Neurophysiologic basis of Front - Mu points

Acupuncture at certain points on the body has been shown to have therapeutic effects in the treatment of various diseases [1–4]. Effect mechanism of acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and physical agents and their connections with the central nervous system have been the interest of many researchers. Integrity of the peripheral and central nervous systems is essential for acupuncture to be effective. It is generally thought that acupuncture, by stimulating the receptors in the area of acupuncture points, transmits a signal to a particular level of the central nervous system, which in turn influences the target organ. Somatosensory inputs from the skin and/ or muscle have been shown to be involved in the control of various autonomic functions [5,6]. In acupuncture application, Front-Mu points which are located on the ventral surface of the body are used in the treatment of visceral disease. In treatment, they are used to regulate the activity of internal organs either by tonifications or sedations [7]. The autonomic nervous system controls the visceral functions of the body. Acupuncture application is based on the fact that Front-Mu points stimulate related segmental autonomic nerves. In this report, we describe the relationship between the location of Front-Mu points and the autonomic nervous system.