Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Somato stimulation and acupuncture therapy

  • Academic Exploration
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acupuncture is an oldest somato stimulus medical technique. As the most representative peripheral nerve stimulation therapy, it has a complete system of theory and application and is applicable to a large population. This paper expounds the bionic origins of acupuncture and analyzes the physiological mechanism by which acupuncture works. For living creatures, functionally sound viscera and effective endurance of pain are essential for survival. This paper discusses the way in which acupuncture increases the pain threshold of living creatures and the underlying mechanism from the perspective of bionics. Acupuncture can also help to adjust visceral functions and works most effectively in facilitating the process of digestion and restraining visceral pain. This paper makes an in-depth overview of peripheral nerve stimulation therapy represented by acupuncture. We look forward to the revival of acupuncture, a long-standing somato stimulus medicine, in the modern medical systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fabre JH, Miall B, eds. Social life in the insect world. Montana Kessinger Publishing; 2011:82–84.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Slominski A, Fischer TW, Zmijewski MA, Wortsman J, Semak I, Zbytek B, et al. On the role of melatonin in skin physiology and pathology. Endocrine 2005;27:137–148.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Slominski A, Wortsman J, Kohn L, Ain KB, Venkataraman GM, Pisarchik A, et al. Expression of hypothalamicpituitary-thyroid axis related genes in the human skin. J Invest Dermatol 2002;119:1449–1455.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Slominski A, Wortsman J, Luger T, Paus R, Solomon S. Corticotropin releasing hormone and proopiomelanocortin involvement in the cutaneous response to stress. Physiol Rev 2000;80:979–1020.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Slominski A, Zbytek B, Zmijewski M, Slominski RM, Kauser S, Wortsman J, et al. Corticotropin releasing hormone and the skin. Front Biosci 2006;11:2230–2248.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Slominski A, Zbytek B, Pisarchik A, Slominski RM, Zmijewski MA, Wortsman J. CRH functions as a growth factor/cytokine in the skin. J Cell Physiol 2006;206:780–791.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhu B, ed. Systems acu-medicine. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House;2015:5,9.

  8. Roosterman D, Goerge T, Schneider SW, Bunnett NW, Steinhoff M. Neuronal control of skin function: the skin as a neuroimmunoendocrine organ. Physiol Rev 2006;86:1309–1379.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Zouboulis CC. The skin as an endocrine organ. Dermatoendocrinol 2009;1:250–252.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Paus R, Theoharides TC, Arck PC. Neuroimmunoendocrine circuitry of the 'brain-skin connection'. Trends Immunol 2006;27:32–39.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science 1965;150:971–979.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Li YQ, Rong PJ, Xu WD, Zhu B. Conditioning stimulation induced change in receptive field of spinal. Chin J Neurosci (Chin) 1999;4:316–319.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Zhao JJ, Li SY, Rong PJ, Ben H, Zhu B. Investigation on effects and mechanism of acupoints. modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and materia medica. World Sci Technol (Chin) 2014;10:2076–2082.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Rong PJ, Li S, Ben H, Li L, Yu LL, Cui CX,et al. Peripheral and spinal mechanisms of acupoint sensitization phenomenon. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013;2013:742195.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Li L, Yu L, Rong P, Ben H, Li X, Zhu B, et al. Visceral nociceptive afferent facilitates reaction of subnucleus reticularis dorsalis to acupoint stimulation in rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013;2013:931283.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Li L, Yang JS, Rong PJ, Ben H, Gao XY, Zhu B. Effect of moxibustion-like thermal stimulation with different temperature and covering different areas of Zhongwan (CV 12) on discharges of neurons in medullary subnucleus reticularis dorsalis of rats. Acupunct Res (Chin) 2011;36:313–320.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Zhu B, Xu WD, Rong PJ, Ben H, Gao XY. A C-fiber reflex inhibition induced by electroacupuncture with different intensities applied at homotopic and heterotopic acupoints in rats selectively destructive effects on myelinated and unmyelinated afferent fibers. Brain Res 2004;1011:228–237.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Xu WD, Zhu B, Rong PJ, Bei H, Gao XY, Li YQ. The pain-relieving effects induced by electroacupuncture with different intensities at homotopic and heterotopic acupoints in humans. Am J Chin Med 2003;31:791–802.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rong PJ, Zhu B, Huang QF, Gao XY, Ben H, Li YH. Acupuncture inhibition on neuronal activity of spinal dorsal horn induced by noxious colorectal distention in rat. World J Gastroenterol 2005;11:1011–1017.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Rong PJ, Zhu B, Huang QF, Gao XY, Ben H, Li YH. Acupuncture inhibiting responses of spinal dorsal dorsal horn neurons induced by noxious dilation rectum and colon. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2005;25:645–650.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Grillo CM, Wada RS, Sousa Mda L. Acupuncture in the management of acute dental pain. J Acupunct Merid Stud 2014;7:65–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Allam H, Mohammed NH. The role of scalp acupuncture for relieving the chronic pain of degenerative osteoarthritis: a pilot study of Egyptian women. Med Acupunct 2013;25:216–220.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Mandırolu S, Cevik C, Aylı M. Acupuncture for neuropathic pain due to bortezomib in a patient with multiple myeloma. Acupunct Med 2014;32:194–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Couilliot MF, Darees V, Delahaye G, Ercolano P, Carcaillé M, Vytopilova P, et al. Acceptability of an acupuncture intervention for geriatric chronic pain: an open pilot study. J Integr Med 2013;11:26–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cho YJ, Song YK, Cha YY, Shin BC, Shin IH, Park HJ, et al. Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: a multicenter, randomized, patient-assessor blind, sham-controlledclinical trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2013;38:549–557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cervero F, Tattersall JE. Somatic and visceral sensory integration in the thoracic spinal cord. Prog Brain Res 1986;67:189–205.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Su YS, He W, Wang C, Shi H, Zhao YF, Xin JJ, et al. "Intensity-response" effects of electroacupuncture on gastric motility and its underlying peripheral neural mechanism Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2013;2013:535742.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Rong PJ, Zhu B, Li Y, Gao X, Ben H, Li Y, et al. Mechanism of acupuncture regulating visceral sensation and mobility. Front Med 2011;5:151–156.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ben H, Li L, Rong PJ, Jin ZG, Zhang JL, Li YH,et al. Observation of pain-sensitive points along the meridians in patients with gastric ulcer or gastritis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:130802.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Liu J, Huang H, Xu X, Chen JD. Effects and possible mechanisms of acupuncture at ST36 on upper and lower abdominal symptoms induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2012;303:R209–R217.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Lima FA, Ferreira LE, Pace FH. Acupuncture effectiveness as a complementary therapy in functional dyspepsia patients. Arq Gastroenterol 2013;50:202–207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ma TT, Yu SY, Li Y, Liang FR, Tian XP, Zheng H, et al. Randomised clinical trial: an assessment of acupuncture on specific meridian or specific acupoint vs. shama cupuncture for treating functional dyspepsia. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012;35:552–561.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pei-jing Rong  (荣培晶).

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 012CB518503); Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China, (No. 81130063)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhao, Jj., Rong, Pj., Shi, L. et al. Somato stimulation and acupuncture therapy. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 22, 394–400 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-2088-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-2088-3

Keywords

Navigation