Thermic effects of acupuncture on Taixi ((sic) KI 3) evaluated by means of infrared telethermography

Objective To observe the eventual thermic effects of stimulating Taixi ((sic) KI 3) by telethermography. Methods Nine individuals of both sexes, chosen randomly, participated in this study. The temperature of the room where the experiment was carried out was not above 21 degrees C. At the start of the experiment the volunteer stayed for exactly ten minutes in the room for acclimatization, then the first thermographic image was recorded for standardization purposes. Following this, an acupuncture needle was inserted at KI 3 only in the right leg, whose depth was limited to obtain Deqi, only manual stimulation for 15 min permanence in the site. After this period, new images were recorded. Results Significant reduction of all the right leg temperatures, by about 1.1 degrees C in all the volunteers that received the acupuncture at the KI 3 was noted, with a coefficient variation of P<0.0001 that was statistically highly significant, while on the other not stimulated leg the variation that occurred was around 0.7 degrees C, with no significant coefficient variation of P>0.05. Conclusion The results of this study demonstrate that manual stimulation of the KI 3 influences significantly peripheral vascular circulation, by means of sympathetic stimulation causing vasoconstriction.