Characteristics of Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points in Healthy Humans

Krämer, Sybille; Winterhalter, Kathrin; Schober, Gabriel; Becker, Ursula; Wiegele, Bernhard; Kutz, Dieter F.; Kolb, Florian P.; Zaps, Daniela; Lang, Philip M.; Irnich, Dominik

doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0331

Cited by 40 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In a previous investigation we showed that the results of this method were reproducible and that some, but not all, APs possess the claimed electrical properties. 18 We hypothesised that surgical intervention forms a considerable stimulus that would be refl ected by changes in ESR at the corresponding AP. We also considered whether the type of surgical intervention might affect the type of change (eg, one type of surgery resulting in a decreased ESR while another leads to an increased ESR).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Surgical Intervention and Postoperative Pain on Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points: An Exploratory Study

Krämer¹,

Zaps²,

Kutz

et al. 2012

Acupunct Med

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Objectives One theory about acupuncture suggests that pathological processes can cause measurable changes in electrical skin resistance (ESR) at acupuncture points (APs). Although the theory has yet to be proven, ESR measurements (ESRMs) form a frequently used part of contemporary acupuncture. The aim of this study was to test the so-called 'electrical responsiveness' of APs in the setting of a defi ned operative trauma. Methods ESRMs (n=424) were performed at the APs and surrounding skin of GB34 and ST38 in 163 participants using an impedance meter array developed for the purpose of ESRMs. For each group the percentage of measurements with a signifi cantly different ESR between the APs and the surrounding skin was calculated and compared with each other. Measurements of four groups were compared: healthy control subjects (n=30) and patients after ophthalmic (n=29), hip (n=42) and shoulder (n=30) surgery. The infl uence of postoperative pain intensity was also assessed. Results Group comparison showed no signifi cant differences for ST38. The ESRMs at GB34 had a signifi cantly higher percentage of measurements with an increased ESR after ophthalmic (23.2%) and hip (22.2%) surgery, but not after shoulder surgery (7.5%). Subgroup analysis showed that an increase in pain intensity tended to lead to a decrease in the number of APs with ESR changes. Conclusion These results suggest that reactive changes in ESR at APs might exist. Pain and alertness seem to have an impact on ESR at APs. However, the current data do not allow for conclusions to be drawn concerning the clinical use of ESRMs. INTRODUCTIONAcupuncture treatment is gaining in importance with a variety of studies confi rming its effi cacy in the treatment of various disorders. However, while evidence for the clinical efficacy of acupuncture is growing, questions are being raised concerning the specifi city of acupuncture points (APs).3 4 In order to increase the general acceptance of acupuncture, a better understanding of how APs and meridians function is needed.One theory about the specifi c nature of APs suggests that electrical skin resistance (ESR) is different from the surrounding area, [5][6][7] and that a change in the ESR at an AP can be the refl ection of a pathophysiological condition of the patient.8 9 Based on this assumption of an 'electrical responsiveness' of APs, commercially available devices for electrodermal testing have been developed for acupuncture point location as well as for use as diagnostic and therapeutic tools.10 11 Electrical skin resistance measurements (ESRMs) have been established as an integral part of contemporary acupuncture.5 However, the scientifi c support for an electrodermal distinctiveness of APs is controversial, 12 and there is even less evidence for the electrical responsiveness of APs. 5 13-15 ESRMs have proved diffi cult to verify due to their rapid variability and variations in measurement techniques. 16 In this investigation we used a method that minimises the infl uence of typical disturbances.17 I...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Surgical Intervention and Postoperative Pain on Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points: An Exploratory Study

Krämer¹,

Zaps²,

Kutz

et al. 2012

Acupunct Med

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“…Some groups tried to control the effect of pressure on the electrode by applying same pressure on each electrode during measurements. For example Kramer et al used a blood pressure cuff to control and put the pressure on all probes (Kramer et al, 2009;Kramer et al, 2008). In our study, pressure didn't have any statistically significant effect on the measurements which is a major advantage of the device used in our research.…”

