While the potential efficacy of EA has been investigated from a stimulation duration perspective, few studies have attempted to determine if blood flow responses differ with the sites of EA stimulation on human subjects.
Objective:
The aim of this research was to determine if blood-flow responses differed with sites of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation in human subjects.
Methods:
Forty male students were divided into four groups (n = 10 in each group). Subjects in each group had EA at four different muscles: (1) upper trapezius; (2) lower erector spinae; (3) rectus femoris; and (4) gastrocnemius. EA stimulation was administered for 5 minutes. Changes in the skin temperature (ST), skin blood flow (SBF), and muscle blood volume (MBV) were measured before and after EA stimulation of the four different muscles.
Results:
MBV was increased significantly, compared with baseline in all 4 groups. ST and SBF responses, however, varied depending on the stimulation sites.
Conclusions:
EA administered to different muscles did not show differences in the MBV responses.
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