Acupuncture Differentially Affects the High-Frequency Spectral Energy in Radial Pulse Positions Depending on Type of Lower Back Pain

Hui-Ping Ng; Chin-Ming Huang; Wen-Chao Ho; Yu-Chen Lee

doi:10.1155/2019/4024501

Acupuncture Differentially Affects the High-Frequency Spectral Energy in Radial Pulse Positions Depending on Type of Lower Back Pain

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Nov 21:2019:4024501. doi: 10.1155/2019/4024501. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Hui-Ping Ng^{1

2}, Chin-Ming Huang³, Wen-Chao Ho^{4

5}, Yu-Chen Lee^{6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ International Master Program in Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
² Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution, Singapore.
³ School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung City 41354, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Acupuncture, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
⁷ Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.
⁸ Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung City 40402, Taiwan.

Abstract

Acupuncture is a core discipline in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been practised in China for centuries. In traditional acupuncture, pulse palpation is an important clinical diagnostic technique that guides practitioners in their treatment strategies as they evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. This paper provides the findings of our investigation of acupuncture's effect on specific radial pulse spectral energies in 41 individuals with lower back pain (LBP), in response to a single acupuncture treatment delivered bilaterally at acupoints BL23, BL25, and BL40. Baseline assessments (vital signs and radial pulse diagnoses), primary outcome measures (radial pulse diagnoses), and secondary outcome measures (the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) and fingertip-to-floor (FTF) tests) were performed at specified intervals before and after the intervention. Our study provides novel information about the effects of acupuncture on the radial pulse spectral energy in individuals with different types of LBP. Our findings suggest that the right Chi pulse is an effective indicator to assess the effects of acupuncture in individuals with fixed, distended, or sharp pain, whereas the left Guan pulse is a potentially useful diagnostic technique to determine acupuncture's effects in individuals with dull, aching pain. The acupoints BL23, BL25, and BL40 provide effective treatment for LBP. Study participants with dull, aching pain had a significant improvement in their lumbar ranges of motion, and their pain rating scores were markedly decreased after acupuncture treatment.