In this research we conducted a comparative study on the pain threshold elevation resulting from “exercise” work loads, ie. running and cycling, and acupuncture anaesthesia. 10 subjects participated throughout our research; whereas, additional subjects only participated in selected experiments. It was found that the pain threshold increased for both exercise work load and acupuncture anaesthesia; however, no significant correlation was found between the pain threshold elevation percentages resulting from exercise work load and acupuncture anaesthesia.
Therefore we propose, although it has been ascertained that the elevation of pain threshold involves the endomorphin mechanism, that there must be other important mechanisms involved as well.

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In order to studying the action mechanism of moxibustion from a viewpoint of the sexual periodicity, an experiment was attempted to ascertain whether the irregular estrous cycles were able to recover the regular cyclicity by preiodic moxibustion in rats ovariectomized and transplanted subcutaneously with the ovaries.
From the day of operation, two groups of the rats were given every four days subcutaneous injections of 2.0mg of progesterone, and 0.5mg of reserpine, respectively, for 40 days. one group of the rats were used as moxibustion animals. 5mg of moxa was every four days divided into 6 cones and they were treated by each 2 cones at right GB-25, left GB-25 and GV-20, respectively, for 40 days. Vaginal smears were recorded every day during the treatment period and subsequent 40 days. It is suggested that an isochronal 4-day rhythm appears to be established as early as about 10 to 20 days after the start of the moxibustion receiving animals and the results of experiment gave nearly agreement with the value that were given every four days injections of 2mg of progesterone, respectively, for 40 days.

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(1) Some improvements were made in the score table used for evaluation of effectiveness in the previous studies.
(2) The number of the cases evaluated was incresed.
(3) The difference in effectiveness of acupuncture anaesthesia and the doctors' skill of operation, the factor which influences painfulness, were also examined.
(4) The measurement of palm-forearm skin potential was employed as an objective evaluation of pain.
METHODS
Acupuncture anaesthesia was undertaken using Neurometer NAJ. Induction was done through Chinese needles (2 inch no. 28) inserted on Zusanli and Sanyinjiao for 20 minutes.
The evaluation was done on 413 cases which underwent intrauterine curettage under acupuncture anaesthesia in 1982-1985.
The evaluation of the effectiveness was carried out in two ways: (1) using scores based on the observation of patient's expression of the face and other signs, and (2) subjective evaluation (questionnaire) during the operation.
The skin potential was measured between the electrodes applied to the palm and the forearm using ECG (Fukuda-DU3S).
The relationship was examined between the potential and pain during the operation was examined. (10mm-25mm/sec, 0-8mmV)
RESULT
(1) As a result of the improvement in the score table, the effectiveness rate obtained from the questionnaire and that from the score table were close enough to conough to confirm its utility.
(2) Less effectiveness of acupuncture anaesthesia was obtained in the patients classified into the “type of unbalanced autonomic nervous system” according to the classification of the CMI test modified by Majima. This result was coincide with the previous report.
(3) Among five doctors, one obtained the best effective rate of 63%, and others got those of 14-26%.
(4) In the measurement of the potential between the palm and the forearm, values of 0.1-8.0mV appeared. Although there was a tendency that the severer the pain was, the higher the potential was, the actual value of this measurement as a rating method is to be examined.

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Introduction
In my studies (Journal of The Japan Society of Acupuncture 35 (3, 4)), the muscular activity of the quadricepes femoris was studied while the subjects were descending stairs.
The present study, therefore, was designed to evaluate the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius medial head, gastrocnemius lateral head.
Materials and Methods
The subjects consisted of a group of 7 patients with knee pain (7 females, 61.14 years in mean age) and a normal group of 10 healthy persons (9 males, 3 females, 39.70 years in mean age).
Electromyography was performed on the tibial anterior, gastrocnemius medial head and gastrocnemius lateral head during ascending and descending stairs.
The examinations were performed pre- and post acupuncture and moxibustion treatment over a mean of the subsequent 4.5 weeks.
Results
1) The muscular activity of the quadriceps femoris showed an overt pattern with two peaks in the normal group, but a random pattern was shown in the knee pain group.
2) The tibial anterior and gastocnemius showed higher and longerlasting muscular activity than the normal group during descending stairs.
3) The results indicated that electromyography of the quadriceps femoris and gastrocnemius is useful for objective evaluation of knee joint function, and that the quadriceps femoris and gastrocnemius are important subjects for acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.

