Peculiar Phenomena During Resistance Detection of Acupoints

Liu Tang-yi, Li Rui-xia, Yang Hua-yuan, Gao Ming, Xu Gang, Tang Wen-chao

College of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China

Peculiar Phenomena During Resistance Detection of Acupoints

Liu Tang-yi, Li Rui-xia, Yang Hua-yuan, Gao Ming, Xu Gang, Tang Wen-chao

College of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China

Studying on resistance specificity of human acupoints is one of the major subjects in the research on acupoint specificity. Even since a long time ago, many methods have been put forward in the detection of acupoint resistance specificity. From the vertical lengthways of the acupoint structure, the methods and means are put forward to detect the acupoint resistance in a series of studies. In the studies, some peculiar phenomena are found out in the detection of the acupoint resistance, and some phenomena are interrelated with the volume conductor characteristics of the human body, and some phenomena might be interrelated with the detecting methods and means. By the summary and analysis of those peculiar phenomena, references are offered to the relevant researchers engaged in the detection of the acupoint resistance.

Specificity of Acupoints; Acupoint Physiology; Research on Acupoints; Resistance

The specificity of the human acupoints had been proved by medical practitioners in the successive dynasties and is also a foundation of traditional acupuncture science. With the development of modern science and technology, to detect the biological and physical features of the human acupoints by using new technology and means has become one of the major subjects for both domestic and international researchers[1-4]. In these studies, the researches on electrical properties of the acupoints are more predominant and influential[5-6]. But, due to the publicly known reasons, the study on the electrical properties of the human acupoints is influenced by the objective and subjective factors, and the research results need to be deepened continuously. We used to put forward the idea and methods for the detection of the electrical resistance inside the acupoints[7-8]in the practice, and relevant and primary research results had been documented for publication. For instance, the results achieved from detecting resistance inside the acupoints of the human body using routine acupuncture needle and insulated acupuncture needle are similar and sometimes adverse, but quite regular.

In the series of studies (animal experiment, healthy volunteers, and patients with apoplectic hemiplegia), we also found out that the results from detection of resistance inside the acupoints are not manifested by the above regularities, and some peculiar phenomena discovered during experiments might be exactly the manifestations of the specificities of the human acupoints. In this article, the features of those phenomena and the possible reasons are explained and analyzed.

1 Experimental Methods

1.1 Experimental subjects

In the study, animal experiment, test among the healthy volunteers and also the patients with apoplectic hemiplegia were performed. Therefore, the experimental subjects in this study were composed of three parts: SD rats, healthy volunteers (university students) and the patients with apoplectic hemiplegia.

1.2 Experimental materials

In this study, Agilent 34401A61/2 Digit Multimeter (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Malaysia) was used for detection of acupoint resistance. The ordinary filiform needles of 0.25 mm in diameter and 40 mm in length and the insulated acupuncture needles of 0.20 mm in diameter and 39 mm in length were used as the probe for testing resistance.

1.3 Testing locations

Zusanli (ST 36) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) on the same side were the testing locations.

1.4 Testing methods

After the acupoints were routinely disinfected, the needles were inserted for 1.5 cun. After the arrival of the needling sensation, two probes of the testing instrument were respectively connected to Zusanli (ST 36) and Shangjuxu (ST 37), and then the instrument was switched on to detect the dynamic resistance of the acupoints. The testing time was 5 min.

2 Peculiar Phenomena and Analysis

The results achieved from this experiment have been documented for publication. In this article, some special phenomena discovered in the series of the experiments are going to be explained and analyzed.

2.1 Changes of resistance in the acupoints are related to the testing methods

It has been found out during the experiment that the testing methods used in the detection might influence the testing results. For instance, if the wire was connected first and then the multimeter was switched on, there would be a momentary sensation of electric shock, and even leading to a momentary muscular contraction. In accordance with the relevant materials, this phenomenon indicates that the momentary current output is around 3.5-4.5 mA[9]. The resistance value measured in this way is several dozens of kΩ to hundreds of kΩ. In accordance with the theory that ‘at the moment when the power is switched on, the capacitance of various body parts is equivalent to a short circuit because of not being charged, the resistance of the human body at this moment is approximately equal to the body resistance’, it might indicate that the resistance value measured by this method is exactly the real resistance of the human acupoints.

In this trial, in order to standardize the testing method, the method was adopted to switch on and adjust the multimeter first, and then to connect the probes (acupuncture needles). Thus, while connecting the probes, no momentary sensation of electric shock would happen in the subjects, and the measured resistance value was several MΩ. But it was also found out in the experiment that the resistance value measured by this method in some acupoints of the volunteers could also be several dozens of kΩ to hundreds of kΩ. If the circuit was switched off and then switched on, surely several MΩ of resistance value could be achieved. The reason of this change is hard to explain.

