OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical effect on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage between the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and western medication. METHODS: Sixty patients with Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each one. The patients in the control group were administered orally with prednisone acetate tablets and methylcobalamin tablets until the 28th day of illness. In the observation group, the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion was adopted. On the affected side, Qianzheng (EX-HN 16), Yifeng (TE 17), Sibai (ST 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4) and Touwei (ST 8), etc. were stimulated. In the acute stage (Day 1 to 7 of illness), the routine acupuncture and the point-toward-point needle insertion were delivered, no any manipulation was exerted at acupoints, and the needles were retained for 30 min. In the subacute stage (Day 8 to 14 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the acute stage, the depth of needle insertion was adjusted at a part of acupoints and the even needling technique was operated by twisting needle. Besides, electroacupuncture (EA) was attached to Qianzheng (EX-HN 16) and Dicang (ST 4), with continuous wave of low intensity and high frequency, 100 Hz, for 20 min. In the recovery stage (Day 15 to 28 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the subacute stage, the heavy stimulation of acupuncture was given, in which, the sticking and lifting needle techniques were delivered after the needles were inserted from Sibai (ST 2) toward Dicang (ST 4), and from Dicang (ST 4) toward Jiache (ST 6), separately; warm needling was operated at Yifeng (TE 17), and EA changed to stimulate the acupoints with the intermittent wave of high intensity and low frequency, 2 Hz, for 30 min. Acupuncture-moxibustion was given once every other day until the end of the 28th day of illness. The level of House-Brackmann facial nerve function rating scale (H-B grade),the score of Sunnybrook facial nerve grading system (Sunnybrook), the score of facial disability index (FDI), the temperature difference in the infrared thermal imaging facial area and electromyogram (EMG) situation of the affected muscle group were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. Using musculoskeletal ultrasound,the facial nerve diameter was detected and the clinical effect was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the level of H-B grade, Sunnybrook score, the scores of physical function and social life function in FDI were improved when compared with those before treatment in the patients of either group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the results of these evaluations in the observation group were better than those of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the temperature difference of the frontal area, the eye area, the zygomatic area and the mouth corner was declined in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the temperature difference in each area in the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).The root mean square (RMS) of the frontal muscle group, the zygomatic muscle group and the orbicularis muscle group on the affected side increased in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), and RMS of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) after treatment. Before treatment, the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side was larger than that on the healthy side (P<0.01), and after treatment, the diameter on the affected side was reduced when compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01); the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side in the observation group was smaller than that of the control group (P<0.05), while, the diameter on the affected side was larger when compared with the healthy side in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), higher than that of the control group (83.3% [25/30], P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion is clearly effective on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage, which affirms the effectiveness of acupuncture-moxibustion for the acute stage of Bell's facial palsy in comparison with conventional western medication.
Humans ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Bell Palsy/therapy* ; Face

It has the important enlightenment and reference significance for the inheritance and innovation of jin (sinew/fascia) diseases and its theoretic basis, jingjin (muscle region of meridian) doctrine by sorting out the origin of the acupuncture techniques for jin diseases and exploring the root of its rise and fall. Using context analysis, overall investigation and practice test, the paper elaborates the basic concepts, e.g. needling techniques for jin, jingjin, jinji (muscular contracture) and jiejin (knotted tendon), and jingjin doctrine. In particular, the three key concepts, i.e. fanzhen jieci (heating after needling), yizhi weishu (feelings from patients and acupuncture operators) and yitong weishu (the worst painful sites of muscle spasm) are deeply investigated. These three concepts, involved in the treatment of jingjin disorders, treatment principles and methods, are of a great controversy in the current academic circle. The author clarified the category of needling for jin disease and main needling techniques, investigated specially the origin of fanzhen jieci and guancifa (repeated needling directly on the foci), and explored the evolution of the needling methods that had been controversial or neglected for a long time, i.e. neire cifa (technique for inducing heat inside for cold obstruction), guancifa, tiaocifa (inserting the needles around the foci), fencifa (intramuscular needling) and mucifa (deep puncturing to the peritoneum or on front-mu points). Finally, from the relationship between jin and mai (meridian), and the differences between dry needling and acupuncture technique for jin diseases, the author explored the crucial problems and countermeasures urgently required in the future development of jingjin doctrine so as to provide the references for the theoretical innovation of acupuncture- moxibustion science.