The Daily Variance in Impedance at Acupuncture Points

Kovich, Fletcher Korean AcupunctureMoxibustion Medicine Society 2018 Korean Journal of Acupuncture Vol.35 No.4

Background: Low electrical impedance at acupoints is a familiar concept, and it has also been found that this increases with poor organ function. Kovich hypothesizes that organ states are communicated to their related acupoints in real time, and this experiment set out to test this. Methods: The electrical impedance at 4 digestion-related acupuncture points (acupoints) was recorded over a 14-hour period and a food diary was recorded. The readings were taken in 23 sessions, between which the participant continued his usual daily routine. Results: The impedance at all the monitored acupoints varied considerably throughout the day, and the peaks were aligned with periods of high stomach activity. Conclusion: Variations in stomach function produced corresponding variations in the impedance at key stomach-related acupoints. However, the experiment was limited in that samples were only taken at around 30-minute intervals, and further investigations are needed to explore this phenomenon in more detail.

The Impedance Profile of Acupuncture Points

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2018 대한침구의학회지 Vol.35 No.3

Background: Reduced impedance at acupuncture points (acupoints) is a well-known phenomenon; and the impedance has been found to reduce further in relation to organ stress. The author hypothesises that any changes to an organ’s state or function are communicated to its related acupoints in real time. As part of a research project to demonstrate this communication, the impedance of several acupoints was studied in real time. Methods: The acupoints were located electrically, and a 40 kHz signal was used to sample the impedances. Samples were taken at each acupoint and also at a 6 mm radius. The sample rate was 1 kHz and the session lasted for 5 minutes. The results presented here were taken from a single patient. Results: The impedance at an acupoint’s centre frequently changed in an inverse relationship to the impedance at a 6 mm radius (i.e. when one goes up, the other goes down) and the left and right instance of the same acupoint usually displayed different impedance features. Conclusion: When studying the fine detail of real-time impedance samples taken from the centre of an acupoint and also from a 6 mm radius, this previously unreported contrary-motion phenomenon provides a useful tool to differentiate between artefact and genuine organ-related features in an impedance trace.

The Lungs’ Real-time States are Reflected in the Tissue at its Related Acupuncture Points

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2019 대한침구의학회지 Vol.36 No.2

Background: The intelligent tissue hypothesis on how acupuncture works, states that real-time organ states are reflected in the tissue at an organ’s related acupuncture points (acupoints). Any such changes in the tissue would produce corresponding changes in the impedance at those locations. Methods: To test this hypothesis in relation to the lungs, the impedance at key lung-related acupoints was monitored in real time while the patient breathed normally, then breathed deeply, then quickly, then held his breath. Results: When breathing deeply this produced a notable decrease in the impedance at 1 acupoint, while breathing quickly produced a decrease at another acupoint, suggesting that these different functions taxed different aspects of the lungs, which was then reflected at different acupoints. The impedance at all the acupoints also contained low-amplitude waves that reflected the base rate of the respiration pacesetter, and the amplitude of these waves also varied to reflect different real-time states in the lungs. Conclusion: These real-time impedance patterns suggested that corresponding physical patterns were present in the tissue at these acupoints, and these physical patterns mirrored the real-time variations in function strength of the related organ (the lungs). These results were consistent with the hypothesis.

The Impedance Profile of Acupuncture Points

Kovich, Fletcher Korean AcupunctureMoxibustion Medicine Society 2018 Korean Journal of Acupuncture Vol.35 No.3

Background: Reduced impedance at acupuncture points (acupoints) is a well-known phenomenon; and the impedance has been found to reduce further in relation to organ stress. The author hypothesises that any changes to an organ's state or function are communicated to its related acupoints in real time. As part of a research project to demonstrate this communication, the impedance of several acupoints was studied in real time. Methods: The acupoints were located electrically, and a 40 kHz signal was used to sample the impedances. Samples were taken at each acupoint and also at a 6 mm radius. The sample rate was 1 kHz and the session lasted for 5 minutes. The results presented here were taken from a single patient. Results: The impedance at an acupoint's centre frequently changed in an inverse relationship to the impedance at a 6 mm radius (i.e. when one goes up, the other goes down) and the left and right instance of the same acupoint usually displayed different impedance features. Conclusion: When studying the fine detail of real-time impedance samples taken from the centre of an acupoint and also from a 6 mm radius, this previously unreported contrary-motion phenomenon provides a useful tool to differentiate between artefact and genuine organ-related features in an impedance trace.

