Sunday, May 25, 2008

Observation On Phenomenon Of Propagated Sensation Along The Channels

Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 262 Hospital of PLA, People's Hospital, Jishan County, Shanxi

Propagated sensation along the channels (PSC) is one of the phenomena of channels and collaterals. The general survey of 5,906 cases of subjects had been carried out by applying stimulation of Jin (well) points with low frequency electric pulse, 10-20 times/second, and intensity that could be tolerated by the subject. The occurrence of PSC of more than 6 channels with long or whole-course and that of more than 3 channels were 7 times higher in the patients' group than in the normal subjects' group. The above rates were 1.8% (59 cases) and 0.23% (6 cases) respectively. The properties of PSC were the feelings of numbness, running water, jumping or cold and heat. The strip of PSC on the four extremities was narrow (about 1-2 cm) and that on the trunk wider (about 10 cm). The circulating speed of PSC was slow and formed a two-way propagation. Mechanical oppression and deep injection of procaine might impede the circulation of PSC. Sometimes, there was a slight blocking function by deeply injection of normal saline. Local heating might speed up the rate of circulation of PSC, conversely, reducing of temperature might slow down the speed. Key observation on 88 channels in 9 cases of patients with obvious PSC was carried out. The results indicated that, 81% of the circulating routes of PSC was basically coincident with the routes of channels and collaterals described in "Nei Jing, Jing Mai Pien". The coincident degree of the six channels of the hand was higher than that of the six channels of the foot, the coincident degree of the extremities was also high, while that on the trunk, the sensational course was a little deviated, and that on the face and head, much more or completely deviated from the channels. The circulating routes of PSC of bilateral channels with the same names might be identical, or not completely identical on the right and left sides.


On the routes of PSC some patients might present the rising of pain threshold and pain-resistant threshold and some patients a subcutaneous hemorrhage line. Observation of local rheogram at the channels and aside the channels was made in 34 cases of subjects with obvious PSC and in 10 cases of subjects without PSC When PS appeared along the Pericardium, Heart or Lung Channel, samples on these channels were taken and the wave amplitude, inflowing time and the angle of the first peak of the local rheogram recorded. There existed a significant difference of these items before and after PSC appeared. But in the subjects without PSC, no change resulted from the same procedure. If the samples were not taken at these channels mentioned above, there would be no marked change produced before and after stimulation at Jing (well) point.


In the circulation of PSC its route would deviate from the original channel toward the affected part, i.e. the phenomenon of "Qi reaches the affected part".

From the above observation, it is demonstrated that there is an objective existence of PSC, its circulating route is basically coincident with the route of channels and collaterals recorded in the ancient times. PSC might be one of the bases of the circulating routes of channels and collaterals put forward by the ancient. Objective changes of the sensation could be observed along the strip of PSC, and the activity of some Zang-Fu ( organs) could also be detected simultaneously. These effects would disappear with the blocking of PSC thus implicating internal relations between PSC and channel points and the dynamic connection of Zang-Fu (organs).


In short, the formation of PSC might be the result of the change of dynamic connections of Zang-Fu (organs) due to stimulation of points on the body surface, which then project to the cerebral cortex and in turn affect the activity of peripheral function. Thererfore, the presentation of PSC is based upon the central and peripheral physiology and patho-physiology.

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