Traditional Medicine in Asia

Traditional Medicine in Asia
Researchers working hard for many years
have yielded initial achievements.
In China, a general study has been
conducted on 200,000 people concerning
the phenomenon of “sensation
transmission along the meridians”. The
existence of the running course of the
meridians put forward by the ancients has
been approved and the fundamental
characteristics of sensation transmission
along the meridians have been understood.
Literature and information from the ancient
to the present time have proved that
sensation transmission along the meridians
is a kind of objective physiological
phenomenon that exists. Recent tests show
that when the skeletal muscles are in a state
of excitement, sensation transmission
along the meridians is in relation to the
nerve connected with the long axis and
induced by the summational current. The
transneural segments and transjoint
transmission mechanism are caused by
secondary excitement of the skeletal
muscles. Yet, there is not enough evidence
to prove the physiological significance of
this phenomenon neurobiologically. The
spinal cord is marked by the distribution of
motor neurons according to the meridians.
A mutual dendrodendritic synapse
relationship exists among the motor
neurons. Local stimulation on the meridians
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In order to keep abreast of the
latest on internationalization of
acupuncture, in 1990 the State
Technology Supervision Bureau
of the People’s Republic of China
issued the People’s Republic of
China State Standardization of
Acupoints’ Locations.
and points may cause excitement of the
skeletal muscle of the same meridian on
another part through synaptic reflection
and synaptic transmission among the
motor neuron. Since such progressive
excitement of the skeletal muscle fibre
needs repeated time–space summation,
there is a phenomenon of slow sensory
movement and release of myoelectricity.
This phenomenon observed in animals has
been proved in humans who are sensitive
to sensation transmission along the
meridians.
Systematic study of the relationship
between the meridians and zang fu organs
and their ways of connection:
Neuroscientific research by integrated
methods suggests that there is a relative
connection of specificity between the
superficial meridians and the internal
organs. On the one hand, such specific
connection is related to the anastomotic
level of the nerve segments and density
dominated by the nerve segments. On the
other hand, acupuncture stimulation on the
meridians may cause changes in the
release of some neuropeptides of the
relevant target organs specifically, and
affect the reactivity of the target organs to
the corresponding neuropeptide.
Existence of active energy
metabolism along the running
course of the meridians
The system of meridians and collaterals is
a functional system. Previous tests suggest
that energy metabolism is relatively active
on the running course of the meridians.
For instance, the index of skin temperature
and the amount of carbon dioxide
exhalation on the running course of the
meridians is obviously higher than that on
the other lines. This phenomenon shows
that the energy metabolism along the
running course of the meridians is active.