The acupuncture and moxibustion are the physical therapy method developed in the Orient since thousands years ago.
The “Keiraku and Keiketsu” are the fundamental principle of diagnosis and therapy in this field.
The “Keiraku and Keiketsu” were the outcome of the empirical knowledges accumulated and systematized over many years through unprejudiced but sharp observations of peoples on the macroscopic expression of the body reactions. They form the grounds of functional structures of human bodies in the oriental medicine.
The diagnostic system in the oriental medicine comprises “Bo”- (inspection), “Bun”- (auscultation), “Mon”- (question), “Setsu”- (palpation with pressure). The four diagnostic methods can make up the disease patterns by specifying the subjective symptoms and body surface findings (tenderness, induration, sense of cold, and sense of heat) of patients as evidences of changes in the “Keiraku relating to organ” system.
Of the body surface symptoms, the informations of temperature, perceived by the sense of cold and heat, have been the objectives of observation of disease patterns as important signs of life phenomena.
The author, therefore, carried out scientific studies of the temperature informations in the oriental medicine on 88 normal adults and 26 patients using thermister and infrared thermography.
A working hypothesis was postulated that “Keiraku and Keiketsu” were reaction systems and reaction points, both of which were formed mainly on the basis of the neurological and circulatory systems in human bodies as the regulation and transmission devices.
The author, therefore, investigated the distribution of skin temperature systematically in normal adults and patients in order to clarify the relation between “Keiraku and Keiketsu” system and body surface circulation system and tried to prove the existence of “Keiraku and Keiketsu” objectively from this view points.
The changes in reactions of human bodies by spot stimuli (acupuncture and moxibustion) upon “Keiraku and Keiketsu” were observed and evaluated in the above-mentioned two groups. The results were as described below.
I. Distribution of Systemic Skin Temperature of Normal Adult Male.
(1) The distribution of systemic skin temperature of normal adult male was found to be symmetrical on both the body trunk and the extremities.
(2) The distribution of skin temperature of the body trunk indicated a slight difference in both the thoraco-abdominal and dorso-lumbar region which could be determined within a range as small as 1-3°C. In the dorso-lumbar region, the upper part of shoulder, the intermediate zone between bilateral scapulae and vertebral column were of higher temperature, while the lateral thorax and loin showed a lower temperature. In the thoraco-abdominal region, the infraclavicular area, sternal part, epigastrium, hypochondrium, median part of upper abdomen, lateral abdomen, and both sides of lower abdomen indicated higher temperature, where as the mamma region indicated a lower temperature. The temperature of skin of the abdomen varies with the thickness of subcutaneous fat, and indicates complicated distribution in the cases with thick subcutaneous fat. (Room temperature=24°C)
(3) The distribution of skin temperature of upper and lower extremities varies with individuals, however in 15 out of 19 cases (79%), the difference in the entire upper extremities amounted to 2.1°C, while in the lower extremities in 13 cases (68%) it amounted to 2.9°C. Thus, both of them indicated in average stable distribution of the skin temperature.
(4) With determination of temperature using thermography, stable temperature distribution can be attained when the area of exposure (bare region) is limited to the minimum.
(5) When the normal subjects became naked in the low-temperature r

 Acupuncture can be applied directly only on the body surface and thus can directly treat disorders of skeletal muscles near the surface of the body. However, acupuncture cannot be applied directly on internal parts and must be mediated by some kinds of body mechanism to treat internal diseases. Therefore, theories are needed to use the mechanisms of the body to treat internal diseases and disorders related to the autonomic nervous system. The author and his colleagues have organized the theories based on experimental and clinical studies performed over the years.
1. Basic vital reactions to physical stimuli and clinical vital reactions by body mechanisms
 Effective physical stimuli arouse vital reactions. The reactions are modified by the mechanisms of the body and arouse clinical reactions.
2. Mechanism of the body I: Postures and sympathetic nerves
 A change in posture from lying to standing causes changes of the autonomic nervous system, especially of the sympathetic nerve system. Nerve tension increases quickly upon standing, and the nerves relax when the body lies down. Sympathetic nerves can be stimulated by posture. Standing enhances their functions, and lying relaxes the nerves. Stimulating the autonomic nervous system by a physical stimulus weaker than the threshold value facilitates changing autonomic functions, and the reaction of the autonomic nervous system is determined by posture.
3. Mechanism of the body II: Rhythm of breathing and parasympathetic nerves and the healing power of living bodies
 The activity of parasympathetic nerves increases during expiration and decreases during inhalation, showing rhythmic changes. The functions of the autonomic nervous system can be enhanced by synchronizing the biological functions with the parasympathetic nerves, improving various distortions of the body.
4. Mechanism of the body III: Reaction mechanisms of sympathetic nerves to stimuli
1) Reaction of α receptor of sympathetic nerve
 Tissue of receiving stimulus: Skin
 Reaction: Exacerbation of the α receptor
2) Reaction of β receptor of sympathetic nerve (Mechanism 3:M3)
 Tissue of receiving stimulus: Skeletal muscle
 Method of applying stimulus: Application of acupuncture to a skeletal muscle to give low-frequency stimuli
 Reaction: Somatic and internal organ reflections via centrifugal routes of sympathetic nerves
3) Relaxing reactions of skeletal muscles and blood vessels (Mechanism 2: M2)
 Application of acupuncture to a skeletal muscle
 Reaction: Reactions of mostly axon refiexes

Purpose
The transient decrease in heart rate occurring in response to acupuncture stimulation is a rapid reaction observed immediately after the stimulation. The reaction is considered to occur via some autonomic nervous pathway. The relationship between the decrease in heart rate due to acupuncture stimulation and the autonomic nervous system was studied based on Tanaka et al.'s test of the autonomic nervous functions.
Methods
Heart rate is, physiologically, determined by acceleration by the sympathetic nervous system, the, β-stimulator particularly, and control of inhibition achieved through the parasympathetic nerve (vagus nerve) as well as by automatism of the heart. On the basis of this fact, the vagus nerve and the β-stimulator system of the sympathetic nerve were blocked with a large amount of atropine sulfate (0.04mg/kg) and propranolol hydrochloride (0.2mg/kg) to observe the effects of acupuncture stimulation on changes in heart rate, and to study the role of each autonomic nervous system.
Results
The group in which administration of atropine sulfate preceded that of propranolol hydrochloride: After acupuncture stimulation before drug administration the heart rate definitely decreased, but the degree of decrease brought about by stimulation after administration of atropine was clearly lower than that before administration. The reaction caused by acupuncture stimulation was controlled by administration of propranolol following administration of atropine.
The group in which administration of propranolol preceded that of atropine: Heart rate was decreased by acupuncture stimulation before drug administration. The degree of decrease after administration of propranolol was lower than that before administration. When atropine was additionally administered, the decrease caused by the stimulation was controlled.
From these results of administration in the two groups, it was revealed that the decrease in heart rate caused by acupuncture stimulation occurred via excitement of the vagus nerve and control by the β-stimulator system of the sympathetic nerves.