Meridian study on the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture

Yu-Chiang Hung, Wen-Chung Chen, Ting-Chang Chang, Hao-Xuan Zheng, Yan-Wen Liu, Yung-Fang Tan, Shih-Kai Lin, Ying-Hsin Lu, Wen-Long Hu, Tsung-Ming Tsai, Yu-Chiang Hung, Wen-Chung Chen, Ting-Chang Chang, Hao-Xuan Zheng, Yan-Wen Liu, Yung-Fang Tan, Shih-Kai Lin, Ying-Hsin Lu, Wen-Long Hu, Tsung-Ming Tsai

Abstract

Acupuncture and its meridians are important components of traditional Chinese medicine, and numerous opinions have been previously expressed regarding these meridians. This study aims to explore the phenomenon of meridians from the perspective of electronic physics by studying these meridians for the response current affected by electrical pulse and acupuncture. In this study, acupuncture which applies an electrical pulse was used to research the physical properties of the meridians. Different kinds of pulses were applied to the human body to realize abnormal electrical signals. Comparing these electrical measurement results with the isothermal transient ionic current (ITIC) theory, we found that the transmission of meridian messages may be related to ion conduction. The movement of ions induced by acupuncture and electrical stimulation can lead to drift and diffusion currents through the meridians. The ionic conduction of meridian hypothesis is proved in that the substances delivered by meridians are in fact ions.

Keywords: Acupuncture; Chinese medicine; Electrical pulse; Ion current; Meridian theory.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a The schematic of measurement mode. Applying the voltage at the remote point is defined as remote electroacupuncture, and another one, applying the voltage at the near point is defined as near electroacupuncture. The schematic of pulse types of b pulse and c AC
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The measurement of time versus voltage and current for a pulse and b AC, with I1 and I2 indicated in both
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a Comparison of I2/I1 ratio for pulse and AC. The ratio in AC is larger than that in pulse. I2/I1 ratio for b pulse and c AC decrease with increase in frequency
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The model for explaining the phenomenon of the pulse electric feature a drift current caused by voltage and b diffusion current caused by concentration gradient. For AC electric feature c drift current caused by voltage; d reverse voltage generate the larger current than diffusion current of pulse

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