EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE AT THE RIGHT HOKU POINT ON BILATERAL VIBRATION-INDUCED FINGER FLEXION REFLEX IN MAN - COMPARISON BETWEEN IN-SITU ANDSPARROW PECKING TECHNIQUE

The purpose of this study was to compare die effect of the Sparrow Pec king (SP) technique with that of the In-Situ (IS) technique of acupunc ture on vibration-induced finger flexion reflex (VFR). Subjects were 3 0 healthy adults. VFR, flexion movement of the vibrated finger, was in duced by vibrating the volar side of the middle finger tip. The acupun cture point was the right Hoku point. Both techniques of acupuncture i nhibited VFR in the ipsilateral and contralateral sides, but inhibitio n with SP was significantly greater than that with IS (percentage cont rol force of VFR, mean +/- SD: with SP right, 62.1 +/- 24.6%, left, 60 .6 +/- 27.9%, with IS right, 74.9 +/- 26.6%, left, 78.1 +/- 29.5 %, P< 0.0005). The results suggest that SP suppresses facilitation of VFR in the reflex arcs more than IS does.