Nerve Repair and Acupuncture
Acupuncture repairs damaged nerves. Results published in Neural Regeneration Research demonstrate that acupuncture causes nerves in the lower and upper extremities to repair. Electromyographic nerve conduction tests of acupuncture patients with nerve damage document "an effective response" in 80% of patients participating in the study.
Electromyography confirms that acupuncture significantly improves motor nerve conduction velocity and amplitude, and also promotes functional nerve repair. The researchers made important discoveries. A special set of acupuncture points resulted in good to excellent clinical responses at a very high rate. When using only local acupuncture points, patients had an effective rate of 38.5%. By adding acupuncture points to the meridian in addition to local acupuncture points, the effective rate increased to 80%.
The Du meridian is a pathway composed of 28 primary acupuncture points plus extra acupuncture points. Many of the meridian acupuncture points are located on the midline of the back under the spinous processes of the vertebrae. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the application of acupuncture points to the Du meridian is used to treat many ailments, including spinal and brain diseases, dizziness, numbness, tremors, febrile illnesses, and infertility.
The research published in Neural Regeneration Research confirms the significant role of the Du meridian in the treatment of nerve damage. Electroacupuncture was applied to both the upper and lower limbs at a rate of once a day, five times a week for a total of six weeks. The total number of acupuncture treatments was 30 sessions per patient. The researchers conclude: "Our results suggest that the Du meridian and local meridian points should be used simultaneously to promote functional repair after peripheral nerve injury."
The acupuncture points used in the study were a protocol of two acupuncture point prescriptions, one for the upper limbs and one for the lower limbs:
Baihui (DU20)
Fengfu (DU16)
Dazhui (DU14)
Shenzhu (DU12)
The acupuncture points on the lower limb consisted of local meridian acupuncture points at the site of the injured nerve plus the following Du meridian acupuncture points:
Jizhong (DU6)
Mingmen (DU4)
Yaoyangguan (DU3)
Yaoshu (DU2)
The local acupuncture points used in the study were selected based on the area of nerve damage. Radial nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Jianyu (LI15)
Binao (LI14)
Quchi (LI11)
Hegu (LI4)
Yangxi (LI5)
Ulnar nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Qingling (HT2)
Xiaohai (SI8)
Zhizheng (SI7)
Wangu (SI4)
Houxi (SI3)
Median nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Quze (PC3)
Daling (PC7)
Neiguan (PC6)
Laogong (PC8)
Peroneal nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Yanglingquan (GB34)
Guangming (GB37)
Juegu (GB39)
Qiuxu (GB40)
Tibial nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Yinlingquan (SP9)
Sanyinjiao (SP6)
Diji (SP8)
Lougu (SP7)
Sciatic nerve damage was treated with the following acupuncture points:
Huantiao (GB30)
Ciliao (BL32)
Zhibian (BL54)
Yanglingquan (GB34)
Weizhong (BL40)
Juegu (GB39)
Brachial plexus injuries were treated with the following acupuncture points:
Jianyu (LI15)
Binao (LI14)
Quchi (LI11)
Waiguan (SJ5)
Baxie (EX-UE8)
The acupuncture needle was applied to an approximate depth of 1 cun at each acupuncture point. Manual acupuncture was applied to elicit a response, followed by the application of electroacupuncture with a sparse wave between 2 – 100 Hz. Intensity was set to tolerance levels.
The researchers note that nerve damage affects the metabolic microenvironment. Referring to an example, they note that sciatic nerve damage reduces acetylcholinesterase activity in the lumbar microenvironment. This causes neuronal cell death and prevents nerve repair. The researchers note that acupuncture counteracts this effect, as it successfully increases "acetylcholinesterase expression in spinal cord tissue after peripheral nerve damage." As a result, the researchers suggest that this may be an important mechanism by which acupuncture promotes the healing of peripheral nerves.
Reference
Gh, Han, Ruan Jw, Zeng Ys, X. Zhou, Y. Ding and Zhou Gh. "Improvement of acupuncture point selection for nerve repair surrounding the injury site: electroacupuncture with the governor meridian with local meridian acupuncture points." Neural Regeneration Research 10, no. 1 (2015): 128.
