Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Biophysical Basis for Meridian and Acupoint Functions


Publishing date
11 Jan 2013
Status
Published
Submission deadline
24 Aug 2012

Lead Editor

1Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

2University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX, USA

3Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany


Biophysical Basis for Meridian and Acupoint Functions

Description

With a history of more than 4000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) belongs to the most experienced and well-known natural medicine systems and attracts tremendous public interest. However, TCM has a long-standing tradition as a modality of experience-based medicine. Therefore, scientific research on its efficacy and mechanisms of action has been largely neglected for long. It was only recently that scientists inside and outside of China started to apply scientific methods to analyze TCM. As a part of TCM, acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the needling of specific points, that is, acupoints. While the clinical effects of acupuncture have drawn extensive attention from researchers of science and medicine, it is much more difficult to well elucidate the structural basis and action mechanism of acupoints along the meridians.

We invite investigators to contribute original as well as review articles on systematic and high-quality research of TCM. These works could be from different research areas, in addition to Chinese and Western medicine, including biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology, biophysics, bioinformatics, physics, and mathematics. We are particularly interested in papers reporting the development of advanced methodological and technical investigations. The topics on the latest innovative aspects that underline further enhancement of acupuncture are especially welcome. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Medical imaging and morphological anatomy on structural and functional basis for meridians and acupoints
  • Physiological and biophysical basis of mechanisms in acupoints
  • Physiological and biophysical basis of conducting pathways along the meridians
  • Modulation of physiological and biochemical processes by acupuncture and related stimuli
  • Methods for the quantification of peripheral and central effects of acupuncture
  • Advanced methodological and technical investigations on basis for meridians and acupoints

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:


Articles

  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 130802
  • - Research Article

Observation of Pain-Sensitive Points along the Meridians in Patients with Gastric Ulcer or Gastritis

Hui Ben | Liang Li | ... | Xia Li
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 810512
  • - Research Article

In Adjuvant-Induced Arthritic Rats, Acupuncture Analgesic Effects Are Histamine Dependent: Potential Reasons for Acupoint Preference in Clinical Practice

Meng Huang | Di Zhang | ... | Guang-hong Ding
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 543943
  • - Review Article

A Review of Acupoint Specificity Research in China: Status Quo and Prospects

Ling Zhao | Ji Chen | ... | Fan-Rong Liang
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 476457
  • - Research Article

Effects of Electroacupuncture of Different Frequencies on the Release Profile of Endogenous Opioid Peptides in the Central Nerve System of Goats

Li-Li Cheng | Ming-Xing Ding | ... | Qiong Wang
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 534219
  • - Review Article

Patch Clamp: A Powerful Technique for Studying the Mechanism of Acupuncture

D. Zhang
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 372670
  • - Review Article

Systems Biology of Meridians, Acupoints, and Chinese Herbs in Disease

Li-Ling Lin | Ya-Hui Wang | ... | Hsueh-Fen Juan
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 438460
  • - Research Article

NMDA Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Activity in Dorsal Motor Nucleus of Vagus Mediates the Enhancement of Gastric Motility by Stimulating ST36

Xinyan Gao | Yongfa Qiao | ... | Haifa Qiao
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 521612
  • - Research Article

Evaluation of the Effect of Laser Acupuncture and Cupping with Ryodoraku and Visual Analog Scale on Low Back Pain

Mu-Lien Lin | Hung-Chien Wu | ... | Jih-Huah Wu
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 483123
  • - Research Article

Acupuncture Alleviates Colorectal Hypersensitivity and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of TrpV1 and p-ERK

Shao-Jun Wang | Hao-Yan Yang | Guo-Shuang Xu
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2012
  • - Article ID 787683
  • - Research Article

Are Primo Vessels (PVs) on the Surface of Gastrointestine Involved in Regulation of Gastric Motility Induced by Stimulating Acupoints ST36 or CV12?

Xiaoyu Wang | Hong Shi | ... | Bing Zhu
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate7%
Submission to final decision145 days
Acceptance to publication29 days
CiteScore3.500
Journal Citation Indicator-
Impact Factor-
 Submit Check your manuscript for errors before submitting

Article of the Year Award: Impactful research contributions of 2022, as selected by our Chief Editors. Discover the winning articles.