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Meridians ; Moxibustion ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Influenced by the concept of "qi-void" in Taoist philosophy during the Qin and Han dynasties, the early acupuncture theory attaches the importance to the "fascial (muscular) interstices" distributed widely in the human body. The defensive qi runs through everywhere in these interstices that is easily invaded by the pathogenic wind and cold, and bi syndrome of jingjin (muscle region of meridian) is involved. Besides, fascial (muscular) interstices are the places for the delivery of relaxing needling and joint needling. Fascial tissue is a crucial structure to produce deqi, while, the function of defensive qi is tightly connected to the autonomic nerve in modern medicine, both of which actually belong to the different expressions of patients' body feeling. Medical scholars at early era, in reference with "fascia" and "defensive qi ", has summarized and refined their clinical practice experience. Thereby, the concepts of "arrival of qi " and "fascial (muscular) interstices" are extended, which constructs the peripheral framework of core concepts in acupuncture theoretic system, e.g. meridians and acupoints, and becomes an important component of the body view in classic acupuncture theory.
Humans ; Qi ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points

Jingjin (muscle region of meridian) is a distal diagnosis and treatment system of the sinew/fascia disorders on the base of the concept of jin in TCM. Jin should be a particular palpable structure rather than a single anatomic structure with a specific distributing course. Yizhi weishu refers to a idea running through the whole process of diagnosis and treatment of sinew/fascia disorders, in which, the results, obtained by the overall observation and palpation of patient's sinew/fascia structure, are taken as the criteria of treatment. Yitong weishu (taking the sites of sensitivity or tenderness as the points) verifies this idea in practice. Under the guidance of yizhi weishu, through identifying the primary from the secondary, and regulating yin and yang, the spasticity and flaccidity of sinews/fascia can be cured and the induced diseases treated. The diagnosis and treatment system of jingjin, based on yizhi weishu, develops the original jingjin theory with vague concept involved, formulates a systematic thinking of treatment for sinew/fascia disorders and provides a new approach to clinical treatment.
Humans ; Meridians ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Muscle Spasticity

OBJECTIVE: To explore the manifestations of jingjin (sinews/fascia) lesions and summarize their distribution rules in the patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis so as to provide the evidences for the development of clinical diagnosis and treatment scheme of acupuncture for cervical spondylosis. METHODS: A total of 120 patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis were collected. The meridian diagnostic method was used to examine the upper back of each patient, the manifestation category of jingjin lesions, locations and the affected muscle regions of twelve meridians were recorded. RESULTS: (1) The punctate lesions of jingjin were detected in 15 regions, and the highest frequency of lesion occurred in the region from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13) (113 cases, 94.2% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 10 regions was ≥50.0%. The punctate lesions were mainly distributed in the muscle regions of hand-shaoyang (349 cases) and foot-taiyang (333 cases). (2) The linear lesions of jingjin were detected in 10 regions, and the highest frequency of lesion occurred in the region from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13) (77 cases, 64.2% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 2 regions was ≥50.0%. The linear lesions occurred mainly in the muscle region of foot-taiyang (251 cases). (3) Eight regions were examined to be the planar lesions of jingjin, and the highest frequency of lesion was found in the site of Jianjing (GB 21) (84 cases, 70.0% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 3 regions was ≥50.0%. The muscle region of foot-taiyang (260 cases) was predominated in the planar lesions. (4) The distribution of all of the punctate, linear and planar lesions of jingjin was analyzed statistically. It was found that 25 regions were involved and those with the high lesion frequency were distributed in the area from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13), the sites of Jianjing (GB 21) and Dazhui (GV 14), transverse processes of C₃ to C₅ and the area from the lateral border of the scapula to the teres minor, separately. The muscle regions of foot-taiyang, hand-shaoyang and hand-yangming were involved in various kinds of jingjin lesions. CONCLUSION Jingjin lesions in patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis can be divided into three categories, namely, punctate, linear and planar lesions; of which, the punctate lesions are dominated. A majority of jingjin lesions is related to the muscle region of foot-taiyang, and the lesion frequency is higher compared with the lesions to the muscle regions of hand-shaoyang and hand-yangming. Jingjin lesions are commonly distributed in the area from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13).
