ABSTRACT
[Introduction] It is known that BL 23, which is a part of the Bladder Meridian could be used as a remote acupuncture stimulation point for the effective treatment of lumbago. This study was designed to consider whether remote acupuncture point stimulus from other meridian points such as GB 34, GB 35 along the Gallbladder Meridian exerted any influence on the BL-meridian as part of a series of research elucidating characteristics of that BL 23 response.<BR>[Methods] The BL23 response after acupuncture stimulation of GB 34 and GB 35 was measured in 21 lumbago patients and 21 healthy volunteers without lumbago. We also measured the BL 23 response from the BL 40 and BL 57, GB 34 and GB 35 acupuncture points cross-over stimulation by 6 lumbago patients and 7 healthy subjects without lumbago to confirm the BL23 response property.<BR>[Results] The BL 23 response was significantly increased (p<0.05) by an acupuncture stimulation of GB 34 in all subjects, except females without lumbago. Unexpectedly, it was shown that GB 34 acupuncture elicited a significantly stronger (p<0.01) BL 23 response. These new findings confirmed the effects of acupuncture stimulation BL 40 and BL 57, GB 34 and GB 35 acupuncture points by a cross-over methods on the same sub-jects in 6 lumbago patients and 7 healthy volunteers without lumbago.<BR>[Conclusion] In conclusion, as a new finding, these results indicate that the BL 23 response on the Bladder Meridian system is not merely altered by acupuncture points along the same meridian system, but also capable of change from another meridian system such as the Gallbladder Meridian, especially stimulation from of the GB 35 acupuncture point.
ABSTRACT
[Introduction] We reported that the effects of remote acupuncture point electrical stimulation on the BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 to the BL 23's response. This study compared the influence of electrical and acupuncture stimulation on BL 40.<BR>[Methods] The effects of acupuncture stimulation of BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 were examined in 49 healthy volunteers without lumbago and 64 lumbago patients and measured change in the BL 23 response. All subjects gave informed consent prior to examination.<BR>[Results] Pre-acupuncture stimulation of the BL 40 response of male group was significantly lower than female group. Male lumbago group and non-lumbago group of female significantly showed increase (p<0.01) by BL 57 acupuncture stimulation. On the other hand, only lumbago female group showed significantly increased (p<0.05) by BL 60 acupuncture stimulation, while lumbago patients remarkably influence showed that than non-lumbago group for the acupuncture stimulation.<BR>These results indicate that acupuncture stimulation provides a stronger effect than electrical stimulation showed by the responding pattern of BL 23 after BL 57, 58 and 60 stimulation.<BR>[Conclusion] The responsiveness of BL 23 might be variously influenced by the existence of lumbago, and gender difference following BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 acupuncture stimulus along the BL meridian compared to the effects of electrical stimulation. Furthermore, the roles and mechanisms appeared different.