Distal traditional acupuncture points of the large intestinal meridian and the stomach meridian differently affect heart rate variability and oxygenation of the trapezius muscle

The Endocannabinoid System Contributes to Electroacupuncture Analgesia

The extensive involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in vital physiological and cognitive processes of the human body has inspired many investigations into the role of the ECS and drugs, and therapies that target this system and its receptors. Activation of cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB₁ and CB₂) by cannabinoid treatments, including synthetic cannabinoids, alleviates behavioral responses to inflammatory and neuropathic pain. An increasing body of scientific evidence details how electroacupuncture (EA) treatments achieve effective analgesia and reduce inflammation by modulating cannabinoid signaling, without the adverse effects resulting from synthetic cannabinoid administration. CB₁ receptors in the ventrolateral area of the periaqueductal gray are critically important for the mechanisms of the EA antinociceptive effect, while peripheral CB₂ receptors are related to the anti-inflammatory effects of EA. This review explores the evidence detailing the endocannabinoid mechanisms involved in EA antinociception.

Comparative Assessment of the Heart's Functioning by Using the Akabane Test and Classical Methods of Instrumental Examination

Acupuncture physicians have studied the application of reflexotherapy to cardiology. However, no one has investigated the connection of ancient Chinese diagnostic methods with modern tools. A total of 102 patients (54 men and 48 women) with heart pathology, namely, sick-sinus syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and atrioventricular blockade, were studied using the usual instrumental methods (transesophageal electrophysiological study of the heart, echocardiography), after which they underwent Akabane thermopuncture testing as in traditional Chinese medicine. The results of cardio examination from one side of the Akabane test with that from the other side were compared by means of a multiple stepwise regression analysis. We revealed the effects on the characteristic pattern of acupuncture channel lesions inherent in a definite heart pathology, i.e., the most vulnerable acupuncture channel (AC), of such factors as disturbances of the contractile, conductive, or automatic heart functions, and changes in the chambers' size or circulation volume. Сhanges in the indices of the left and the right branches of these channels usually reflect the opposing natures of the changes in these indicators, which should be considered in reflexotherapy. The main value of the Akabane test along with the use of mathematical analysis lies in early, quick, and inexpensive detection of the above-mentioned heart disturbances.

Can a science-based definition of acupuncture improve clinical outcomes?

Research on acupuncture has been muddled by attempts to bridge the ancient with the modern. Barriers to effectiveness research are reflected in recurring conflicts that include disagreement on use of the most basic terms, lack of standard intervention controls, and the absence of functional measures for assessing treatment effect. Acupuncture research has stalled at the "placebo barrier" wherein acupuncture is "no better than placebo." The most widely recognized comparative effectiveness research in acupuncture does not compare acupuncture treatment protocols within groups, thereby, mutating large scale effectiveness studies into large scale efficacy trials. Too often research in acupuncture attempts to tie outcomes to traditional belief systems thereby limiting usefulness of the research. The acupuncture research paradigm needs to focus more closely on a scientific definition of treatments and outcomes that compare protocols in terms of prevalent clinical issues such as relative effectiveness for treating pain.

Empirical versus Etiological Approaches in Oriental Medical Research

Although Oriental medicine, by nature, may be considered an etiology-based approach to healing, its role in modern research is primarily empirical. The absolute dependence on symptomatic presentation to establish acupuncture point selection goes against the grain of traditional Oriental methods, which emphasize pulse, tongue, and other diagnostic tools to determine the overall biological and psychological conditions of the patient. Recently introduced diagnostic methods in Oriental medical research indicate a potential shift from empirically to etiologically centered designs. This article reviews current mainstream approaches to efficacy trial designs and proceeds with the analysis of newer research models, such as a constitutional approach spearheaded in Korea by the field of four-constitutional medicine.