sup>, 2J/cm<sup>2</sup> and 1J/cm2 every other day until the wound completely healed.<br>The wound healing was much more accelerated by irradiation with energy density of 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> than the other group.<br>This result suggested that laser irradiation with energy density 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> at every other days is most effective for wound healing.
ABSTRACT
The effect of irradiation with low power He-Ne laser on wound healing was studied. 42 wister rats were subjected to this experiment.<br>A open wound, 20mm in diameter as deep as muscle layer were made on the back of anesthetized animals.<br>To find the suitable energy density of laser irradiation, the wound was irradiated with He-Ne laser by energy density of 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> or 10J/cm<sup>2</sup> every other day until the wound completely healed. The wound healing was much more accelerated by irradiation with energy density of 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> than that of 10J/cm<sup>2</sup> and none-irradiated contorol group.<br>To find the suitable interval of laser irradiation, the wound was irradiated every other days, every 4 days or every other days in early stage until the wound completely healed. From this study, the wound healing was much more acceralated by irradiation at every other days than the others.<br>This result suggested that laser irradiation with energy density 4J/cm<sup>2</sup> at every other days is most effective for wound healing.
ABSTRACT
The specificity of Jin-yu needling for urinary secretion was studied.<br>1); 15 healthy adult men were subjected to this experiment. After drinking water (500ml), acupuncture needles (No. 2 Seirin Co. Limited) were perpendiculary inserted to the jin-yu point depth of about 2cm, and left there for 10 minutes. The blood samples were collected at 60 minutes after drinking water, and urine volume and amount of Na, K, Cl, BUN, UA and Cre were measured.<br>As a result, a marked increase was observed in excretion of urine, UA, Cre, K and creatinine clearance. An upward tendency of Na, Cl and BUN excretion were found and it is correlated with urine volume.<br>2); Subjects were 11 healthy adult men. The group of acupuncture stimulation was divided as follows; a) a group, acupuncture needles were inserted at Jin-yu point [B-23], b) kyouseki point, c) sisitu point [B-52], d) daityou-yu point [B-25], e) I-yu point [B-21] and f) untreated contorol group. Urine were collected at 60 minutes after drinking water (500ml).<br>As a result, a significant increase of urine volume was observed in the group of stimulation at Jin-yu, Kyouseki, and Sisitu point (p<0.05).<br>Finally, it was suggested that the increase of urine volume was caused by a somato-visceral reflex.
ABSTRACT
A relationship of acupuncture stimulation to secretion of insulin was investigated by stimulating various meridian points which are usually used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. As a result, it was demonstrated that Quchi (LI-11) is closely related to insulin secretion. This study was carried out to investigate a relationship of each of Hege (LI-4), Shousanli (LI-10), Jugu (LI-16), Yingxing (LI-20), which are located on the large intestine channel of hand-yangming, to secretion of insulin.<br>When stimulated by a 30 minutes placing needle, all four meridian points evidently increased secretion of insulin and integrated insulin response for 60 minutes during oral glucose tolerance test. Among others, Hege stimulation showed the most remarkable increase in insulin secretion.<br>The result obtained seems to suggest that is a close relationship between insulin secretion and the large intestine channel of hand-yangming.
ABSTRACT
With the advancement and complexity on present society it has been called the “age of depression”. One gets the feeling that depression, following a singular path of increase in recent years is one sort of “sickness of the era”. This time we conducted a screening test for masked depression, selected those showing such a tendency, and here report the remarkable improvement in a short period of time the condition of depression using acupuncture.<br>Method: Nakajima's test for masked depression (abbr MD test) was carried out on students from Meiji special school of Oriental Medicine and Meiji Junior College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and screened 65 subjects with depression tendencies. Twenty-seven of these 65 subjects were randomly selected and divided into two groups of 16 in “actual group” and 11 in “placebo group”. Acupuncture method: In the actual group six acupoints that commonly applied on the psychic disease were used as follows; HYAKUE (GV 20), SHINCHU (GV 12), SHIN-YU (BL 15), KOKETSU (CV 14), SHINMON (HT 7) and SAN-INKO (SP 6) and the other hand in the placebo group five acupoints close to these in the former group but which are not directly related to psychic disease were applied as follows; TOH-DO (GV 13), FU-MON (BL 12), SUIBUN (CV 9), GEREN (LI 8) and KENSYO (GB 39). Acupuncture was performed for 10 minutes stationally by using gold needle (0.20mm wide, 40mm length) and was undertaken three times in a week for four weeks. Its clinical effect was evaluated by the MD test and the CMI test every two weeks.<br>Results: 1) In the actual group the score on the MD test averaged out to a return to normal range within two weeks whereas in the placebo group even after four weeks the score still remained in the sphere of depression.<br>2) In the actual group a 80% of the subjects showed in area IV (the sphere of neurosis) on the CMI test was resistant to the therapy. Even they did not relieve into the sphere of normality.<br>3) The acupuncture therapy indicated a tendency to the improvement of both physical and psychic symptoms in the actual group.<br>Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the acupuncture therapy applying acupoints suitable for psychic disease brought rappydly improvement of not only psychic symptoms but also physical symptoms and then gave a relief from the condition of depression.
ABSTRACT
From ancient times the oriental medicine has applied the acupuncture therapy, choosing various meridian points, to the diseases of the digestive system.<br>Against the gastric diseases meridian points Tsusanli (S36), Yangling-chuan (G34) etc. are usually used. However, it is traditionally handed down that the puncture to Tsusanli tends to increase gastric secretion, therefore the puncture to Yanglingchuan is better for gastric hyperacidity than that to Tsusanli.<br>On these meridian points, its pathophysiological mechanism for the diseases of the digestive system of these meridian points still remains unknown.<br>In these paper, an evaluation on the change of pH value of gastric juice was carried out by using Telemeter for gastroenteric pH value, concerning Tsusanli, Yanglingchuan, Liangchiu (S34), and Waichiu (G36).<br>It was obtained that the tendency to increase the secretion of HCI in gastric juice in the group stimulated to Tsusanli and the group to Lingchiu, and the tendency to inhibit the secretion in the group to Yanglingchuan.