Effects of Cathode Direct-Current Electroacupuncture Stimulus of the Promixal Anterior Lower Limbs on Heart Rate and Lumbar Blood Flow

Manual acupuncture for neuromusculoskeletal disorders: The selection of stimulation parameters and corresponding effects

As a minimally invasive method of physical stimulation, manual acupuncture (MA) is used globally as a sort of therapy for neuromusculoskeletal disorders. In addition to selecting appropriate acupoints, acupuncturists should also determine the stimulation parameters of needling, such as the manipulation (lifting-thrusting or twirling), needling amplitude, velocity, and stimulation time. At present, most studies focus on acupoint combination and mechanism of MA, the relationship between stimulation parameters and their therapeutic effects, as well as the influence on mechanism of action are relatively scattered, and lack of systematic summary and analysis. This paper reviewed the three types of stimulation parameters of MA, their common options and values, corresponding effects and potential mechanisms of action. The purpose of such efforts is to provide a useful reference for the dose-effect relationship of MA and the quantification and standardization of its clinical treatment of neuromusculoskeletal disorders to further promote the application of acupuncture in the world.

Spatial topological analysis of sympathetic neurovascular characteristic of acupoints in Ren meridian using advanced tissue-clearing and near infrared II imaging

Acupuncture has been used for treating various medical conditions in traditional Chinese medicine. Both manual and electro-acupuncture stimulate specific acupoints to obtain local and systemic biological effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we used three-dimensional tissue-clearing technology to study acupoints on the Ren meridian of mice to reveal the distribution, density, branching, and relationships between blood vessels and nerves. Using topological Mapper methods, we found that sympathetic neurovascular networks were denser in the CV 4 acupoint compared with surrounding non-acupoints. Furthermore, high resolution in vivo real-time vascular imaging using the near infrared-II probe LZ-1105 demonstrated increased blood flow in the CV 4 acupoint compared with neighboring non-acupoints after manual or electro-acupuncture. Consistent with earlier findings, our research indicated that acupuncture could enhance local blood flow, and our high-resolution 3D images show for the first time the important role of sympathetic neurovascular networks in the CV 4 acupoint.