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Three-Dimensional Finger Motion Tracking during Needling: A Solution for the Kinematic Analysis of Acupuncture Manipulation
Published on: October 28, 2021
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[Relationship between needling layers and needling sensations in acupuncture]
1Natural Acupuncture & Wellness P.C. 161 Madison Ave 2N, New York, NY 10016, U.S.A.
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu = Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion
|January 23, 2018
Summary
Acupuncture depth is divided into four layers: skin, subcutaneous, muscle, and bone. Each layer produces distinct sensations like pain, swelling, heaviness, or numbness, aiding in precise needle placement and understanding therapeutic effects.
Area of Science:
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Anatomy
- Acupuncture Research
Background:
- The traditional Chinese medicine concepts of sancai (three talents) and wuti (five organs) provide a framework for understanding bodily layers.
- Modern anatomical knowledge of tissue structures is essential for interpreting acupuncture's physical interactions.
- Decades of clinical acupuncture practice informed the development of a layered needling depth model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a four-layer model for acupuncture needling depth based on traditional and modern scientific principles.
- To correlate specific needling sensations with distinct anatomical layers encountered during acupuncture.
- To enhance the understanding of acupuncture techniques, therapeutic outcomes, and patient sensory experiences.
Main Methods:
- Integration of traditional Chinese medicine theories (sancai, wuti) with modern anatomical tissue structure.
- Analysis of clinical acupuncture practices over 30 years by the author.
- Correlation of patient-reported needling sensations with needle tip location in proposed anatomical layers.
Main Results:
- A four-layer acupuncture needling depth model is proposed: skin, subcutaneous layer, deep fascia and muscle layer, and periosteum/bone layer.
- Distinct sensations correlate with each layer: pain (skin, blood vessels, bone), swelling (subcutaneous), heaviness (deep fascia), acid (muscle), and numbness (nerve).
- Patient sensations provide a guide to needle tip location and direction, including potential contact with blood vessels and nerves.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the relationship between needling layers and sensations is crucial for refining acupuncture techniques.
- This layered model aids in predicting and interpreting therapeutic effects based on needle depth and patient feedback.
- The findings are significant for standardizing the regulation and understanding of needling sensations in clinical acupuncture.
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