A seminar was held with “the development of research on auricular acupuncture” as the main theme. In this seminar, the recent development of auricular acupuncture in Japan and abroad, its action mechanism, and clinical effects were reviewed, and the findings were comprehensively evaluated.
Concerning basic research on the effects of auricular acupuncture on obesity, the relationship between the auricle and hypothalamo-autonomic system and individual variation associated with differences in the condition of patients receiving the treatment were reported. As for the action mechanism, leptin expressed in white adi-pose tissue (WAT) due to acupuncture stimulation of the auricle was reported to bind to leptin receptors (Ob-R) in both peripheries and the center and suppress food intake.
Concerning clinical effects of auricular acupuncture, the results reported in Japan indicating its effectiveness for the treatment of obesity were presented. However, no overall conclusion was reached, because papers published abroad were not consistent in the therapeutic procedure or evaluation parameters. Auricular acupuncture appeared to be clinically effective for analgesia and the treatment of drug addiction but ineffective as an anti-smoking treatment.

[Object and Subjects] We studied the effects of both electrical and massage (frictional) stimulation on the dorsal region (e.g. BL 13, BL21 and BL23) in experimental dietary obese rats for three weeks as a simple obesity model.
[Results] The electrical and massage (frictional) groups showed reduced (p<0.01) body weight compared with non-treated obese rats, the control group. The electrical stimulation group decreased in body weight more than the massage (frictional) stimulation group. Food intake per 100 g of body weight did not differ between the three groups. There was no significant difference in leptin concentration in the blood pre-and poststimulus, but a tendency for it to decrease was seen in the stimulus groups (p=0.074). This might be diagnosed as normalized hyper-leptinemia and /or leptin-resistance.
These results suggest the existence of action mechanisms for weight decrease originating in electrical and mas-sage (frictional) stimulation, which obviously is different from the case of “the auricular acupuncture stimulus”.
[Conclusion] In conclusion, the possibility of a new application of the “ANMA·massage·SHIATSU” treatment was apparent from this result.

[Introduction] We reported that the effects of remote acupuncture point electrical stimulation on the BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 to the BL 23's response. This study compared the influence of electrical and acupuncture stimulation on BL 40.
[Methods] The effects of acupuncture stimulation of BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 were examined in 49 healthy volunteers without lumbago and 64 lumbago patients and measured change in the BL 23 response. All subjects gave informed consent prior to examination.
[Results] Pre-acupuncture stimulation of the BL 40 response of male group was significantly lower than female group. Male lumbago group and non-lumbago group of female significantly showed increase (p<0.01) by BL 57 acupuncture stimulation. On the other hand, only lumbago female group showed significantly increased (p<0.05) by BL 60 acupuncture stimulation, while lumbago patients remarkably influence showed that than non-lumbago group for the acupuncture stimulation.
These results indicate that acupuncture stimulation provides a stronger effect than electrical stimulation showed by the responding pattern of BL 23 after BL 57, 58 and 60 stimulation.
[Conclusion] The responsiveness of BL 23 might be variously influenced by the existence of lumbago, and gender difference following BL 57, BL 58 and BL 60 acupuncture stimulus along the BL meridian compared to the effects of electrical stimulation. Furthermore, the roles and mechanisms appeared different.

This symposium was held as the second in a three part series at Kagawa Conference (June 6-8, 2003). During the Tsukuba conference (2002), distal area treatment was the topic of focus. The criteria and evidence for the effectiveness of distal area treatments were presented. Three symposists and one minor speaker reported on the effectiveness of distal area treatments from clinical and basic viewpoints. However, another symposist showed the superiority of local area treatments and denied the effectiveness of distal area treatments. There fore, we decided that a succinct and definitive discussion on distal area treatments (etc) should be presented during the second symposium. To this end, long time members of JSAM were given a questionnaire survey prior to the conference. Respondents were asked to define their own use of local and distal treatment, to hypothesize on the curing mechanism involved and to state which practice methods they use most.
Mr. Ogawa reported that, as a result of analyzing the questionnaire survey no distinct differences were found in the definitions stated by respondents from several different schools. The standard images of “the local area” were the area where pains were felt when pressure is applied, the areas which transmit special sensitivity or the area where a disorder is found. Also, the images of “the distal area” were the areas which have some relationship to the local area, such as meridians and collaterals, nerves, reflex points, tender points, or related points which induce a clearly recognizable physical reaction.
Mr.Shinohara showed the superiority of distal area treatments according to the muscle meridian theory by utilizing the 3 arm crossover examination. Furthermore, he established the delayed myalgia as a model of the illness on a specific muscle meridian region. He investigated the effect of intradermal needling. He observed that after a weight bearing exercise on the biceps brachii, the threshold of tenderness on the Lung meridian decreases. He proposed the possibility of using the points in extremities which had selectively responded by manifesting of the delayed myalgia.
Mr. Moriyama, one of the minor speakes, explained, using the theory of biomechanics, the possibility of in-fluences of distal area disharmony on the local area. He introduced the Meridian Test as one clinically useful method for finding disharmony which is typically difficult to discern and may contribute to the disorder. He proposed that a microscopic “eye” to be used to see the local area and the macroscopic “eye” b used to see the whole body in medical examination and treatment. Using the “eyes” in synthesis and not separately, he concluded, must be the basic state for treatment.
Another minor speaker, Mr.Shiraishi reported on analyzed results of the experiments on lumbago patients. Applying Yuandaoci (distant needling) reduced a response on points of the trunk (BL 23, Shenshu, Jinyu) in stimulating points, i.e, BL 40 (Weizhong, Ichu), BL 57 (Chengshan, Shozan) BL 58 (Feiyang, Hiyo) BL 60 (Kunlun, Konron) GB 34 (Yanglingquan, Yoryosen) varying in many ways and confirming the peculiarity of each point, meridian and collateral. Based on these findings he supports the effectiveness of distal meridian area treatments.
Mr. Ozaki, also, another minor speaker proposed, from the outcome of animal experiments. Stimulation by acupuncture at either adjacent or distal areas can affect motor reflex. So from this point of view, insertion at adjacent and distal area has some recordable effect. He added that stimulation given either at adjacent or distal areas would converge to the same neuron and the same modification would occur. From this point of view, the difference in processing information at the neuron level would control the manifestation of the effect and thus investigations on these treatments should be discussed as a synthesis, including, not

