A review paper from authors based in Hong Kong gives an overview of research into the mechanisms of acupuncture and proposes a new theory of the channels and the flow of qi and blood, based on the latest findings in medical imaging, cell biology and physiology. They explore the sequence of the physiological process initiated by acupuncture, from the turning of the needle, and the mechanical wave activation of calcium ion channels to beta-endorphin secretion. The authors suggest that, by looking at acupuncture as a mechanical activation and signalling process, ancient Chinese concepts can be re-interpreted and harmonised with modern research judgment based on scientific methods and technology. A crucial difference between the present and past interpretations is to examine. (Ancient Chinese medicine and mechanistic evidence of acupuncture physiology. Pflugers Arch. 2011 Nov;462(5):645-53).
Categories: Acupuncture research
