Effect of Acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the Infrared Temperature of Guanyuan (CV4) and Sanyinjiao in Dysmenorrhea Patients / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective By using infrared thermal imager (Flir-SC620), to observe the effect of needling Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the skin temperature at Guanyuan (CV4) and Sanyinjiao in patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold and dampness stagnation pattern, and to explore the probability of using infrared thermal imaging for diagnosis and as an objective index for evaluating the action and needling qi of acupuncture. Method Thirty-six subjects were recruited and divided into four group, a health control group (group A), a control group of PD of cold and dampness stagnation pattern (group B), a needling-qi-expected group (group C) and a needling-qi-unexpected group (group D). Group A and B were not given acupuncture treatment, while group C and D were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Sanyinjiao with needles retained for 30 min, and the needling sensations were recorded. The infrared thermal imager was used to detect the skin temperature at Guanyuan and bilateral Sanyinjiao for 40 min for each group, and the temperature was recorded every 10 min. The temperature during different periods of time, 0-10 min, 20-20 min, 20-30 min, 30-40 min, 0-30 min, and 0-40 min were then calculated. In group C, those obtained the needling qi sensation were further grouped into C-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into C-2; in group D, those obtained needling qi sensation were further grouped into D-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into D-2. SPSS 17.0 was adopted for data processing, and the data were analyzed by using MANOVA of repeated measuring. Result Compared to group A (6 cases), the temperature at Guanyuan in group B (6 cases) was significantly decreased during 0-30 min and 0-40 min (P<0.05), the temperature at the left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group B was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group B significantly dropped (P<0.05). Compared to group B, the temperatures at Guanyuan during 0-30 min and 0-40 min in group C1 (12 cases) and group D1 (11 cases) were significantly increased (P<0.05), the temperature at left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group D1 was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group D1 were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no case in group C2 and only 1 case in group D2, hence, the data were not enough for analysis. Conclusion Decrease of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan and Sanyinjiao can be taken as one of the diagnostic criteria for dysmenorrhea of cold stagnation pattern. Increase of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan can be regarded as one of the objective evidences for the along-meridian transmission characteristic in needling Sanyinjiao.