INTRODUCTION : It has been suspected that the BL40 (Weizhong, Ichu) point could be used as a remote acupuncture stimulation point for the effective treatment of lumbago, because traditional remote acupuncture stimulation has shown, on occasion, dramatic effects for relieving chronic pain, especially lumbago, headaches and shoulder pain. We have reported that remote acupuncture point stimulation, such as “BL40-to-BL23 (Shenshu, Jinyu)” might be useful in the treatment of lumbago. An experiment was designed to identify the most effective points on the Bladder Meridian.
METHODS : We tested the electrical stimulation of BL57 (Chengshan, Shozan), BL58 (Feiyang, Hiyo) and BL60 (Kunlun, Konron) as far-points on the BL23 (Shenshu, Jinyu) in patients with slight to mild cases of lumago (24 adults, average age 31.2 y-o), who had given their informed consent beforehand. RESULTS : It was found that the respondent value (96.4 ± 4.8V, n=12) of BL40 on pre- stimulation in the male group was lower than that in the female group (86.1± 4.7V, n=12; p=0.07). When BL57 of lumbago patients was stimulated, the responsiveness of BL23 increased significantly in the male group (y=-0.04x+94.99; r=0.35, p<0.05), but declined in the female group (y=0.07x+102.55; r=0.44, p<0.01). When BL58 was stimulated, it had no apparent effect on the responsiveness of the male group, but that of the female group was reduced (y=-0.13x+99.00; r=0.85, p<0.001). In contrast, the responsiveness of BL23 to BL60 stimulation did not change in the male group but increased in the female group (y=0.12x+100.24; r=0.71, p<0.001). These results indicate that the stimulation on BL57, BL58 and BL60, which are far-points from BL23, had widely different effects on the responding pattern of BL23 in patients with lumbago.
CONCLUSION : The results confirm that remote acupuncture point stimulation might be valuable in the treatment of lumbago.

Occasionally, remote acupuncture stimulation has dramatic effects on chronic pain, especially lumbago, headaches, and shoulder pain. It is well known that the Weizhong point can be used as a remote acupuncture stimulation point for the effective treatment of lumbago. We investigated the effects of Weizhong (B-40) acupuncture stimulation on normal healthy volunteers and patients with stable, mild lumbago, all of whom gave informed consent. Using chronaxie values (determined from strength-duration curves, together with rheobase and utilization time), single-pulse stimulation (duration, 0.001 to 9 msec; voltage, 3.5 to 198 V) was applied, and irritability was measured at the Shenshu (B-23) point.
In the normal males, irritability/responsiveness at Shenshu was slightly lower than in the normal females (established using the chronaxie value). Weizhong stimulation had no apparent influence on these Shenshu responses. However Prior to Weizhong acupuncture stimulation in lumbago patients, irritability at Shenshu was greater (and/or threshold value was lower) than in the normal group (chronaxie : 0.113 ± 0.022 msec vs. 0.141 ±0.147 msec, p<0.01, n=10 or 12, respectively). In other words, an aphylaxis, or hyperalgesia or hyperaphia was present. After 30 min or Weizhong acupuncture stimulation in lumbago patients, chronaxie values showed a significant increase (p<0.01) (e.g., immediately after stimulation, 0.166 ± 0.022 msec; 10 min later, 0.164 ± 0.023 msec). This effect persisted for 30 min after removal of the acupuncture needles, with the highest values (0.174 ± 0.002 msec, p<0.01) being recorded in that period. These data indicate that Weizhong acupuncture stimulation produced analgesic effects in the Shenshu region in patients with stable, mild lumbago.
In conclusion, our results comfirm that remote acupuncture point stimulation, such as “Weizhong-to-Shenshu”, may be useful in the treatment of lumbago.

The effects of auricular acupuncture stimulation on non-obese healthy volunteers were tested. Subjects (n=35) averaged 31.5 (17-57) years old, and average BMI was 25.3 (19.2-35.7) kg/m². Small (2.0×0.15mm) auricular needles were applied intracutaneously into the bilateral cavum conchae, a vagally (Arnold n.) innervated region that was identified by having low resistance (27.1-345.5kΩ/cm²), for six weeks. Body weight was measured four times a day, and was charted by the subjects themselves.
Results showed that, in the period of without auricular stimulation, only body weight was measured and charted, 31.4% of the subjects reduced their body weight. In the auricular acupuncture treated period, 19 out of 27 subjects (70.4%) decreased (p<0.01), 4 (14.8%) increased, and4 (14.8%) had no change in their body weights.
In conclusion, the results suggest that success in maintaining weight reduction can be attributed to graphic illustration of ones weight pattern. Bilateral auricular acupuncture stimulation can also reduced the body weight of healthy non-obese subjects. This is consistent with the suggestion that daily charting of body weight and auricular acupuncture might be effective in the treatment of obese patients.