title: Changes of Local Blood Flow in Response to Acupuncture Stimulation: A Systematic Review.
abstract: Objectives. This systematic review aimed to summarize and evaluate the findings of studies investigating the local microcirculatory effects following acupuncture stimulation. Methods. MEDLINE, EMBASE, OASIS, and Cochrane library were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before January 30, 2015. Studies demonstrating any type of microcirculation response to manual acupuncture in healthy subjects and patients were included. The risk of bias and the reliability of the experimental conditions were evaluated to determine quality assessment. Results. Eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria; there was at least one acupuncture-induced change in a microcirculatory parameter. Of the seven studies in healthy subjects, four reported significant increases in blood flow following acupuncture compared with control, whereas one other study observed reductions in microcirculation immediately after acupuncture needling. The studies that assessed patients with either fibromyalgia or trapezius myalgia found significant increases in blood flow in the skin and muscle. Additionally, the degree and duration of increases in microcirculation varied depending on the condition of the subjects and the manipulation technique. Conclusions. The current evidence regarding the local effects of acupuncture in terms of blood flow remains insufficient for reliable conclusions due to few well-designed studies. Additional well-designed studies are needed to clarify these issues.
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Song-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seorim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyangsook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Xiuyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, 62 Daehak-ro, Dong-gu, Daejeon 34520, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Yeun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Korean Medical Science, Graduate School of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Taek-Jin
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Studies of Translational Acupuncture Research, Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hi-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park