| Objective: Through analysing the features of infrared thermal spectra of differentclinical types of shoulder paralysis disease, to provide the basis for acupoint syndromedifferentiation of meridian and traditional Chinese medicine acupoint treating shoulderparalysis disease, and to investigate possibilities and methods of characteristic infraredthermal spectrum in diagnosing shoulder paralysis disease; moreover, to evaluate the clinicaleffects of acupuncture therapy mainly involving "shoulder blade three needle" on shoulderparalysis diseases by use the infrared thermal imaging technology, thus providing newmethods for clinical research and therapeutic evaluation of acupuncture.Methods:(1)Syndrome differentiation of meridian classification:47patients with shoulderparalysis disease met the inclusion criteria were divided into five classifications according tothe area of pain and meridian relationship as follows: Lung meridian of hand-taiyin disease (4cases), Small intestine meridian of hand-taiyang disease (10cases), Large intestine meridianof hand-yangming disease (5cases), Hand-yangming with taiyang disease (18cases) andHand-shaoyang with yangming disease (10cases).The patients were treated mainly with"shoulder blade three needle" combined with through coordination of acupoints. Once per day,five times for a course of treatment, a total of three courses. The Constant-Murley shoulderfunctional scores of various types were evaluated and related infrared thermal spectra ofmeridian distribution area of the shoulder and arm associated meridian infrared region weretaken before and after the treatment. At the same time, the different characteristic thermalinfrared spectra (temperature difference) of20healthy volunteers’ and patients’ with shoulderparalysis disease (meridian syndrome differentiation classification) were analysed to obtaincharacteristic infrared thermal spectra of different syndrome differentiation of meridianclassifications (including pain aeras and meridian of infrared spectroscopy), so as to provideviable basis and methods for differentiation and diagnosis, acupoint therapy and syndromedifferentiation of meridian classification.（2）Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation：The47patients withshoulder paralysis disease met the inclusion criteria were divided into3types according totraditional chinese medicine syndrome differentiation as follows: the Wind cold dampnessclassification (22cases), Siltation and stagnant (18cases), Qi deficiency syndrome (7cases).The infrared thermal spectra of scapular, acromial and deltoid region were taken before and after treatment. At the same time characteristic thermal infrared spectra (temperaturedifference) of20healthy volunteers and patients’ with shoulder paralysis disease wereanalysed to obtain characteristic difference of infrared spectra of different types in order toprovide viable basis and mode for the assistant diagnosis of shoulder paralysis disease.Results:(1)Constant-Murley shoulder function score: there were statistically significantdifferences between the Constant-Murley shoulder function scores of patients in eachsyndrome differentiation of meridian classification groups before and after treatment (P<0.01),which showed that acupuncture of "shoulder blade three needle"combined with throughcoordination of acupoints can relieve pain, improve the daily life level and increase the rangeof motion of shoulders of patients(2) Efficiency analysis:After3courses of treatment, among the47patients.24werecured,20improved,3ineffective,and a total effective rate of93.61%was reached. It isshowed that the acupuncture therapy mainly involving "shoulder blade three needle" had goodcurative effects on shoulder paralysis diseases.(3) Characteristic infrared thermal spectra of syndrome differentiation of meridianclassification:①A large zone with low temperature was found in patients’ scapular andacromial region of Hand-yangming and taiyang disease. In the area of Hegu, Binao, Jianyu,Tianzong, Bingfeng and other points, visible abnormal low temperature zone can be found inpatients and the difference between the patients and the healthy volunteers was statisticallysignificant (P<0.01);②A large zone with low temperature was found in patients’ scapular,acromial region and lateral arm of Hand-shaoyang and yangming disease. In the area ofJianliao, Jianyu, Binao, Quchi, Waiguan, Hegu and other points, visible abnormal lowtemperature zone can be found in patients and the difference between the patients and thehealthy volunteers was statistically significant (P<0.01);③A large zone with lowtemperature was found in patients’ scapular region and trailing edge of the lateral arm inSmall intestine meridian of Hand-taiyang disease. In the area of Tianzong, Bingfeng, Jianzhenand other points, visible abnormal low temperature zone can be found in patients and thedifference between the patients and the healthy volunteers was statistically significant(P<0.01);④There weren’t obvious low temperature area in patients’ scapular region ofLarge intestine meridian of Hand-yangming disease, however, visible low temperature zoneswith varying sizes and shapes can be found in the circulation area in upper arm Largeintestine meridian of hand-yangming. In the area of Jianyu, Binao, Quchi, Hegu and other points, visible abnormal low temperature zone can be found in patients, but the differencebetween the patients and the healthy volunteers was not statistically significant (P>0.05);⑤A large zone with low temperature was found also in patients’ neck and front of the shoulderin Lung meridian of hand-taiyin disease. And in the area of Zhongfu, Yunmen, Xiabai andother points, visible abnormal low temperature zone can be found in patients and thedifference between the patients and the healthy volunteers was statistically significant(P<0.05). After treating abnormal infrared spectral range significantly reduced, thetemperature returned to normal.(4) Characteristic infrared thermal spectra of traditional chinese medicine syndromedifferentiation: the infrared thermal spectra of the wind cold dampness were characterizedwith large and irregular low temperature zone in patients’ shoulder. There were visibleabnormal low temperature zone in patients’ shoulder in siltation and stagnant, the temperaturechanged smaller when compared with same areas of healthy volunteers. There was littlechange in Qi deficiency syndrome, irregular high or low temperature zones can only be foundin patients’ shoulders and upper limbs. When compared patients with shoulder paralysisdisease to healthy volunteers, the temperature decreased significantly in same areas and thedifference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusions:(1) Acupuncture mainly involving "shoulder blade three needle" can improve the clinicalsymptoms and signs and increase the patients’ ability of activity, After treating abnormalinfrared spectral range significantly reduced, the temperature returned to normal.(2) There were characteristic thermal infrared spectra (abnormal low temperature zone)in related pressure parts of shoulder and upper limb and related main and collateral channelsdistribution area in shoulder, or related main and collateral channels circulation in upper limb.This will provide a basis for acupoint syndrome differentiation of meridian and traditionalChinese medicine acupoint to acupuncture treat shoulder paralysis disease and methods forthe assistant diagnosis of shoulder paralysis disease.(3) The patients with different types of shoulder paralysis disease according to traditionalChinese medicine syndrome differentiation showed characteristic infrared thermal spectra(abnormal high or low temperature zone, the changed temperature related to the areas),indicating different pathological changes in the development of the wind cold dampness,siltation and stagnant and Qi deficiency syndrome. |
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