Humans ; Meridians ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Spondylosis/therapy* ; Acupuncture

Based on the development of conditions, the etiology and pathogenesis of jingjin (muscle region of meridian) diseases are summarized as 3 stages, i.e. stagnation due to over-exertion at early stage, manifested by tendon-muscle contracture and tenderness; cold condition due to stagnation, interaction of stasis and cold, resulting in clustered nodules at the middle stage; prolonged illness and missed/delayed treatment, leading to tendon-muscle contracture and impairment of joint function at the late stage. It is proposed that the treatment of jingjin diseases should be combined with the characteristic advantages of fire needling and bloodletting technique, on the base of "eliminating stagnation and bloodletting/fire needling". This combined therapy warming yang to resolve stasis and dispels cold to remove nodules, in which, eliminating the stagnation is conductive to the tissue regeneration, and the staging treatment is delivered in terms of the condition development at different phases.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Bloodletting ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Muscular Diseases/therapy* ; Humans ; Hot Temperature/therapeutic use* ; Contracture/therapy*

There is a commonality between jingjin (muscle region of meridian) and the fascial network for coordinating the balance in the body. The occurrence and the progression of tumor may disrupt the overall coordination between the fascial network and jingjin directly or indirectly, thereby, the impairment of this coordination may result in cancer pain. Rooted on the theory of overall balance of the fascial network, and combined with understanding of pain in jingjin theory, professor HUANG Jin-chang emphasizes the importance of "relaxing the knot" in treatment of cancer pain. It is recommended to select the fascia reaction point as the target point, in accordance with the principle of balance adjustment and apply various acupuncture and moxibustion therapies, such as Fu's subcutaneous needling, small-needle scalpel therapy, fire needling, and moxibustion.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Cancer Pain ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Fascia ; Neoplasms/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy on hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) after stroke treated with electroacupuncture (EA) under different frequencies. METHODS: A total of 105 patients with HSP after stroke were randomly divided into a manual acupuncture group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off), an EA continuous wave group (35 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and an EA disperse-dense wave group (35 cases). The conventional rehabilitation therapy was delivered in the three groups. Additionally, acupuncture was applied to Jianyu (LI 15), Jianzhen (SI 9), Jianliao (TE 14) and Jianqian (Extra) etc. on the affected side in the manual acupuncture group. In the EA continuous wave group and the EA disperse-dense wave group, besides the treatment as the manual acupuncture group, the electric stimulation was attached to two pairs of acupoints, i.e. Jianyu (LI 15) and Jianliao (TE 14), and Quchi (LI 11) and Shousanli (LI 10), with 15 Hz continuous wave, and 2 Hz/ 100 Hz disperse-dense wave, respectively. The treatment was given once daily, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks consecutively. The score of visual analogue scale (VAS) before treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, as well as the passive range of motion (PROM) of shoulder forward flexion and PROM of shoulder abduction, muscle strength of the upper limb, the score of modified Barthel index (MBI) and the score of Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) before and after treatment were observed in each group. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, VAS scores were reduced after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment in each group (P<0.05); and VAS scores after 4 weeks of treatment were lower than those after 2 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). After 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, VAS score in either the EA continuous wave group or the EA disperse-dense wave group was lower compared with the manual acupuncture group (P<0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, VAS score in the EA disperse-dense wave was lower than that of the EA continuous wave group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, PROM of the shoulder forward flexion and abduction on the affected side after treatment was enlarged (P<0.05), the muscle strength of the upper limb was increased (P<0.05), and the scores of MBI and FMA were increased (P<0.05) in the patients of each group. After treatment, in the EA continuous wave group and the EA disperse-dense wave group, PROM of the shoulder forward flexion on the affected side was higher (P<0.05), the muscle strength of the upper limb was stronger (P<0.05) when compared with the manual acupuncture group; and the scores of MBI and FMA in the EA disperse-dense wave group were higher than those of the manual acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture is superior to manual acupuncture in the analgesic effect and comprehensive rehabilitation effect in the patients with HSP after stroke. The therapeutic effect obtained by electroacupuncture with 2 Hz/100 Hz disperse-dense wave is better than that with 15 Hz continuous wave.
