Considering what we can do for Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

Sports Acupuncture is used for alleviating physical disorders of athletes and it helps them to keep up the quality of their performance. Acupuncture has been used for sports injuries to relieve the pain, and lately, is also applied for preventing injuries, conditioning, or health maintenance. However, the definition of "Sports Acupuncture"is still unclear and there is no guideline to apply acupuncture for athletes.<BR>As Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic will be held in Tokyo in 2020, we decided to review past researches related with sports acupuncture. These researches examine the effects of acupuncture for muscle pain, muscle fatigue, muscle atrophy, and sports injuries. Moreover, we invite one former athlete and she speaks how she used acupuncture when she was a player. After this panel discussion we will be able to make a step to next level, so that we re-create "Sports Acupuncture"on athletes'demand.

Effects of acupuncture on fatigue and oxidative stress in distance runners:A double-blind trial / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective]To investigate whether acupuncture is effective to prevent fatigue and oxidative stress in distance runners.<BR>[Methods]A total of 17 runners were recruited and randomized to receive acupuncture (Press Tack Needle) or placebo treatment. Subjects received treatment from licensed acupuncturists before a 10 km race. The primary outcome measures were oxidative stress, as determined by electron spin resonance (ESR), and fatigue, as assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcome measures were GOT, LDH, and CPK.<BR>[Results]Fatigue was significantly increased in both groups after the race. There was no difference in both groups.<BR>Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity tended to increase in both groups after the race.<BR>[Conclusion]The study found no useful acupuncture aspects of oxidative stress and fatigue.

Symposium Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion in the Sports Field / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

Lately, many people from children to elderly people are playing sports. Society is in need of safer and more comfortable sporting environment, not only for competitive sports, but also for recreational sports. The themes of acupuncture and moxibustion of the field of sports are treatments of sports injuries, keeping the physical condition of the athlete, preventing life-style related diseases and competition performance improvement of the athletes. At this symposium, we reported the present conditions of the study of sports acupuncture and moxibustion. It is summarized as follows:<BR> 1) Press tack needles relieve muscle fatigue that occurs during a long-term training camp,<BR> 2) Acupuncture inhibits the fall of the immune function resulting from high extreme exercise,<BR> 3) Electroacupuncture can relieve disused muscle atrophy of mice,<BR> 4) Press tack needles are effective in acute muscle fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness, and<BR> 5) The M-Test is effective in estimating performance improvement and preventing sports injuries.

Possibility for Acupuncture Treatment in Maintenance Dialysis Medical Treatment-From a Questionnaire Survey completed by Dialysis Medical Treatment Staff- / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective] The understanding and cooperation of dialysis medical staff are indispensable for the widespread introduction of acupuncture treatment in maintenance dialysis medical treatment. In this study, we tried to clarify the level of understanding of acupuncture of dialysis medical staff We also tried to examine change in their opinion of acupuncture after experiencing it. We discussed the possibility of using acupuncture treatment in maintenance dialysis medical treatment.<BR>[Method] At first, we distributed the questionnaire concerning the level of understanding of the acupuncture of dialysis medical staff (n=105) who visited the experience corner. Next, we investigated whether the staff who had experienced acupuncture treatment changed their opinion of it. We also investigated the method and effect of acupuncture.<BR>[Results & Conclusion] Few staff had experienced acupuncture previously. They had fears regarding acu- puncture regardless of their experiences, but these fears were alleviated after acupuncture experience. From these results, it is believed that dialysis staff have an insufficient understanding acupuncture. On the other hand, we considered the possibility that acupuncture could positively contribute to dialysis medical treatment because many staff approved the safety and hygiene levels of acupuncture. It will be necessary to educate staff concerning the effect of acupuncture on maintenance dialysis patients in order that they may be able to effec- tively administer acupuncture in the future.

"Acupuncture Treatment on the Local Area versus the Distal Area"-Physical ConditionsII-Definition of the Local and Distal Area Treatment / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