Section: Exfoliationmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…Figure 6 shows electrical skin impedance results of Shousanli (LI10) before and after exfoliation. Researches, two-electrode devices have been used (Kramer et al, 2009;Matsumoto et al, 1973). Many studies tried to find the relation between electrical skin impedance results and acupoints and meridians while others tried to find a relation between electrical skin impedance results of special acupoints and diseases (Matsumoto and Hayes, 1973;Oleson et al, 1980;Yuangen et al, 2001).…”

Section: Exfoliationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and Evaluation of a Novel Four-Electrode Device System for Monitoring Skin Impedance

Rezaei

Zhu²,

Fen³

et al. 2012

Afr. J. Trad. Compl. Alt. Med.

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Qi, meridians, and acupoints are important issues in Chinese medicine. One of the theories claims that acupuncture points and meridians have unique electrical properties. The associations between acupuncture points or meridians and special electrical properties are still under debate. In the current study, we introduced and explained a device for this kind of research and evaluated the reliability of this device as well as effects of pressure, cleaning the skin by alcohol and exfoliation on electrical skin measurements. Fifteen subjects (10 female, 5 male) were recruited to participate in the study. An impedance meter based on the four-electrode technique was designed and fabricated specifically for this study. The effects of pressure, cleaning of the skin by alcohol, and exfoliation on electrical skin impedance were evaluated separately. The device repeatability was also evaluated 30 times in a 30 minutes period. Scale weight up to 200 grams, cleaning the skin with alcohol, and exfoliation didn't affect the performance of this device. The device performance didn't change significantly during the 30 minutes measurement either. The new system we evaluated can be a reliable tool for researches on electrical skin impedance in acupuncture, as its performance is fairly stable even in the presence of various confounding factors such as various pressures on the probe, cleaning the skin with alcohol and exfoliation.

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“…A significantly larger needle grasp [18] and larger blood supply into the microvascular beds [19] at APs when compared to other areas has been observed. Additionally, conflicting results also exist about APs being spots characterized by a high density of neural receptors [20,21] or a distinct electrical skin resistance [22][23][24]. The fact that results of experimental as well as clinical research often appear multifarious and controversial might in part be due to technical challenges and shortcomings of the respective research projects [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture Point Localization Varies Among Acupuncturists

Bäumler¹,

Simang²,

Krämer³

et al. 2012

Forsch Komplementmed

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Background: Studies assessing the point-specific effect of acupuncture or the characteristics of acupuncture points (APs) tend to yield inconclusive results. In order to identify a possible confounding factor, we aimed to examine the variability in AP localization by means of a survey. Material and Methods: Attendees of the 14th ICMART (International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques) congress as well as DÄGfA (German Medical Society of Acupuncture) lecturers and students were asked to locate and mark the APs LI 10 and TH 5 on a research assistant’s arm. Identified points were transferred into a coordinate system, and the respective bivariate distribution function was calculated. Additionally, participants filled out a questionnaire about their acupuncture education and experience, the acupuncture style and point localization techniques used most frequently, and their estimation of the size of an AP. Results: The areas of the ellipses, theoretically containing 95% of AP localizations, varied between 44.49 and 5.18 cm². The largest distance between 2 identified points was 8.45 cm for LI 10 and 5.3 cm for TH 5. Apart from being trained at the same school, no other factor could be identified that determined the variability in AP localization. Conclusion: Our results indicate that congruity of AP localization among experienced acupuncturists might be low. Although there are some limitations to our results, this possible bias should be taken into account when conducting acupuncture trials and interpreting results of previous acupuncture studies.

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Characteristics of Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points in Healthy Humans

Cited by 40 publications

References 19 publications

Impact of Surgical Intervention and Postoperative Pain on Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points: An Exploratory Study

Impact of Surgical Intervention and Postoperative Pain on Electrical Skin Resistance at Acupuncture Points: An Exploratory Study

Development and Evaluation of a Novel Four-Electrode Device System for Monitoring Skin Impedance

Acupuncture Point Localization Varies Among Acupuncturists

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