Video: Acupuncture Meridians – The Proof

This article accompanies a video by Dr Shei Yin Lo whose background is in theoretical physics. When Dr Lo turned 40 years of age, he started to feel weak and searched out a Qi Gong master to help revitalise him. He is now Professor of Chinese Medicine at the American University of Complementary Medicine. 5 mins

Having seen the effect of working with ‘Chi’ (Qi) or vital force in both his own life and that of his patients, he now seeks to explain it in a way that is meaningful to science using his background in quantum physics.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the body is conceptualised as being animated and regulated by Chi via a system of meridians which govern interactions between the internal organs and connect them to the body surface via acupuncture points.

One of the ‘alternative’ health areas that some people find most difficult to understand is distant healing. Here, the therapist does not even touch the client, and indeed may not even be on the same continent as the client. And yet, as infrared images show, there is a healing effect taking place.

What Dr Lo suggests is that the energy meridians are formed by polarised water and that when these water molecules vibrate, axiomatic electromagnetic waves are emitted.

He suggests that these signals can be broadcast by a healer and absorbed by the meridians of the client. He defines Chi – along with light and sound – as belonging to the quantum field.

From his understanding of what is possible using healing and his knowledge of quantum physics, he feels that humans have super powers that supersede those of nature.

That these powers govern everything in your life – both within and without – and that we should all be taught to harness these powers when young because we are all divine beings capable of healing ourselves and others.

“Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.”

Albert Einstein

The evidence to support TCM

And Dr Lo is not alone. Many other researchers have been working to prove or disprove the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the nature of Chi and the energy meridians. We already know that the acupuncture points have up to one-fifth the electrical resistance and several hundred times the electrical capacitance of the skin elsewhere and that they can be detected using electrical sensors. Listed below are just some experimental results which demonstrate that the meridians are real, if subtle, phenomena.

Connections have been found between the meridians and the associated internal organs in the cerebral cortex. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989;14(2)]
Neurotransmitters and hormones unique to each meridian have been found to be released following a variety of interventions stimulating the acupuncture points. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989;14(2)]
The meridians and acupuncture points have been imaged using the ‘Bi-Digital O-Ring Test Imaging Technique’ and found, with a few minor exceptions, to correspond to specific internal organs. The patterns of meridians and acupuncture points described in the literature of ancient Chinese medicine have been largely confirmed. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res, 1987;12(1)]
Using imaging techniques, acupuncture points have been shown to have a 3D shape and to be circular with diameters averaging 6-12 mm, although those on the hands are smaller and those in abnormal areas are larger. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res, 1987;12(1)]
High concentrations of neurotransmitters and hormones have been found within the boundary of most acupuncture points and meridian lines. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989;14(2)]
The meridians and related acupuncture points were also found to contain organ- and system-specific hormones such as gastrin in the Stomach meridian and acupuncture points, and testosterone in men and oestrogen in women in the Triple Warmer meridian. [Y. Omura, Acupunct Electrother Res. 1989;14(2)]
Others conceptualise the meridian system in technical terms as a low pass birdcage coil and the meridians as being transmission lines and Chi the standing wave riding upon it. [Yung KT, Am J Chin Med. 2005;33(5)]
The recognised trigger points for myofascial referred pain have been shown to be associated with the acupuncture meridians. [P. T. Dorsher, J Pain. 2009 Jul;10(7)]
Using MRI imaging and a tracer injected into the acupuncture points, the meridians were visualised, whereas when the tracer was injected into non-acupoints no channels were visualised. [Lee MS et al, Am J Chin Med. 2005;33(5)]
Debate has raged about whether these channels are, in fact, lymphatic or venous drainage, but magnetic resonance angiography confirmed that the channels were not superficial veins. Subsequent studies showed that migration of the tracer along the meridians could not be interrupted by acupuncture needling, which is different from the nature of either lymphatics or blood vessels. [Li H. Y. et al, Altern Complement Med. 2008 Jul;14(6)]