Humans ; Electroacupuncture ; Shoulder Pain/therapy* ; Hemiplegia/therapy* ; Stroke/complications* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Points

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect and safety of acupuncture in treatment of neck pain due to cervical spondylosis. METHODS: According to the patients' preference and acceptance for the interventions of neck pain induced by cervical spondylosis, an acupuncture group (221 cases) and a non-acupuncture group (251 cases) were divided. After the control of confounding factors with propensity score matching, 218 cases were included in either acupuncture group or non-acupuncture group. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Baihui (GV 20), ashi points, bilateral neck-Jiaji (EX-B 2), Fengchi (GB 20), Houxi (SI 3), Shenmai (BL 62), etc. The treatment was given once daily, one course of intervention was composed of 5 treatments and 3 courses were included. In the non-acupuncture group, the oral administration of imrecoxib tablets and cobalt tablets was prescribed for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Northwick Park questionnaire (NPQ) and the simplified McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were observed, and the safety was assessed in patients of the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment completion, the scores of NPQ and SF-MPQ were all reduced when compared with those before treatment in each group (P<0.001), and the scores of NPQ and SF-MPQ in the acupuncture group were lower than those of the non-acupuncture group (P<0.001). The incidence of adverse reactions was 6.0% (13/218) in the acupuncture group and was 10.1% (22/218) in the non-acupuncture group, without statistical significance in comparison (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture is effective and safe in the relief of neck pain and the improvement of comprehensive quality of life in the patients with cervical spondylosis.
Humans ; Neck Pain/therapy* ; Propensity Score ; Quality of Life ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Spondylosis/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect of conventional acupuncture combined with pricking and cupping at Jianbo area and conventional acupuncture in the treatment of scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage were randomly divided into a combination group (31 cases) and an acupuncture group (35 cases, 1 case dropped off). Both groups were given functional exercise. Patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at Jianyu (LI 15), Jianliao (TE 14), Binao (LI 14) and ashi point on the affected side, once every other day, three times a week, for a total of 4 weeks. On the basis of treatment in the acupuncture group, the patients in the combination group were treated with pricking and cupping at Jianbo area (the area surrounded by the 3 acupoints of Tianzong [SI 11], Naoshu [SI 10] and Jianzhen [SI 9]), once a week for 4 weeks. The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder joint score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score before treatment, after treatment and after 6 months of treatment completion (follow-up) and tenderness threshold before and after treatment, and the clinical effects of the two groups after treatment and in follow-up were evaluated. RESULTS: In the two groups, after treatment and in follow-up, the UCLA shoulder joint scores were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the VAS scores were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). In the combination group, after treatment and in follow-up, the UCLA shoulder joint score was higher than that of the acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the VAS score was lower than that of the acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the tenderness thresholds of the two groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the tenderness threshold in the combination group was higher than that in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment and in follow-up, the cured and markedly effective rate of the combination group was 48.4% (15/31) and 51.6% (16/31) respectively, which was higher than 23.5% (8/34) and 23.5% (8/34) of the acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Pricking and cupping in Jianbo area combined with conventional acupuncture can improve shoulder joint function and relieve shoulder joint pain in patients with scapulohumeral periarthritis of frozen stage, and the curative effect is better than that of single conventional acupuncture.
Humans ; Periarthritis/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Shoulder Pain/therapy* ; Shoulder Joint ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome