Changes in Blood Fluidity Caused by Electroacupuncture Stimulation

In Oriental medicine, the state of blood stagnation is called “Oketsu,” meaning preceding state or symptomatic of sickness. Acupuncture stimulation is often used clinically for the treatment of “Oketsu.” The degree of “Oketsu” is indicated by tongue color and form, swelling, paroxysmal blushing, and dark circles under the eyes. The blood's fluidity is generally thought to be a blood stagnation factor. “Oketsu” is now considered as physiological blood flow and is studied from the perspective of the blood's fluidity and vascular resistance. In our preliminary research, acupuncture stimuli were very effective in treating conditions associated with a decrease in the fluidity of the blood, such as “Oketsu.” In this review, we discuss recent progress in acupuncture therapy and report mechanisms of its action; we then focus on our original findings on these topics. Furthermore, we propose new factors related to acupuncture stimuli, including the blood's fluidity, and report our investigations, using the restraint stress method, on the mechanisms underlying acupuncture stimuli.