This symposium was held as the second in a three part series at Kagawa Conference (June 6-8, 2003). During the Tsukuba conference (2002), distal area treatment was the topic of focus. The criteria and evidence for the effectiveness of distal area treatments were presented. Three symposists and one minor speaker reported on the effectiveness of distal area treatments from clinical and basic viewpoints. However, another symposist showed the superiority of local area treatments and denied the effectiveness of distal area treatments. There fore, we decided that a succinct and definitive discussion on distal area treatments (etc) should be presented during the second symposium. To this end, long time members of JSAM were given a questionnaire survey prior to the conference. Respondents were asked to define their own use of local and distal treatment, to hypothesize on the curing mechanism involved and to state which practice methods they use most.<BR>Mr. Ogawa reported that, as a result of analyzing the questionnaire survey no distinct differences were found in the definitions stated by respondents from several different schools. The standard images of “the local area” were the area where pains were felt when pressure is applied, the areas which transmit special sensitivity or the area where a disorder is found. Also, the images of “the distal area” were the areas which have some relationship to the local area, such as meridians and collaterals, nerves, reflex points, tender points, or related points which induce a clearly recognizable physical reaction.<BR>Mr.Shinohara showed the superiority of distal area treatments according to the muscle meridian theory by utilizing the 3 arm crossover examination. Furthermore, he established the delayed myalgia as a model of the illness on a specific muscle meridian region. He investigated the effect of intradermal needling. He observed that after a weight bearing exercise on the biceps brachii, the threshold of tenderness on the Lung meridian decreases. He proposed the possibility of using the points in extremities which had selectively responded by manifesting of the delayed myalgia.<BR>Mr. Moriyama, one of the minor speakes, explained, using the theory of biomechanics, the possibility of in-fluences of distal area disharmony on the local area. He introduced the Meridian Test as one clinically useful method for finding disharmony which is typically difficult to discern and may contribute to the disorder. He proposed that a microscopic “eye” to be used to see the local area and the macroscopic “eye” b used to see the whole body in medical examination and treatment. Using the “eyes” in synthesis and not separately, he concluded, must be the basic state for treatment.<BR>Another minor speaker, Mr.Shiraishi reported on analyzed results of the experiments on lumbago patients. Applying Yuandaoci (distant needling) reduced a response on points of the trunk (BL 23, Shenshu, Jinyu) in stimulating points, i.e, BL 40 (Weizhong, Ichu), BL 57 (Chengshan, Shozan) BL 58 (Feiyang, Hiyo) BL 60 (Kunlun, Konron) GB 34 (Yanglingquan, Yoryosen) varying in many ways and confirming the peculiarity of each point, meridian and collateral. Based on these findings he supports the effectiveness of distal meridian area treatments.<BR>Mr. Ozaki, also, another minor speaker proposed, from the outcome of animal experiments. Stimulation by acupuncture at either adjacent or distal areas can affect motor reflex. So from this point of view, insertion at adjacent and distal area has some recordable effect. He added that stimulation given either at adjacent or distal areas would converge to the same neuron and the same modification would occur. From this point of view, the difference in processing information at the neuron level would control the manifestation of the effect and thus investigations on these treatments should be discussed as a synthesis, including, not

Acupancture and moxibustion therapy for sports trouble / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

The number of hospital files for patients who have visited the therapeutic clinic of the Juridical Foundation and Educational Promotion Foundation for Oriental Medical Science Techniques during the period between 1979, when the institute was established, and March 1988 has exceeded 3, 000, among which the proportion of patients with athletic disorders-has been increasing annually. The percentage of hospital files for patients with a chief complaint of athletic disorder among those numbered 1 through 2, 000 was very low, 6.0%, but subsequently increased rapidly to 9.1% among the 1, 000 files numbered 2, 000 through 3, 000. Of these patients, only a few have occupations related to the athletic field, or are so-called top athletes, and most are “weekend athletes” or students. Therefore, they play various types of sports, leading to the occurrence of disorders at various sites of the body. The incidence of traumatic injury is low, whereas the incidence of conditions due to fatigue-related changes is high. These characteristics of injury seem to represent the usual pattern from the viewpoint of the age structure of our patients. In the present report we describe our acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for disorders of the shoulder and elbow, among the various types of motility disturbance treated in general institutes providing acupuncture and moxa therapy, not merely as a palliative, but also a prophylactic approach. We also present the results of basic studies, which have provided evidence of therapeutic effects of our treatment, together with details of the therapeutic procedures employed.

The effect of acupuncture stimulation on muscle nerve sympathetic activity in man. A microneurographic analysis of the classical acupuncture technique, "Koshi" / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

Using the peripheral nerves of human subjects, a study was conducted on the activity of efferent sympathetic postganglionic fibers controlling the soleus, and on the basis of tonus, its response to acupuncture stimulation was observed.<br>1. Microneurography is efficient as a method for monitoring the participation of the sympathetic nervous system in response to acupunture stimulation.<br>2. The spontaneous dischrge of the vasoconstrictor nerve controlling the soleus shows a cycle in which the activity varies with changes in the arterial blood pressure. This experiment revealed that this cycle was affected by acupuncture stimulation. The changes in degree of this affect were dependent upon the specificity of an individual.<br>3. The method, ‘Koshi’, one the classical approaches in the theory of acupuncture, can be used as a method of changing the regional circulatory movement of a leg other than the one to which acupuncture stimulation is applied.