title: Comparison of acupuncturing Hegu (LI4) by metal or laser needle on facial blood perfusion using laser speckle technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the difference of remote effects of acupuncture between metal needle and laser needle on facial blood perfusion (FBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hand acupuncture and laser-needle acupuncture were randomly used on Hegu (LI4) in 20 healthy volunteers. FBP was observed by speckle contrast imager before, during, and after the acupunctures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For hand acupuncture there were gradual increases on the nose and left and right visor areas (p<0.05 or p<0.01) during the acupuncture and on an immediate increase (p<0.01) that remained constant during the acupuncture on the forehead area but no significant increase on mouth area. During laser-needle acupuncture, on the other hand, there was a tendency of increase on the nose, left visor, and right visor areas but these were non significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hand acupuncture can influence FBP in remote places connected by meridians.
authors: Institute of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, China.
authors: Yuying
authors: Y
authors: Tian
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Huang
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Litscher
authors: Lu
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Guangjun
authors: G
authors: Wang
authors: Shuyong
authors: S
authors: Jia
authors: Yuqing
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Weibo
authors: W
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D005145:Face / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D055815:Young Adult