Clinical trial NCT05261919: Relationship Between Acupuncture Needling Direction and Electric Current
Official title: Meridian Study on the Response Current Affected by Acupuncture Needling Direction
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Acupuncture
Electricity; Effects
Keywords: Acupuncture
Directional manipulation
Electricity
Meridian theory
Traditional Chinese medicine
Supplementation
Draining
Lead sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-03-02
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: All the participants were in one group and received acupuncture manipulation. The investigator used directional supplementation and draining manipulation. The investigator perform acupuncture with supplementation manipulation first, followed by a measurement of the electrical characteristics using Agilent B1500A. The investigator remove the acupuncture and then perform acupuncture with draining manipulation, followed by measurements. After one meridian measurements were completed, the investigator removed the needle and proceeded to the next meridian to repeat the same procedure.

The supplementation manipulation is defined as the angle of needle insertion to skin as 45 degrees with the needle tip in the same direction as the meridian. While the draining manipulation is defined as the angle of needle insertion at 45 degrees with the needle tip direction opposite to that of the meridian.

The acupoints were HT7、HT3、SI5、SI8、BL57、BL40、KI3、KI10 in this study.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: This study applies a semiconductor analyzer to investigate the effects of acupuncture manipulation.

Detailed description: Acupuncture manipulation with needling direction is important for the therapeutic effect based on traditional Chinese medicine theory. However, research usually focuses on the therapeutic effects on the acupoints and acupuncture time rather than on the manipulation method. This study applies a semiconductor analyzer to investigate the effects of acupuncture manipulation.

30 healthy participants were recruited in the study. This study employed an Agilent B1500A semiconductor analyzer to investigate the electric characteristics of meridians under directional supplementation and draining manipulation. We measured the electric current of meridians under different manipulation, and compared the difference between supplementation and draining manipulation in healthy individuals.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* at least 20 years old
* agree to the informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* under 20 years old
* pregnant or breast-feeding women
* those with an empty stomach before the study
* a tendency toward bleeding with thrombocytopenia or history of platelets \< 20000 or a user of an anti-platelet drug.

Primary outcomes:
measure: The electric current
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 90 minutes
measure: The voltage
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 90 minutes
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kaohsiung
country: Taiwan
facility: Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
name: Yu-Chiang Hung, Professor
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Hung YC, Chen WC, Chang TC, Zheng HX, Liu YW, Tan YF, Lin SK, Lu YH, Hu WL, Tsai TM. Meridian study on the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture. Nanoscale Res Lett. 2020 Jul 10;15(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s11671-020-03373-2.
citation: Ifrim Chen F, Antochi AD, Barbilian AG. Acupuncture and the retrospect of its modern research. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2019;60(2):411-418.
citation: Zhang WB, Wang GJ, Fuxe K. Classic and Modern Meridian Studies: A Review of Low Hydraulic Resistance Channels along Meridians and Their Relevance for Therapeutic Effects in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:410979. doi: 10.1155/2015/410979. Epub 2015 Mar 2.
citation: Lin CH, Tan YF, Tseng ST, Chen WC, Kuo CW, Wu CC, Tsai TM, Hu WL, Chang TC, Hung YC. Meridian study on the response current affected by acupuncture needling direction. Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 2;101(35):e30338. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030338.