Newswise — There are 361 classical acupuncture pressure points and all are assigned to one of twelve "meridians" in the body, which coincide with specific organs or regions. For centuries, acupuncturists have inserted and manipulated needles at prescribed points to achieve therapeutic benefit, such as pain relief. Research reported in The Journal of Pain shows that ancient acupuncture meridians coincide with known myofacial trigger point regions, as described in the Trigger Point Manual, and may provide potential for novel approaches for treating chronic myofacial pain.
In the study, researchers from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., sought to determine whether physiologic evidence of the 12 principle acupuncture meridians can be demonstrated from myofacial trigger point regions. Trigger points are firmly anchored in the anatomy of the neural and muscular systems, while acupuncture points are based on the ancient concept of anatomically nonexistent meridians thought to carry energy and blood through the body in the healing process. The authors noted that previous studies comparing acupuncture meridians with known trigger points showed near-complete agreement in their distributions for 76 percent of anatomically corresponding points. These studies suggested that myofacial pain and acupuncture traditions are fundamentally similar in treating pain disorders.
In the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville study, the authors reported that myofacial pain data from the Trigger Point Manual provides independent, physiologic evidence of acupuncture meridians described in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic more than 2,000 years ago. They concluded that sensations from acupuncture needling are analogous to referred-pain arising from myofacial trigger points. For treatment of pain disorders, the findings show that acupuncture's extensive data should be explored to enhance clinical treatment of pain conditions.
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