ABSTRACT
<p>It is well known that a painful lump around para-naval, ileo-cecal and sigmoid regions are correlated with <i>oketsu </i>syndrome, although, the physiological mechanism for these signs is still unknown. Recently, the author made clear that these signs disappear by acupunctural procedure at the meridian points Hikon (ExB4), Kekkai (SP10) and/or the lump itself. And also the author found out that these abdominal lumps are located in the most peripheral position of the superior or inferior epigastric artery. This evidence may indicate that abdominal lumps are brought by diminished blood flow of the superior or inferior epigastric artery, and acupunctural input from a meridian point or lump itself inhibits not only the excited gamma and alpha motor-neuron in the thoracic 11 and 12 segment of spinal cord but also excites sympathetic neurons. The author speculates that the initial noxious stimuli occur with stagnation of the pelvic vein associated with homeostatic inflammation.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p>It is well known that an abdominal sign of painful groin indicates an appropriate condition for choosing the Kampo formulation tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto (TSG). This evidence was found by Keisetsu Otsuka in 1963. He thought that this sign is correlated with the liver meridian.<br>However, the pathophysiological background for this sign has been unknown. Recently, the author made clear that this sign disappears by acupunctural procedure at the Hikon (ExB4) meridian point. According to this clinical evidence, the author proposes a new hypothesis for this abdominal sign in that it closely relates to a homeostatic mechanism. In the cold environment, sympathetic drive to the femoral arteries occurs in order to guard from radiation heat loss in the lower extremities. This drive also causes a reduction of blood supply to the pelvic viscera. The acupunctural procedure at the Hikon (ExB4) meridian point may release both the induration of the iliocostal muscle and the contraction of IOM simultaneously. TGS disconnects the vicious cycle which exist between the pelvic viscera and sympathetic ganglion, and improves various signs that correlates with ischemia of the pelvic viscera.</p>