title: Site-specific organ-selective effect of epifascial acupuncture on cardiac and gastric autonomic functions.
abstract: Needle stimulation at the specific sites of body surface modulates autonomic functions in various organs. To examine their site-specificity and organ-selectivity, the changes in electrogastrogram (EGG) and heart rate variability (HRV) with such stimulation at PC6 (forearm), BL20 (back), CV12 (abdomen), BL32 (sacral), and ST36 (lower leg) were analyzed in healthy men. Stimulation at CV12 increased vagal HRV component without affecting dominant EGG frequency. Conversely, stimulation at BL32 decreased dominant EGG frequency without affecting vagal HRV component. Stimulation at the other points affected neither of them. These support site-specific and organ-selective effect of body surface needle stimulation on autonomic functions.
authors.affiliation: The Oriental Medical Center Group Futaba Acupuncture and Moxibustion Clinic, Ogaki, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Munenori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minagawa
authors.forename: Yasuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurono
authors.forename: Tatsuyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakamu
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akai
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayano
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Acupuncture; Autonomic nervous system; Electrogastrography; Heart rate variability