Neural Acupuncture Unit: A New Concept for Interpreting Effects and Mechanisms of Acupuncture

نویسندگان

  • Zhang-Jin Zhang
  • Xiao-Min Wang
  • Grainne M. McAlonan
چکیده

When an acupuncture needle is inserted into a designated point on the body and mechanical or electrical stimulation is delivered, various neural and neuroactive components are activated. The collection of the activated neural and neuroactive components distributed in the skin, muscle, and connective tissues surrounding the inserted needle is defined as a neural acupuncture unit (NAU). The traditionally defined acupoints represent an anatomical landmark system that indicates local sites where NAUs may contain relatively dense and concentrated neural and neuroactive components, upon which acupuncture stimulation would elicit a more efficient therapeutic response. The NAU-based local mechanisms of biochemical and biophysical reactions play an important role in acupuncture-induced analgesia. Different properties of NAUs are associated with different components of needling sensation. There exist several central pathways to convey NAU-induced acupuncture signals, Electroacupuncture (EA) frequency-specific neurochemical effects are related to different peripheral and central pathways transmitting afferent signals from different frequency of NAU stimulation. More widespread and intense neuroimaging responses of brain regions to acupuncture may be a consequence of more efficient NAU stimulation modes. The introduction of the conception of NAU provides a new theoretical approach to interpreting effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in modern biomedical knowledge framework.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Acupuncture in skin and esthetics

Acupuncture is an ancient medical procedure that is commonly used. It has been used in China for over two thousand years. Acupuncture has gained increasing interest from the public as well as health professionals for a wide range of disorders. This method works through regulation of qi current (life energy in body). Acupuncture has been introduced recently in dermatology for rejuvenation and tr...

متن کامل

Effects of Acupuncture on Anxiety in Infertile Women: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background & aim: Stress and anxiety due to waiting for treatment results and uncertainty of treatment success are common problems in infertile women. Acupuncture has been suggested as an effective strategy to relieve anxiety. This study aimed to review the available evidence on the effects of acupuncture on anxiety in infertile women. Methods: This systematic review was conducted via searching...

متن کامل

P-49: The Effects of Electro Acupuncture onBody Composition and Infertility in IranianObese and Overweight Women

Background: Obesity is linked to several health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and infertility. Obesity results in an increased production of estrogen. Women who are overweight or obese are less likely to respond to fertility drugs, because excess weight interferes with the proper absorption of a variety of drugs used in infertility treatment. Electro acupu...

متن کامل

EEGs and autonomic changes during and after acupuncture stimulation

A "Qi" feeling (a kind of comfortable sense) during and after acupuncture is one of the important determinants to decide quantity (trial number) of acupuncture stimulation. It has been reported that various autonomic responses were evoked when patients felt "Qi" and when acupuncture stimulation had significant effects on EEGs. However, quantitative relationships among acupuncture stimulation, E...

متن کامل

EEGs and autonomic changes during and after acupuncture stimulation

A "Qi" feeling (a kind of comfortable sense) during and after acupuncture is one of the important determinants to decide quantity (trial number) of acupuncture stimulation. It has been reported that various autonomic responses were evoked when patients felt "Qi" and when acupuncture stimulation had significant effects on EEGs. However, quantitative relationships among acupuncture stimulation, E...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 2012  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2012