Abstract
Acupuncture point specificity is the theoretical basis for meridian and acupuncture theory. Also it is the key factor for the efficacy of acupuncture treatment. Studies on acupoint specifificity have aroused wide interest in scholars both at home and abroad. Some researchers abroad do not support acupoint specifificity. Chinese scholars have, after years of research, preliminarily confifirmed the existence of acupoint specifificity. However, there is still no conclusive evidence to support acupoint specificity in terms of its specific physiological foundation, underlying mechanism and laws. This paper summarizes and analyzes basic and clinical researches on acupoint specificity in biological structure, physiology and acupoint effect, provides clues for further studies and develops the theoretical basis for acupont specifificity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen L, Tang J, White PF, Chen L, Tang J, White PF, et al. The effect of the location of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on postoperative opioid analgesic requirement: acupoint versus nonacupoint stimulation. Anesth Analg 1998;87:1129–1134.
Fang JL, Kings T, Weidemann J, Meister IG, Thron A. Functional MRI in healthy subjects during acupuncture: different effects of needle rotation in real and false acupoints. Neuroradiology 2004;46:359–362.
Zhu B, Rong PJ, Ben H, Li YQ, Xu WD, Gao XY. Generatingsensation and propagating-myoelectrical responses along the meridian. Sci China (Series C) 2002;45:105–112.
Lan L, Chang XR, Yan J, Wang XJ, Chen HJ. Influence of acupuncture on specific acupoints of Foot-Yangming meridian on patients with functional dyspepsia. Chin J Rehabil (Chin) 2010;25:30–31.
Wang DJ, Chang XR, Yan J, Wang XJ, Wang T, Liu Y, et al. Comparative study on therapeutic effect between acupuncture at special acupoints and non-specific acupoints in Foot Yangming Meridian for functional dyspepsia. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2012;32:703–708.
Gu CY, Shen LR, Ding YH, Lou Y, Wu HG, Shi Z, et al. Influence of acupuncture at acupoints and non-acupoints on the perioperative analgesic effect in patients with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2010;30:675–678.
Zheng H, Li Y, Liu Y, Liang FR. Difference between Shaoyang acupoints and non-acupuncture points in regulating cerebrovascular flow of migraineurs. J Chengdu Univ Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2013;36:76–79.
Ben H, Li L, Gao XY, He W, Rong PJ. Comparison of NO contents and cutaneous electric conduction quantity at the acupoints and the non-acupoints. Acupunct Res (Chin) 2009;34:383–387.
Wang ZY, Guo Q, Wang XW, Sun ZR. Tumor necrosis factor alpha in advance will stimulate the acupuncture point and the role of sham acupuncture point analgesic effect difference. Inf Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2012;29:131–133.
Li YQ, Zhu B, Rong PJ, Ben H, Li YH. Effective regularity in modulation on gastric motility induced by different acupoint stimulation. World J Gastroenterol 2006; 12:7642–7648.
Rong PJ, Zhu B, Huang QF, Gao XY, Ben H, Li YH. Acupuncture inhibiting responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons induced by noxious dilation of rectum and colon. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2005;25:645–650.
Rong PJ, Zhu B. Morphological study on the relationship between Heart meridian and Heart. Acupunct Res (Chin) 2005;30:238–242,245.
Ben H, Rong PJ, Li L, Liu WZ, Gao XY, He W. Effect of acupuncture on NO content at the points “active”/“silent”. Chin J Inf Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2010;17(3):15–17.
Wu QF, Xu SZ, Yan XZ, Yu SG, Tan Y, Liu J, et al. Metabonomics and pattern recognition study on the specificity of Foot-Yangming meridian points. Shanghai J Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2010;29:552–555.
Rong PJ, Zhu B. Electrophysiological study on the relationship between Heart Meridian and Heart. Acupunct Res (Chin) 2005;30:238–242,245.
Xu DM, **e YH, Yu ND, Zhao LY, Liang YZ, Liang X, et al. An observation of skin impedances to Wushu points in healthy people. J Guiyang Med Coll (Chin) 2005;30:523–524.
Wang SY, Zhang D, Zhu YG, Ma HM, Ye YY, Li Y. Acupuncture point temperature and resistance related research. Liaoning J Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2007;34:5–6.
Gao JH, Wang YM, Cui JJ, Ma SH, Cui HF, Fu WX, et al. On the scientific foundation that the tissue structure of acupoints can decide and affect specificity of acupoints-organs effects. Chin Acupunct Moxibus, (Chin) 2010;30:293–295.
Wang Z, Yu WL, Cui H, Shi HF, ** L. Research on infrared radiation characteristics of skin covering two acupuncture points in the hand and forearm, Neiguan and Laogong points. J Biomed Engineering 2013;17:481–485.
Liu X, Guo XC, Lin YY, Xu YH, Wang YP, Wu CB. Effects of dermal biophysical characteristics of acupoint and nonacupoint on permeability of sinapine. Chin Tradit Herbal Drugs (Chin) 2013;20:1111–1116.
Fang JL, ** Z, Wang Y, Li K, Zeng YW, Tong HB, et al. Comparison of central effects of acupuncturing Taichong and nearby two acupoints by functional MRI. Chin J Med Imag (Chin) Technol 2005;21:1332–1336.
Zeng TJ, Lai XS, Huang Y, Tan CZ, Yang JJ, Zhang GF, et al. A fMRI cerebral functional imaging study on needling in Waiguan (SJ5) or sham point. Chin J Med Imag (Chin) 2010;18:532–537.
Fang JL, Hong Y, Wang XL, Liu HS, Wang Y, Liu J, et al. Electroacupuncture at Guanyuan (CV4) and Zhongwan (CV12) modulates functional connectivity of the brain network in healthy volunteers. Acupunct Res (Chin) 2011;36:366–372.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2012CB518503)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rong, Pj., Zhao, Jj., Gao, Jh. et al. Progress of research on specificity of meridian acupoint efficacy. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 19, 889–893 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1651-z
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1651-z