Acupuncture Meridians and Radiotracers

[Global]

Acupuncture Meridians and Radiotracers

Abstract

Acupuncture is frequently used and in particular for the treatment of pain. One of the cornerstones of its use, at least in Western countries, is the concept of the acupuncture meridian. Yet, their existence has never actually been proven. Recently, a report was published stating that injection of a radiotracer at an acupuncture point allows the visualization of the corresponding meridian in the shape of a radioactive path which is apparent on scintiscans. The present work confirms the appearance of radioactive paths after the injection of a radiotracer at acupuncture points. However, the cross-checks made with the method used (counting the radioactivity of the venous blood, studying radioactivity of the organs which normally take up the tracer, scintiscan study of the complete meridian paths as they are described in traditional Chinese medicine and studying the effect of venous blockade on the observed radioactive paths) show that the radioactive paths in fact correspond to vascular drainage of the radiotracer.

This study demonstrates sound evidence for the presence of meridians. When the radiotracers were injected where the meridians should be, they would follow the path of the meridian, but if it were injected elsewhere, it would follow the rather chaotic-seeming network of blood vessels with which we are all familiar. Although the study makes no claims about Qi, being that the Chinese for example identified the meridian as the pathways for the flow of Qi, I think this study could stand as at least some of the evidence that our Qi skeptics have been looking for, granted it's not conclusive in that regard.

 

[Hyperspace Fool]

I think this study could stand as at least some of the evidence that our Qi skeptics have been looking for, granted it's not conclusive in that regard.

Study seems to be dated from 1990. There have actually been a large number of very positive studies on acupuncture, meridians, chi kung etc., but it seems that people who don't want to accept Chinese internal medicine are not swayed by studies or facts. It usually comes down to crass economics. There is little money to be made by embracing a technology that can not be patented or controlled, and meanwhile a lot of money stands to be lost when expensive drugs and invasive techniques are found to be inferior to these relatively cheap eastern techniques.

Funny enough, the same people who continually doubt the efficacy of acupuncture, are usually vocal proponents of pharmaceuticals which are often only statistically equivalent to placebos.

 

[endlessness]

Would you care to quote some studies Hyperspace Fool, I would definitely be interested in them

 

[Hyperspace Fool]

Acupuncture has been the subject of well over 1,000 published clinical trials, accessible in databases such as PubMed and the National Library of Medicine. Over 120 literature reviews and meta-analyses are now also available at the same sources.

Acupuncture clinical efficacy data has been summarized 15 years ago already by two panels of non-advocate researchers and scientists convened by public agencies.

In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus report that concluded "The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western Medical therapies…There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value" (NIH 1997) .

The World Health Organization also issued a report in 1996 on the efficacy of acupuncture, based on review of an extensive database of clinical trials. The conditions listed below are organized by the degree of evidence of acupuncture efficacy identified in the WHO report. Conditions which are listed in the NIH Consensus Panel’s report are also included below, and indicated thus: (NIH).

“1. Diseases, symptoms, or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved, through controlled trials, to be an effective treatment.”

Dental
Dental pain (NIH)

Head/Ear/Eye/Nose/Throat
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)

Infectious Diseases
Dysentery, acute bacillary

Immunological
Rheumatoid arthritis

Internal Medicine
Biliary colic
Epigastralgia, acute (incl. PUD, gastritis, gastrospasm)
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Nausea & vomiting
Leukopenia
Renal colic

OBGYN
Dysmenorrhea, primary
Induction of labor
Malposition of fetus
Morning sickness/pregnancy nausea (NIH)

Oncology
Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, incl. nausea & vomiting

Neurology, Orthopedics & Physical Medicine
Facial pain and spasm
Fascitis, myofascial pain
Fibromyalgia (NIH)
Headache (NIH)
Knee pain
Low back pain (NIH)
Neck pain
Periarthritis of Shoulder
Post-operative pain
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction
Tennis elbow or epicondylitis (NIH)

Psychiatry
Depression (including depressive neurosis, and post-stroke)

“2. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed.”

