Infrared Thermogram of Yangming Meridian Acupoints in Patients with Idiopathic Facial Paralysis in Acute Stage / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe changes in the infrared thermogram of Yangming meridian acupoints in patients with idiopathic facial paralysis in acute stage. Method High-performance uncooled infrared focal plane array (M7800 Thermal Imager, LumaSense, USA) was used to detect the infrared thermogram of Yangming meridian acupoints[Kouheliao (LI19), Yingxiang (LI20), Hegu (LI4), Shangyang (LI1), Chengqi (ST1), Sibai (ST2), Juliao (ST3), Dicang (ST4), Daying (ST5), Jiache (ST6), Xiaguan (ST7), Tianshu (ST25), and Zusanli (ST36) ]of 80 patients with idiopathic facial paralysis in acute stage and 75 healthy subjects. The temperature data of the meridian acupoints obtained from the analysis software were statistically processed. Result Compared with the healthy subjects, the temperature differencesΔT of the Hand Yangming Meridian acupoints including Kouheliao, Yingxiang and Hegu, and Foot Yangming Meridian acupoints including Chengqi, Sibai, Juliao, Dicang, Daying, Jiache and Xiaguan were more significant in the patients with idiopathic facial paralysis in acute stage, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); the temperature differences ΔT of the Hand Yangming Meridian acupoint Shangyang, and the Foot Yangming Meridian acupoints including Tianshu and Zusanli in the facial paralysis patients showed insignificant differences compared with those in the healthy subjects (P>0.05). Conclusion There are changes in the infrared thermogram at Yangming meridian acupoints located on face (Kouheliao, Yingxiang, Shangyang, Chengqi, Sibai, Juliao, Dicang, Daying, Jiache and Xiaguan) and the distant acupoint Hegu in idiopathic facial paralysis patients in acute stage, while Shangyang, Tianshu and Zusanli do not present the above phenomenon, indicating the specificity of acupoint effect from the perspective of infrared.

Correlation between Pain Scale and Infrared Thermogram in Lumbar Disc Herniations

Back pain and radiating leg pain due to compression of the nerve root by the lumbar disc herniation are subjective symptoms. Objective evaluation of pain site and severity is important for the diagnosis and the treatment. We evaluate the correlation between the severity of pain and the temperature changes in the patients of lumbar disc herniations using infrared thermograms. 174 consecutive patients who underwent operation or chemonucleolysis for single level unilateral disc protrusion with ipsilateral leg pain were included in this study. Subjective pain was divided four groups(Group I: mild pain, Group II: moderate pain, Group III: severe pain, Group IV: intractable pain). Thermal differences of each group were as follows: Group I was 0.26degreesC, Group II was 0.39degreesC, Group III was 0.60degreesC and Group IV was 0.98degreesC. Disc protrusions were divided three groups. Thermal differences of each group were as follows; mild protrusion group was 0.52degreesC, moderate protrusion group was 0.79degreesC and severe protrusion group was 0.95degreesC. Duration of symptom was divided four groups and each thermal differences were as follows: under 2 months was 0.87degreesC, 2 to 6 months was 0.71degreesC, 6 to 12 months was 0.50degreesC and more than 12 months was 0.47degreesC. All these data were statistically significant in p<0.01. In conclusion, infrared thermal imaging can demonstrate the subjective pain objectively. The discogenic pain is the more severe, or the disc herniation is the more protruded, or the symptom duration is the shorter, the thermal difference between the both legs is the more significantly prominent. Thermal difference between both legs is a useful pain scale in the herniated lumbar disc patients. Infrared thermal imaging is effective in the evaluation of lumbar discogenic pain.