Acupuncture and rehabilitation (II) study in cases of snapping finger.

We found that "juci" appearing in "Wangdinlijingsumen" is very effective in the treatment of snapping fingers: It was revealed that the finger became able to move immediately after the acupuncture had been carried out on the healthy side at the symmetrical part to the lesion. The snapping fingers were improved by the flection-extension exercise and the massage carried out while the effect of acupuncture continued because the joint could move normally during this period. Since this result accords with the principle that the exercises with the extending motility allow an augmentation in effects of rehabilitation (Reha), authors think this therapy is extremely valuable. In this paper, some cases of difficult snapping finger treated with this therapy were reported.

Acupuncture and rehabilitation (I) effect of acupuncture on normal side to snapping finger.

The snapping finger condition has increased recently. And this condition is difficult to recover in most cases. The snapping finger condition was improved quite remarkably by the rehabilitation (Reha) of the leison performed immediately after acupuncture in the symmetrical part of the leison on the normal side and Chu-chih (LI-11), Shou-son-li (LI-10), Wai-kuan (TH-5), Ho-ku (LI-4) and Yang-chih (TH-4) on the normal side. But the favorable effect could not be obtained when Reha had not been performed on the leison. The effects were slight either in the combination therapy of Reha of the leison with the acupuncture of the leison and Chu-chih (LI-11), Shou-san-li (LI-10), Wai-kuan (TH-5), Ho-ku (LI-4) and Yang-chih (TH-4) on the abnormal side or in the simple treatment with Reha or with the acupuncture on the abnormal side. The acupuncture in the normal side resulted in a more remarkable result after Reha (Reha-effect) because Reha of the leison could easily contend with it. It is a valuable means of therapy as the snapping finger condition is presently on the increase.

Acupuncture and rehabilitation (III) effects of acupuncture applied to the normal side on osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee and on disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage and thrombosis.

In osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee and in disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage and thrombosis, acupuncture was applied to the normal side at the symmetrical part to the lesion and flection-extension exercise and massage on the affected joint were carried out as rehabilitation (Reha) during the time the needles were used. A most remarkable cure rate was obtained in osteoarthritis deformans of the knee when treated with acupuncture on the normal side and flection-extension exercise and massage on the affected part. The cure rate was low in rheumatoid arthritis, and the therapy was non-effective concerning disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis. The improvement rate, however, was extremely low in osteoarthritis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis of the knee after the acupuncture on the affected part of the affected side with Reha on the affected part of the affected side, or Reha on the lesion, and these means of therapy were completely non-effective concerning disorders in motility after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis. Our previous reports No. 1 and 2 accord with the evidence obtained in this study that the acupuncture on the normal side and Reha on the affected part of the affected side produced most remarkable effect in osteoarthritis deformans of the knee. The low improvement rate in rheumatoid arthritis and non-effectiveness concerning disorders in motility of the knee joint after cerebral hemorrhage or thrombosis may be explained by differences in morphology of the diseases.

Clinical observations on several meridian loci in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in comparison with those in female neurovegetative disorder, pregnancy, and the steroid side-effects syndrome.

Patients with chronic hepatitis showed various grades of the pinch-pressure pain (P-p pain) at the right Ch'ü-Ch'üan (Li-8) locus. Sometimes the P-p pain also appeared at the left locus (Li-8) as well, but in such cases the tendency is towards a stronger reactivity at the right side than at the left, and the P-p pain does not appear at the left side alone. These findings offer a noticeable contrast to those seen in pregnant women and in steroid-treated patients affected with an obvious side effect where the stronger reactivity is to be seen at the left rather than at the right. The P-p pain grades were inclined to decrease in severe cases, especially in liver cirrhosis. In general, the variability of the P-p pain of grades correlated well with the process of the findings of the liver function test and of the chief subjective complaints. Therefore, the P-p pain test is useful for the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis. Regarding the grade distribution patterns of P-p pain at the Li-8, LI-4, LI-11, and SI-11 loci, patients with chronic hepatitis showed a pattern of higher grades of P-p pain reactivity at the right Li-8 and SI-11 loci, and at the left LI-4 and LI-11 loci, while patients with the so-called female neurovegetative disorder, pregnant women, and patients affected with steroid side-effects showed a perfectly reversed reactivity pattern. These findings can be useful for the differentiation between chronic hepatitis and those groups of diseases showing subjective signs deceptively similar to those of chronic hepatitis and those groups of diseases showing subjective signs deceptively similar to those of chronic hepatitis. The comparison of the skin temperature between the right and the left loci showed lower levels at the right than at the left, and the comparison of the skin pH between the both sides showed a more elevated level at the right than at the left. The mechanisms of these phenomena are discussed and what seems to be the most appropriate explanation at present is offered.