Influences of Acupuncture to the Neck and Shoulder on the Blood Circuration of the Upper Limbs

Abstract

By measuring skin temperatures using infrared thermography and thermistor thermometer we have found that local skin temperature may be lowered in non-inflammatory pain disease due to circulatory disturbances. Thus far however there have been little reports concerning blood circulation in the deep tissue areas or in remote areas in such cases.
We selected two patients with complaints of neck and shoulder pain on one side and of muscle contracture, (sprain while sleeping and cervico-brachial syndrome) and measured the deep tissue temperature, of 1cm. depth of the patients' palms and the skin temperature of the backs of the patients' hands. The difference between the right and left tempeartures was observed. The affected (unhealthy) side of the body showed lower temperature, 0.5°C in deep tissue temperature and 1.5-2°C in skin temperature. This fact indicates the presence of a circulatory disturbance in the hand on the affected side of the body however after acupuncture to the near point of the cervical vertebra in the lateral neck area (scalenus muscle) and on the shoulders (GB-21, TH-15, SI-14, SI-13, SI-12, etc.). the difference of the temperature disappeared and in some cases the temperature became higher on th affected side.