Musculoskeletal ultrasound to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture: a review

• Published in: Journal of traditional Chinese medicine Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 629 - 632
• Main Authors: Dingyue, Wang, Yana, Y U, Yiyuan, Wang, Zhen, Zhang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Editorial board of Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy - methods; Humans; Musculoskeletal System - diagnostic imaging; Reviews; Ultrasonography - methods; acupuncture; musculoskeletal ultrasound; visualization; dynamic effect
• ISSN: 0255-2922; 2589-451X
• DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240322.001

Acupuncture is a typical example of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used in China for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of illnesses. However, in the clinic, issues and deficiencies were primarily seen in four areas: loss of accuracy in the operation process; difficulty understanding the depth of acupuncture; difficulty using reinforcing and reducing techniques; and lack of a clear dynamic effect of acupuncture points following acupuncture. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography may quantitatively evaluate the acupuncture location and display the distribution of small nerves near and within the fascia of the acupuncture point in real time. The subjects were asked how they felt about receiving when the needle body reached different depths and different tissues. The obtained from an acupuncture point and the connective tissue of the fascia can be further understood by combining the physiological response of the acupuncture point with the anatomical structure, which offers a new method for defining the nature of the acupuncture point and standardizing the acupuncture point.