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Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the most frequently seen among the disorders belonging to rheumatism. But the surgical treatment of RA is different from that of OA. Although both diseases affect the various joints, the surgical intervention for the knee is mainly described as they cause to the severe disturbance of the gait.
Osteoarthritic knee has the varus deformity and the joint destruction of medial compartment. But the osteoarthritic knee with varus deformity has almost normal cartilage and joint space in the lateral side of the knee. The malalignment of the knee is corrected using valgus osteotomy and the weight bearing on the medial side is transfered to the lateral side. That is, high tibial osteotomy, a method of the correction of varus deformity, is necessary to be performed.
On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is the disease of which joints are gradually destructed by the chronic inflammation of the membrane of the joints. Therefore, the resection of the inflammed joint membrane, that is, the synovectomy, is done to prevent the destruction of the joints. The knees which have already destructed by rheumatoid inflammation cannot be fruitfully managed with only synovectomy. Not only medial but also lateral compartment of the knee are equally damaged in the majority of the rheumatoid knees, so that the destructed knee of RA has lately been treated using the total knee arthroplasty. The rheumatoid case, which cannot walk and is obliged to use a wheel chair, is able to walk again after the total knee arthroplasty.
Sometimes rheumatoid patients are managed in the many joints besides the knee by using the joint arthroplasty which is suitable to each joint. The acupuncture and moxibustion should be carefully carried out to the joint with the total arthroplasty.

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We investigated sports disorders in 112 (82 men, 30 women) members of Field and Track Club, University of Tsukuba.
Before acupuncture treatment, they entered their painful and fatigued areas in our chart and were tested by Cornel Medical Index.
After six months, we questioned 51 (38 men, 13 women) members treated by acupuncture on effects.
The following results were obtained.
1. The painful areas varied with athletic events, that were muscles and joints they moved frequently.
The painful areas were mostly low backs and thighs in a short distance and hurdle race, hips and legs in a middle and long distance, low backs and legs in a jumping event, elbows and low backs in a throwing event.
2. As a result of Cornel Medical Index, it was proved that many members had more mental than physical symptoms.
3. Most of members treated by acupuncture could still go on with training in spite of pains.
4. The effects of treatment continued for 2-3 days.
5. The effects were rated as follows: better 78.4%, no change 14%, worse 6%.

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A relationship of meridian point-jingluo to secretion of insulin was evaluated by blocking the large intestine channel of hand-yangming.
Subjects were divided into three groups; (1) group of subjects in whom saline was injected in Quchi (LI-11), (2) group of subjects whose Quchi was cooled by an ice bag, and (3) group of subjects whose Quchi was pressed. Insulin secretion following acupuncture stimulation to Hege (LI-4) was measured in these groups. As a result, all three groups showed significant reduction in secretion of insulin and integrated insulin response for 60 minutes during oral glucose tolerance test.
The result obtained seems to suggest that stimuli given to Hege are blocked to transmit due to the interferance given to Quchi. This implies that blocking phenomenon of the jingluo take place in the large intestine channel of hand-yangming.

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In china, cerebro-vascular disorders attract peoples' attention together with cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Two third of the disorders are cerebral thrombosis. The prevention and treatment of hemiplegia become now very important problems. In Japan, although theoretical studies are conducted, they mainly use pharmaco-therapy and rehabilitation in clinical places. Since needling is not often used there, the efficacy and the mechanisms of acupuncture for hemiplegia are not often reported.
I came from The Acupuncture Department of Heilungchian Chinese Medical School in China last April, and have been trained in the Neuro-Internal Department of Niigata University Brain Reseach Laboratry for nearly one year. In this period of time, I sometimes visited the doctors who could use Chinese medicine, and sometimes discussed with acupuncturists. Many of them were interested in our scalp penetrating acupuncture treatment of hemiplegia caused by cerebral thrombosis using needling. We introduce here our acupuncture treatment undertaken for 432 cases of hemiplegia after cerebral thrombosis during the past ten years, and discuss the efficacy and the mechanism of it.

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Through the employ of the artery analyzer it is now possible to automatically diagnose such geriatric disorders as arteriosclerosis by using simple electro-cardiograms and radial, carotid and posterior tibial artery pressure pulse wave charts. If the artery analyzer is adopted for use in Oriental medical clinics, there will no longer be a need for the manual 24 pulse-shape diagnosis.
In brief, applying the artery analyzer to the eight key blood pulse-shapes of Oriental medicine produces the following results;
1) ‘Slow’ and ‘rapid’ pulses can be determined by the S-S interval
2) ‘Slippery’ and ‘hesitant’ pulses can be determined by the S-P time and the Dh/Ch%
3) ‘Floating’ and ‘submerged’ pulses can be determined by the Ph/Ch%
4) ‘Large’ and ‘relaxed’ pulses can be determined by the S-C time
Thus, by employing the artery analyzer, the problem of subjectivity inherent in the pulse diagnosis in use in Oriental medicine for over 1500 years can be solved.

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We investigated the actual condition of patients treated by acupuncture and moxibution in Ibaragi Prefecture.
Subjects were 1823 patients (846 men, 977 women) under the treatment of 14 acupuncture clinics in September to November, 1985.
We prepared the evaluated list that consisted of 11 levels of activities of daily life and 8 degrees of pain.
In every treatment, we wrote down the patient's clinical progress in relation with the list.
The following results were obtained
1. There were many patients in thier forties and fifties.
2. There were many patients who received only one treatment.
3. The chief complaints were low back pains (509 patients), shoulder discomfort (273) knee joint pain (132), etc.
4. Most of the patients could still go on with thier daily lives in spite of the pains.
5. The effects of treatment were rated as follows; better 69.5%, no change 23.9%, worse 5.9%.

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