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Few reports have described the effect of phlegm-fluid retention on the development of pain. We herein report two successful treatment cases of lower leg pain using chikujountanto in consideration of phlegm-fluid retention. Case 1 (a 63-year-old woman) complained dull pain in the right calf. The pain persisted despite the administration of sokeikakketsuto for over two weeks. Case 2 (a 42-year-old woman) suffered from right buttock pain that had developed after a traffic accident. The pain persisted even at three months following the accident. The pain in both patients resolved within one week after treatment with chikujountanto, which was given on the basis of the patients' insomnia, thickened yellow fur on the tongue, and pain in the gallbladder meridian. We concluded that the concept of phlegm-fluid retention should be considered for differential diagnosis when we treat pain.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare differences of extracellular fluid impedance (Re) and intracellular fluid impedance (Ri) between the Stomach(ST) Meridian or Gallbladder(GB) Meridian and their neighboring non-meridian sites of the left lower leg at the same level, so as to explore the distribution characteristics of body fluid in the meridian. METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers were enrolled in the present study. The Re and Ri were detected by using Ag/AgCl electrodes and a digital lock-in amplifier. The measuring electrodes (at an interval of about 3 cm) were separately fixed to the skin sites covering the running courses of the ST Meridian (in the lateral interspace of the anterior tibial muscle)and the GB Meridian (in the interspace of the anterior edge of the fibula), and the excitation electrodes (at an interval of about 9 cm) respectively fixed to the skin sites covering the anterior tibial muscle and the interspace between the anterior tibial muscle and the tibia (about 2 cm and 5 cm lateral to the ST and GB meridians, and about 3－4 cm and 6－8 cm lateral to the ST and GB meridians, respectively). A 100 µA constant current with frequencies from 1 kHz to 100 kHz delivered via an excitation electrode was applied to the site (control spots of the ST Meridian), and signals of the voltage amplitude and phase difference of the tissues fed to the lock-in amplifier via the measuring electrode were collected, followed by measuring those of the GB Meridian and control sites. The circumference of the lower leg around the two excitation and measuring electrodes was measured. Then the cole-cole curve fitting was performed to calculate the Ri and Re, as well as the intracellular fluid resistivity (ρi) and extracellular fluid resistivity (ρe) of the ST and GB meridians, the related muscles and interspace lateral to ST or GB (ST/GB) meridians at the same level. RESULTS: The Ri and Re (Ω) values of the ST, GB, the muscle lateral to ST/GB and the interspace lateral to ST/GB were 19.1±1.3 and 28.3±1.4, 15.8±1.9 and 25.7±2.0, 19.6±1.3 and 31.3±1.6, and 19.4±1.2 and 32.4±1.6, respectively. The Re values were significantly lower at the ST and GB meridians than at the muscle lateral to and the interspace lateral to both meridians (P<0.05). The ρi and ρe values (Ω•cm) of the ST, GB, the muscle lateral to and the interspace lateral to ST/GB were 658.9±78.5 and 953.8±75.3, 528.0±90.1 and 833.9±101.7, 669.9±71.8 and 1 059.8±86.0, 655.9±64.8 and 1 099.3±93.3, respectively. The ρi and ρe values were significantly lower at the GB Meridian Than at the other three locntions, and the ρe value of ST Meridian was significantly lower than those of the muscle lateral to and the interspace lateral to ST/GB meridians (P<0.01)．. CONCLUSION: The Ri, Re, ρi and ρe values of the ST and GB meridians are significantly lower than those of their neighboring tissues at the same levels of the lower leg, suggesting a more extracellular fluid in the meridian running course and providing evidence for our speculation that the meridian is a hydraulic resistance channel.
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Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at the Foot Shaoyang Meridian and Yin Heel Vessel in treating post-stroke strephenopodia. Method Forty-two eligible subjects were divided into a treatment group of 21 cases and a control group of 21 cases by the random number table. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34) and Zulinqi (GB41) from the Foot Shaoyang Meridian and Zhaohai (KI6) from the Yin Heel Vessel, while the control group was by acupuncture at conventional acupoints, once a day, 6 d as a treatment course, 5 courses in total. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were adopted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy. Result The treatment group was superior to the control group in improving strephenopodia, and recovering the lower-limb motor function and activities of daily living (ADL), and the intra-group and inter-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Compared to the conventional acupuncture, acupuncture by selecting acupoints from the Foot Shaoyang Meridian and Yin Heel Vessel has significant advantages in treating post-stroke strephenopodia.
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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at affected-limb gallbladder meridian points and its effect on the recovery of lower limb function in treating hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction. Methods Sixty hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture at the gallbladder meridian points of the affected-side lower limb as main therapy and the control group, conventional acupuncture. After two courses of treatment, a pre-/post-treatment change in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score was observed in the two groups and post-treatment walking paces, pace lengths and incidences of strephenopodia were compared between the two groups.Results There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score in the two groups (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in the Lower Extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in walking pace, pace length and the incidence of strephenopodia between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture at affected-limb gallbladder meridian points can improve lower limb function and reduce the incidence of strephenopodia in hemiplegia patients with cerebral infarction.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at stomach meridian acupoints on expression of oxidation damage factors in serum and gastric mucosal cells in rats with gastric ulcer, and to explore the mechanism of EA at stomach meridian acupoints for oxidative damage in rats with gastric ulcer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty clean-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a stomach meridian group and a gallbladder meridian group, ten rats in each one. Except the normal group, rats in the remaining groups were applied the restraint-cold stress method to establish the model of gastric ulcer. Rats in the normal group and model group received no treatment; rats in the stomach meridian group were treated with EA at "Liangmen" (ST 21) and "Zusanli" (ST 36); rats in the gallbladder meridian group were treated with EA at "Riyue" (GB 24) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34). The EA was given for 30 min, once a day for 7 days totally. The change of gastric mucosal morphology was observed by routine light microscope; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the expressions of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2(IL-2), interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum and gastric mucosal cells of rats.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, compared with the model group, the gastric mucosal damage index was decreased in the stomach meridian group and gallbladder meridian group (both<0.05), the expressions of MDA, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-6 in serum and gastric mucosal cells were significantly decreased in the stomach meridian group (all<0.01), but the contents of GSH-Px in serum and gastric mucosal cells were increased significantly (both<0.01). Compared with the gallbladder meridian group, the gastric mucosal damage index as well as the expressions of MDA,TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-6 in serum and gastric mucosal cells were significantly decreased in the stomach meridian group rats (<0.05,<0.01), and the contents of GSH-px in serum and gastric mucosal cells were increased significantly (both<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EA at stomach meridian acupoints is likely to inhibit the expressions of oxidative damage factors to promote the repair of gastric mucosal injury, which indicates the correlation between meridians and.</p>
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In order to observe the clinical effect of Tuina therapy for vertigo, 47 cases of the patients with vertigo were treated by massaging Triple Energizer Meridian and Gallbladder Meridian on the head, and the results showed cure in 36 cases, improvement in 11 cases and the total effective rate was 100%.