Abstract
We studied the efficiency of acupuncture for patients who were unable to give birth though they had experienced conventional infertility treatment for more than 2 years by medical specialists. We then investigated characteristics of difficult pregnancy cases with measurement of body temperature and observation of basal body temperature (BBT) charts. Thirty-three patients had acupuncture every week for more than 2 years and 17 of them delivered. At the same time, their cutaneous body temperature was measured at five locations. Moreover, patients and acupuncturists had a weekly discussion of the patient’s BBT chart. The delivery group showed more balanced and higher cutaneous body temperatures than the miscarriage and no pregnancy groups. The delivery group showed a smooth increase in the BBT chart while the miscarriage group showed a specific pattern in shifting temperatures from low to high zones. Acupuncture might suppress excess sympathetic dominance, which induced hyperthermia as well as interruption of pregnancy. Additionally, weekly discussion and medical advice could help patients. However, further study of males, healthy women, or larger, comparative studies exploring the social and cultural background of other countries were needed to add support to these factors.
Highlights
Dr Kyusaku Ogino, an honorary citizen of the city of Niigata, published his discovery of the date of ovulation in the February issue of the Hokuetsu Medical Journal in 1923
It has been reported that rapid changes in core temperature are associated with changes in cutaneous blood flow mediated by the autonomic nervous system [15]; we measured cutaneous body temperature over time at five locations
We have reported that low body temperature is shown under sympathetic nerve (SN) dominance because of alpha-adrenergic stimulation, which constricts peripheral blood vessels via alphaadrenergic receptors [3]
Summary
Dr Kyusaku Ogino, an honorary citizen of the city of Niigata, published his discovery of the date of ovulation in the February issue of the Hokuetsu Medical Journal in 1923. In 1926, Dr Theodor Hendrik van de Velde noted that the temperature rise in the latter part of the female cycle was because of the activity of the corpus luteum, the follicle from which the ovum had been released [1]. Their studies and methods paved the way for modern reproductive treatment and natural family planning, which were still widely practiced; many women tracked their basal body temperature (BBT) each day. We report that acupuncture can suppress excess SN dominance [12]
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