1. Exploring the Physiological and Physical Effects of Acupuncture Using Ultrasound
- Author
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Chin Chin Ooi, Sally Hsueh Er Lee, Mohammad Taufik Bin Mohamed Shah, Shian Chao Tay, Taige Cao, Mabel Qi He Leow, and Shu Li Cui
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,genetic structures ,020205 medical informatics ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Review Article ,02 engineering and technology ,Doppler imaging ,Acupuncturist ,021105 building & construction ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,medicine ,Acupuncture ,Volunteer ,business.industry ,Ultrasound ,people.profession ,General Medicine ,Blood flow ,Laser Doppler velocimetry ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Physical therapy ,sense organs ,Neurology (clinical) ,Radiology ,business ,people ,Blood vessel - Abstract
Color Doppler imaging (CDI) can be used to noninvasively create images of human blood vessels and quantitatively evaluate blood flow in real-time. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of acupuncture on the blood flow of the peripheral, mesenteric, and retrobulbar arteries by CDI. Statistical significance was defined as P values less than 0.05. Blood flow in the radial and brachial arteries was significantly lower during needle stimulation on LR3 than before in healthy volunteers, but was significantly higher after needle stimulation than before. LR3 stimulation also resulted in a significant decrease in the vascular resistance of the short posterior ciliary artery and no significant change of blood flow through the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) during acupuncture. In contrast, ST36 stimulation resulted in a significant increase in blood flow through the SMA and no significant change in the vascular resistance of the retrobulbar arteries. Additionally, acupuncture at previously determined acupoints in patients with open-angle glaucoma led to a significant reduction in the vascular resistance of the central retinal artery and short posterior ciliary artery. Our results suggest that acupuncture can affect blood flow of the peripheral, mesenteric, and retrobulbar arteries, and CDI can be useful to evaluate hemodynamic changes by acupuncture.
- Published
- 2017