2.2 Resistance changes in the acupoints are polar characteristic

In detecting resistance between the two acupoints, if the electric poles of two acupoints were substituted, the measured resistance value would present negative value, and then slowly went up, and finally remained at positive 0.2-0.3 MΩ. Then, if the electric poles were substituted back to the original status, the resistance value would be restored to the original value, about 1-3 MΩ. This phenomenon might be exactly that change of acupoint current is directional, mentioned in the relevant literature[10]. The reason to cause this phenomenon might be related to the characteristics of the human volume conductor. The corresponding explanation would be given later in this article.

2.3 Repeated test might influence the dynamic changing tendency of acupoint resistance

The acupoint resistance observed in this experiment remained in better repeatability. Namely, when the test was repeated in retaining the needle, the testing value and its changing tendency were basically similar, but the ascending speed of the value in the second test might be faster than the previous test. The appearance of this phenomenon might be caused by faster recharging reason, after the human cells were charged and discharging.

2.4 Various changes of the testing values might be related to the feature of volume conductor

It was found out in the test that the resistance values of the human body measured by Agilent 34401A61/2 digital multimeter and traditional mechanical multimeter were different. It might be related to the output pressure and current of the multimeter. Is it the nonlinear fundamental[11]reason of acupoint current voltage characteristics? Namely, the resistance of the organisms was different from the fixed resistor, and cells inside the organisms could store and discharge theelectrical quantity like capacitor. Therefore, the resistance of the organisms could change with the situation of the access circuit. During the re-connection, the capacitor inside the cells of the human body could be recharged. The three situations mentioned previously could be explained in certain degree by this mode.

2.5 Results obtained in the tests and animal experiments are similar

In the series of tests, the testing time was 5 min and data were recorded every 5 s. This was identical to the curve tendency traced from the final obtained data, in the detection of resistance inside the rabbit acupoint for 30 min and recording of the data every 5 min during the primary test. It was speculated that during the retaining of the needle, the changing regularity of acupoint resistance were similar, and the curve of the ordinary needle presented in an ascending tendency on the whole (shown in Fig.1, recording from 14 h 5' 12", September 20, 2011), going up faster in the previous period and slower and slower in the later period, and the insulated needle presented a descending tendency on the whole (shown in Fig.2, at faster descending speed, recording from 16 h 16' 50", September 26, 2011). Finally, the resistance values obtained by two testing methods were similar, but the process was opposite, indicating that the testing results of the electrical characteristics of the human acupoints are extremely interrelated to the testing methods, but the testing data are regular.

Fig.1 Changing situation of acupoint resistance in the ordinary-needle retaining

Fig.2 Changing situation of acupoint resistance in the insulated-needle retaining

2.6 Change of acupoint resistance might not be related to depth of a probing needle

The acupoints are in the vertical tridimensional structure. It is said in Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) that the diseases vary endlessly in shallow or deep position, therefore, shallow acupuncture is needed for shallow disease, and deep acupuncture is needed for deep diseases, and fewer needles are used for mild diseases and more needles are used for severe diseases, in order to regulate qi according to the situation. It means that in accordance with the depth of pathological position and severity of diseases, proper acupuncture methods should be adopted to regulate qi. It is said in Ling Shu that the human body is different in robust or tender, in weak or strong, in short or tall, and in yin or yang constitution, therefore, before acupuncture treatment, it is necessary to observe the constitutional shape of the patients and their condition of spirit and qi, in order to decide the depth of the needle insertion. It could be known from it that the depth of the needle insertion is highly requested clinically. But, in the trial, we did not find the obvious relationship between the acupoint resistance and depth of the needle insertion.

3 Conclusion

During the detection of the acupoint resistance, we found out the above series of phenomena, indicating that the study on specificity of the human acupoints is comparatively complicated and cannot be generalized.But, two things among them can be certain. The first is the electrical specificity of the human acupoints. Especially the electrical characteristics of the acupoints are interrelated to the volume conductorship of the human tissues, with which the occurrence of many phenomena may be related, and this may be one of the main factors to cause instability of the testing results. At the same time, it also indicates that in the study on the electrical characteristics of the acupoints, it is necessary to carefully consider those specificities of volume conductors. Otherwise, the experimental results are difficult to repeat. The second is that the electrical characteristics of the acupoints are related to the testing means and methods. From different testing methods, the obtained results can be very different. Therefore, in the description of the electrical characteristics, it is necessary to clearly mark the various tested electrical parameters and methods, including experimental methods, etc.

The above is just the analysis of one part of the observed phenomena. For some phenomena, it is still difficult to give reasonable analysis, and further study is needed.

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Translator: Huang Guo-qi

R2-03

A

Date: December 20, 2012

Author: Liu Tang-yi, M.D., associate professor.

E-mail: ltyabc@sina.com