Nowadays the acupuncture therapy for treating cerebral vascular diseases is being applied widely home and abroad as the combination of acupuncture and modern medicine can markedly increase the preventive and therapeutic effect for cerebral vascular diseases such as stroke and vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency (VBI) with less recurrence and residual symptoms.
In the past the acupuncture therapy for cerebral vascular diseases was conducted mainly depending on the ancient theories of traditional medicine and using a lot of acupoints of 14 meridians distributed across the body.
In order to improve the efficacy of acupuncture on cerebral vascular diseases further, we must apply it on the basis of the scientific and experimental studies on the effects of various acupoints on the different physiological functions of brain including cerebral microcirculation and hemodynamic, not just based on ancient theories and practical experiences.
Recently, various kinds of mathematical methods and software technique are being applied to rheoencephalography(REG) in order to raise the sensitivity of evaluation on CBF.
We investigated the influence of acupuncture stimulation at different acupoints of Gallbaldder Meridian and Bladder Meridian on cerebral hemodynamic indices using Cerebral Vascular Diseases Diagnosis System (CVD3000) which was invented to develop REG newly.
249 patients with cerebral vascular diseases including VBI, post-stroke and chronic cerebral artery insufficiency, who complained of headache and dizziness, were divided into individual point groups by randomized blocks.
The filiform needles with the diameter of 0.3 mm were inserted in to the selected points and retained for 15 min without any manipulation after needling sensation occurred.
Compliance(mL/㎜Hg), Hemodynamic resistance(㎜Hg/L) and Blood flow quantity(mL/s) were observed.
Compliance and hemodynamic resistance were measured in the places corresponding to bilateral anterior cerebral arteries(ACA), middle cerebral arteries(MCA) and posterior cerebral arteries(PCA) and blood flow quantity in the places corresponding to bilateral internal carotid arteries(ICA) and vertebral arteries(VA).
First we observed the change of compliances in different brain arteries after acupuncture stimulation at points of Gallbladder Meridian. As a result, the compliance values of ACA and MCA in Yangbaek(GB14) point group, the values of ACA in Mokchang(GB16) point group and the values of ACA, MCA and PCA in Pungji (GB20) point group after stimulation increased significantly compared with that before stimulation, but there was no remarkable change in Yangrungchon(GB34) point group, Kuho(GB40) point group and Rimup(GB41) point group. This indicates that the acupoints on head of Gallbladder Meridian increase the elasticity of various brain arteries remarkably but the acupoints on legs have no influence on it.
When the changes of resistance according to brain arteries after stimulating at points of Gallbladder Meridian were observed , the resistance values of ACA and MCA in Yangbaek(GB14) point group, the values of ACA in Mokchang(GB16) point group and the values of PCA in Pungji(GB20) point group and Yangrungchon(GB34) point group decreased significantly after stimulation in comparison to that before stimulation. But there were no remarkable changes in Kuho(GB40) point group and Limup(GB41) point group.(Table 3)
This indicates that Yangbaek(GB14) point, Mokchang(GB16) point, Pungji(GB20)point and Yangrungchon(GB34) point dicrease the hemodynamic resistance by dilating various brain arteries.
While the blood flow quantity values of ICA in Yangbaek(GB14) point group, both values of ICA and VA in Pungji(GB20) point group and the values of VA in Yangrungchon(GB34) point group after stimulation increased significantly compared with those before stimulation. It may result from the change in compliance and resistance by acupuncture.
We comprehensively compared the influences of various points of Gallbladder Meridian on hemodynamic indices one another. As a result, the points on head were more effective to hemodynamic indices than ones on legs. Besides, although they are points on head, they have different effects on brain blood flow, that is, Yangbaek(GB14) point located on the front side of head is more significantly effective to ACA and MCA, but Pungji (GB20) point located on the back side of head to PCA.
In the next stage, we investigated the influences of acupuncturing at different points of Bladder Meridian on hemodynamic indices.
This result also showed that the points on head were more effective to hemodynamic indices than ones on legs and among the points on head, Michung(BL3) point located on the front side of head was more significantly effective to ACA and MCA, and Chonju(BL10) point located on the back side of head to PCA.
Summarizing all our results, we clarified that (1) the effect of the points on head on brain blood flow regulation is better than that of the points on legs; (2) the points on the anterior part of head can improve the blood flow in ACA, MCA and ICA more efficiently, and the points on the posterior part of head in PCA and VA.
Our research results provide a scientific principle that makes the therapeutic effect improved further by prescribing the best effective points for the affected brain artery of the patients with chronic brain circulatory insufficiency, vertebrobasilar insufficiency and post-stroke.
