Establishing the existence of the active stomach point in the auricle utilizing radial artery tonometry

One component of Oriental medicine diagnosis utilizes the palpation of the radial pulse both for internal medicine and also to help clinicians accurately choose body acupuncture treatment points. In the mid-1980s, an attempt was made to capture diagnostic information with three pressure transducers positioned bilaterally over the radial arteries in such a fashion as to simulate classical Chinese pulse diagnosis (Yoon and Ikezono, 1986 and 1987). The results of this pilot study were subsequently difficult to replicate. In the early 1950s, Paul Nogier in Lyon, France introduced a different pulse diagnostic technique (Nogier, 1976). By touching an acupuncture needle on an active auricular acupuncture point, the radial artery wall over the styloid process changes in tone more prominently than when inactive points on the acuricle are touched. This dermal/cardiovascular reflex of pulse diagnostic technique helps, then to localize salient auricular points to treat regarding a patient's illness. Objective digitalized measurements of the Nogier radial arterial pulse wave were performed by computerized tonometry. This demonstrated that when an active stomach point in the auricle (n = 11) was detected utilizing an imperceptible electric current, the initial upstroke of the pressure wave, the pulse pressure and the peak-to-peak interval of the radial artery pulse wave all increased significantly compared to placebo point electronic detection. Thus, the existence of an active auricular point on the auricle was verified by radial artery tonometry.