Myofascial Meridians as Anatomical Evidence of Acupuncture Channels

Abstract

Background: Conceptually, acupuncture Principal Meridians course through the myofascial layer of the body and send branches to one another and the organs they influence. Recent literature has described the concept of “myofascial meridians” as anatomical pathways that transmit strain and movement through the body's muscle and fascia. Objective: To qualitatively explore the relationship of acupuncture Principal Meridians to myofascial meridians that have been identified by analysis of human anatomy. Design and Setting: The 12 acupuncture Principal Meridians were qualitatively compared by visual estimation (using computer software with human figure outlines) with the 9 myofascial meridians to determine whether any correlations existed in their described distributions. Main Outcome Measure: Overlap of Principal Meridians and myofascial meridians on the simulated human anatomical model. Results: In 8 (89%) of 9 comparisons, there was substantial overlap in the distributions of the anatomically derived myofascial meridians with those of the acupuncture Principal Meridian distributions. In addition, the “spiral” myofascial meridian can be described as a combination of 2 acupuncture meridians. Conclusions: The strong correspondence of the distributions of the acupuncture and myofascial meridians provides an independent, anatomic line of evidence that acupuncture Principal Meridians likely exist in the myofascial layer of the human body.