The Relationship of Acupuncture and Meridians to Connective Tissue

摘要

Objective: To show the relationship of Acupuncture points and meridians to connective tissue planes.Introduction: Fascia has been defined as the soft tissue component of the connective tissue system, forming a whole-bodycontinuous matrix that interpenetrates and surrounds all organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibers. Fascia is a thin membraneof loose or dense connective tissue that covers the structures of the body, protecting them and binding them into astructural unit layers of muscle, body compartments, and cavities.Discussion: Stecco (2004) defines the parallels between acupuncture channels and fascial planes and between acupuncturepoints and centers of coordination. Langevin and Yandow (2002) found an 80% correlation between acupuncture points andintermuscular and intramuscular septa, along fascial planes. Subcutaneous tissue forms a continuous tissue planethroughout the body. This tissue plane is itself continuous with dermis, with interstitial planes separating muscles, bones,and tendons and with intramuscular connective tissue. These connective tissue planes also constitute the milieu surrounding a wide variety of sensory mechanoreceptors and nociceptors. Connective tissue is able to completely interconnectall parts of the body. In the body, the myofascial and connective tissue systems demonstrate the piezoelectric effect.Conclusion: The insertion and twirling of a needle in an acupuncture point produces a strain which is transduced into anelectric current because of the piezoelectric properties of the connective tissue. Acupuncture meridians tend to be locatedalong fascial planes between muscles, or between a muscle and bone or tendon. Y. Nagahama and H. Motoyama haveindependently reached the conclusion that the meridian system lies in the connective tissues and specifically in the superficially fascia.