抄録
Introduction: We observed the differences in the blood flow of the lingual arterial branches of healthy subjects versus patients with glossodynia, and between the healthy sides and the affected sides of patients with glossodynia using an ultrasound blood flowmeter, and basing this observation on our assumption that glossodynia was a kind of blood stagnation. Changes in lingual arterial blood flow due to acupuncture treatment were then determined as well as the degree to which pain and incompatible feelings in the tongue were reduced bases on reports from the patients.
Methods used: The blood flow in the lingual arterial branches of the tip and root of the back side of the tongue on both right and left sides were first measured in 10 healthy subjects and 4 patients with glossodynia using an ultrasound blood flowmeter. Using the obtained mean wave heights of the arterial blood flow as indexes, changes in the blood flow in the lingual arterial branches were then observed before and after acupuncture treatment of (1) the points of meridians in the legs and arms related to thetongue and of (2) the points in the shoulder and neck, (3) finger-pressure cures or massages in the shoulder and neck and (4) low-frequency.
Elecrical stimulation generated through electrodes placed on the tongue. The degree to which pain and incompatible feelings in the tongue were reduced after acupuncture or low-frequency electrical stimulation was evaluated based on the patients'verbal replies.
Results:(1) There were no differences in the blood flow of the right vs left side of the tip and root of the tongue.(2) There was a decreased blood flow (mean wave height) in the patients with glossodynia and it was lower on the painful side as compared to the healthy side.(3) The decreased blood flow in the lingual arterial branches improved to nearly the value of the healthy side after performing acupuncture, finger-pressure massage on the neck and shoulder, and low-frequency electrical stimulation on the body of the tongue.(4) The patients reported a reduction of glossodynia.