Addiction (NIH)
Alcohol dependence & detox
Opium, cocaine, and heroin dependence
Tobacco dependence

Dermatology
Acne vulgaris
Neurodermatitis
Pruritis

Genito-urinary
Female urethral syndrome
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic
Prostatitis, chronic
Recurrent lower urinary tract infection
Retention of urine, traumatic
Urolithiasis

Head/Ear/Eye/Nose/Throat
Earache
Epistaxis, simple
Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection
Meniere's disease
Sjogren's syndrome
Sore throat (incl. tonsillitis)

Infectious Disease
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever
Hepatitis B virus carrier status
Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)
Whooping cough (pertusis)

Internal Medicine
Abdominal pain (acute gastroenteritis or gastrointestinal spasm)
Bronchial asthma (NIH)
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin dependent
Gastrokinetic disturbance
Hyperlipaemia
Ulcerative colitis, chronic

OB-GYN
Female infertility
Hypo-ovarianism
Labour pain
Lactation deficiency
Menstrual cramps (NIH only)
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome

Neurology, Orthopedics & Physical Medicine
Bell's palsy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (NIH only)
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Osteo- and Gouty arthritis (NIH)
Radicular and pseudoradicular pain
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Spine pain, acute
Stiff neck
Stroke rehabilitation (NIH only)
Tietze's syndrome
Tourette's syndrome

Oncology
Cancer pain

Pediatrics
Post-extubation in children

Psychiatry
Competition stress syndrome
Schizophrenia

Vascular
Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans
Raynaud's syndrome, primary
Vascular dementia

Miscellaneous
Obesity
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Post-operative convalescence
Sialism, drug-induced


“3. Diseases, symptoms, or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficult.

Chloasma
Choroidopathy, central serous
Color blindness
Deafness
Hypophrenia
Irritable colon syndrome
Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury
Pulmonary heart disease, chronic
Small airway obstruction



Evidence from Modern Outcome Studies

General improvements in health status have been observed in conjunction with acupuncture treatment. For example, a study of 762 patients who received 6 acupuncture treatments in an outpatient setting showed significant improvements in 7 of 8 outcome measures (General health, Bodily pain, Vitality, Social functioning, Mental health, and Roles-physical and -emotional ) compared with a no-treatment control group.

-- The Essential Health Care Network

 

[endlessness]

Thank you HF, I will research some more on this

I think its a good thing that alternative medicine is subjected to testing because if it works, it works (and then we can weed out the ones that dont, with time)

Of course we have at least two bottlenecks which is, first where to get funding for the study.. And then at the end we all know the stubborness of many in the scientific establishment in accepting any truth that forces rethinking of old paradigms (they are people, after all.. ), but I think at least the good thing with science is that, given enough time, truth must come out if it can be reliably shown, right?

One thing I wonder.. What kind of guidelines are there for people wanting to find a good acupuncturist? Word of mouth? Some kind of 'official title' ? Being old and chinese? Is there an "Acupuncture-Nexus" or place to get unnoficial but reliable info?

 

[AlbertKLloyd]

Kaiser Permanente even uses acupuncture treatments for some types of ailments, mostly things like back pain, and they report good results in many patients.

If a major medical care provider in the USA uses it and reports it to be effective in at least some regards... well that is interesting isn't it?

And the points they use (I saw a session actually) are meridian based.

 

[Hyperspace Fool]

One thing I wonder.. What kind of guidelines are there for people wanting to find a good acupuncturist? Word of mouth? Some kind of 'official title' ? Being old and chinese? Is there an "Acupuncture-Nexus" or place to get unnoficial but reliable info?

I don't wanna be the voice of Chinese Medicine here, particularly. Though I do feel that when the East & West come together and view human health in an holistic manner, we will make a quantum leap in our understanding of what health is. The synthesis of our knowledge on this subject will be a coadunation (that is a real word) of epic proportions.

If you want to avail yourself of some Chinese Medicine, I recommend a sincere study. Learn what you can, and find the most knowledgeable people in your area. It is a vast and ancient system of healing that (like Ayurveda) has not been assimilated into our "modern" understanding of well being. In time, the best of all sysytems of knowledge will blend together, and a truly global understanding of health will emerge.

In the times we happen to live in, you would do best to find a real healer. Many of these health practices are actually arts. And as such, a talented artist is invaluable. You will know a good one when you see the volume of their success... the people they have healed speak louder than studies.

All the best to all.
HF

 

[d-T-r]

Many thanks for the information and links in this thread.

I was speaking to someone about acupuncture and meridians the other week who was the type to blindly swear anything remotely alternative was 'mumbo jumbo' and claiming there was little science to back anything up.

Funnily enough, acupuncture is recognized enough now in the u.k to actually be an offered private treatment in the U.k's National Health Service

Acupuncture

Read about acupuncture, a treatment derived from ancient Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body to relieve or prevent health problems

www.nhs.uk