Laser Doppler flowmetry in combined needle acupuncture and moxibustion: A pilot study in healthy adults

Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) (DRT 4/Moor Instruments Ltd, Devon, UK) was u sed in this pilot study for monitoring the effects of an invariable acupunc ture pattern on microcirculation of the skin before, during, and after comb ined needle acupuncture and moxibustion in 12 healthy volunteers (mean age 35.2 +/-4.4 years, range 26-41 years, four female and eight male). Accordin g to the standards of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this acupuncture pattern is assumed to be unspecific and non-therapeutic. Flux decreased dur ing the treatment period (p<0.05) compared to the control phase before comb ined needle acupuncture and moxibustion. After the removal of the needles, flux did not return to the initial control value. No significant difference s between mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature or gen der were detected. A prediction of individual incidences and kinds of acupu ncture effects in our healthy volunteers was not possible. Modern monitorin g techniques like LDF could be a method to separate responders from nonresp onders to acupuncture in peripheral microcirculatory disorders. Further stu dies on patients with peripheral microcirculatory disorders are necessary i n order to demonstrate the value of LDF in detecting responders/non-respond ers in combination with therapeutic acupuncture patterns according to TC-Al .