Discussion on "sugar needle - comfortable acupuncture and moxibustion" / 中国针灸

The cases of feeling comfort during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in literature were summarized and its biological basis was explored. A simple classification of comfort was made, and the importance of obtaining comfort in acupuncture treatment was pointed out. Considering the pursuit of less pain and harmlessness in modern clinical treatment, sugar needle should be advocated and popularized in current clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Distribution characteristics of meridian sinew (jingjin) syndrome in 313 cases of whiplash-associated disorders / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate and analyze the characteristics of Meridian Sinew (Jingjin) syndrome in patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From August 2010 to September 2011, 313 WAD cases from New York and California states were collected. The survey mostly collects the information of "Sinew Knotted Points" and symptoms of four types of Meridian Sinew differentiation-Taiyang, Shaoyin, Shaoyang and Yangming.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the cases which are on the average of medium injury level, the higher frequency of "Sinew Knotted Points" tenderness were found on Jianwaishu (SI 14), Jianzhongshu (SI 15), Tianchuang (SI 16), C3-6 Spinous Process, Dazhui (GV 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Tianliao (SJ 15) and Tianding (LI 17). The most commonly presented symptoms were widespread spasm and tenderness in the neck (Taiyang), difficulty in lateral flexion (Shaoyang), problems of extension and flexion (Taiyang), and stiffness and pain during neck movement (Yangming). Among the cases, 237 cases (75.72%) were related to Taiyang Meridian Sinew syndrome, 82 cases (26.20%) to Shaoyin syndrome and 175 (55.91%) and 176 (56.23%) cases to Shaoyang and Yangming syndrome respectively. The most of cases presented in a combination format. The syndrome distribution under Grade I, II and III reflected that more combination of the Meridian Sinew syndromes in the whiplash injury patients which is resulted from more severity of injury.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is practical to identify the location of abnormality through Meridian Sinew differentiation, considering both "Sinew Knotted Points" tenderness and corresponding symptoms, for the local neck symptoms of WAD.</p>

Preliminary study on syndrome differentiation types and acupuncture for whiplash injuries / 中国针灸

Whiplash injury is a relatively common injury of clinical acupuncture and moxibustion in the United States. The mechanism and clinical manifestation of whiplash injuries as well as its pathogenesis described in TCM were analyzed in this present article. The authors introduced the TCM syndrome differentiation of whiplash injuries and claimed that both the location and the stage of disease should be considered. For the different injury locations, the meridian musculature differentiation was applied to classify the whiplash injuries as Taiyang, Yangming, Shaoyang and Shaoyin Meridian syndromes. Considering the duration of the injury, qi stagnation and blood stasis types were classified in the acute stage and phlegm accumulation, insufficiency of the liver and kidney and qi and blood deficiencies types were classified during the chronic stage. An acupuncture protocol for whiplash injuries and typical cases were also introduced.

Application of palpation in various acupuncture schools of the United States: current status and considerations / 中国针灸

Palpation is one of the major diagnostic methods in Chinese medicine. The article has summed up the current status, features and origins of various palpations in different acupuncture schools in the United States, including palpation on meridian, collaterals and acupoints in traditional Chinese acupuncture, abdominal palpation of Japanese acupuncture, pulse checking for couples in five-element acupuncture, palpation on tendon straps and muscle response testing in acupuncture physical medicine. Since great importance has always been attached on social psychological factors in all acupuncture schools of America, it is thus concluded that the interactive mechanism of diagnosis and treatment represented by palpation feedback examination is not only the manifestation of people oriented individualized treatment both physically and psychologically in America, but also a kind of inheritance and development of diagnosis and treatment in the modernization of TCM.