Deqi Is Double-Faced: The Acupuncture Practitioner's and the Subject's Perspective.
Author: Yin CS1, Chae Y2, Kang OS1, Kim ST3, Hahm DH1, Park JY4, Lee H2, Park HJ2.
Affiliation:
1Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea. 2Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; Department of Acupuncture and Meridian, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea. 3Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan 626-813, Republic of Korea. 4Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea ; College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon 34520, Republic of Korea.
Conference/Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
Date published: 2015
Other:
Volume ID: 2015 , Pages: 635089 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1155/2015/635089. , Word Count: 197
Abstract
Background. While therapeutic acupuncture perception (deqi) has recently been investigated only for the subject's perception, classical acupuncture discussed acupuncture perception for both the practitioner and the subject. The aim of this study was to explore the practitioner's and the subject's acupuncture perception during acupuncture. Methods. Explorative crossover study to quantitatively document acupuncture perception of both the practitioner and the subject. Eighty-one participants acted as a practitioner or a subject. The practitioner's and the subject's acupuncture perceptions were collected using self-report type checklists. Acupuncture needles were inserted to LI4 or ST36, adopting a four-phase method: insertion into shallow, middle, and deep depths, followed by twirling manipulation. Pain, transmission, dullness, and soreness feelings of the subject and thick, tangled, solid, and empty feelings of the practitioner were analyzed for their correlation. Results. The practitioner's and the subject's perception showed a significant correlation. Acupuncture perception varied over four phases of needling, with a tendency to be rated higher when inserted deep. Perception for LI4 was generally higher than those for ST36. Conclusion. The practitioner's acupuncture perception was successfully documented and analyzed in relation to the subject's acupuncture perception and different needling conditions.
PMID: 26689128 [PubMed] PMCID: PMC4672129 Free PMC Article
BACK