The Lungs' Real-time States are Reflected in the Tissue at its Related Acupuncture Points

Kovich, Fletcher Korean AcupunctureMoxibustion Medicine Society 2019 Korean Journal of Acupuncture Vol.36 No.2

Background: The intelligent tissue hypothesis on how acupuncture works, states that real-time organ states are reflected in the tissue at an organ's related acupuncture points (acupoints). Any such changes in the tissue would produce corresponding changes in the impedance at those locations. Methods: To test this hypothesis in relation to the lungs, the impedance at key lung-related acupoints was monitored in real time while the patient breathed normally, then breathed deeply, then quickly, then held his breath. Results: When breathing deeply this produced a notable decrease in the impedance at 1 acupoint, while breathing quickly produced a decrease at another acupoint, suggesting that these different functions taxed different aspects of the lungs, which was then reflected at different acupoints. The impedance at all the acupoints also contained low-amplitude waves that reflected the base rate of the respiration pacesetter, and the amplitude of these waves also varied to reflect different real-time states in the lungs. Conclusion: These real-time impedance patterns suggested that corresponding physical patterns were present in the tissue at these acupoints, and these physical patterns mirrored the real-time variations in function strength of the related organ (the lungs). These results were consistent with the hypothesis.

The Stomach’s Communication with Its Related Acupoints, and the “Intelligent Tissue” Hypothesis

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2019 대한침구의학회지 Vol.36 No.1

Background: The intelligent tissue hypothesis holds that an organ’s states (be it normal function or stressed states) are reflected in real time at its related acupuncture points (acupoints), causing physical, real-time changes in the local tissue. The experiment was devised to test this. Methods: The patient drank chilled water while the impedance at 6 stomach-related acupoints was monitored in real time (sample rate of 1 kHz). Any changes in the local tissue at the acupoints ought to be reflected in changes in the impedance. Results: The impedance at every test acupoint showed a response to the chilled water being ingested. Also, the duodenal pacesetter and the stomach’s slow waves were clearly visible in the impedance pattern at all the acupoints. Conclusion: Hence, many separate details of the stomach’s function were reflected at these acupoints. The duodenal features were consistent with the traditional indications for these acupoints, which are noted to be able to treat intestinal conditions. Therefore, the results were consistent with the hypothesis and also provided a possible explanation for how the use of these acupoints is able to treat intestinal conditions.

A New Definition of an Acupuncture Meridian

Fletcher Kovich 사단법인약침학회 2019 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.12 No.1

This article provides a new definition of an acupuncture meridian. It suggests that a meridian consists of a distal tract of tissue that is affected by organ function. In the 1960s, Kim discovered the primo vascular system and regarded the superficial primo vessels as equating to the meridians. Instead, this article suggests that the superficial primo vessels merely underlie the meridians, in that they enable their creation, which is why some meridians are said to occur along the paths of superficial primo vessels. But the meridians themselves do not have a dedicated anatomical structure; instead they are merely tracts of tissue whose normal function is impeded when the related abdominal organ is stressed. It is hypothesized that the organ information is communicated in electrical waves that may travel through the connective tissue sheaths of the superficial primo vessels. Hence, the primo vessels serve as an inadvertent transport for this information, but the organ information is independent of the physiological purpose of the primo vascular system, as are the resultant meridians.

The Daily Variance in Impedance at Acupuncture Points

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2018 대한침구의학회지 Vol.35 No.4

Background: Low electrical impedance at acupoints is a familiar concept, and it has also been found that this increases with poor organ function. Kovich hypothesizes that organ states are communicated to their related acupoints in real time, and this experiment set out to test this. Methods: The electrical impedance at 4 digestion-related acupuncture points (acupoints) was recorded over a 14-hour period and a food diary was recorded. The readings were taken in 23 sessions, between which the participant continued his usual daily routine. Results: The impedance at all the monitored acupoints varied considerably throughout the day, and the peaks were aligned with periods of high stomach activity. Conclusion: Variations in stomach function produced corresponding variations in the impedance at key stomach-related acupoints. However, the experiment was limited in that samples were only taken at around 30-minute intervals, and further investigations are needed to explore this phenomenon in more detail.

A Curious Oversight in Acupuncture Research

Fletcher Kovich 사단법인약침학회 2017 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.10 No.6

Common phenomena central to acupuncture have been overlooked by previous hypotheses on how acupuncture works, with the result that the hypotheses are unable to account for acupuncture's effects. This article describes the main features overlooked and suggests how these might be investigated in future acupuncture research.

What is the intelligent tissue theory, and how does it relate to acupuncture?

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2020 대한침구의학회지 Vol.37 No.4

The intelligent tissue theory states that organ information is conveyed on electromagnetic waves and these are interpreted by bodily tissue, so that real-time organ states are reflected in the tissue at each organ’s related meridian. The article describes the practical implications of this, how this relates to acupuncture, and how it accounts for the common acupuncture-related phenomena. The Chinese medicine notion of “chi” is also explored. Its history is described, including the 1970’s reinterpretation. The article suggests that both the Nei Jing and also the 1970’s model of how acupuncture works are merely metaphorical; do not describe reality; and that “chi” (which is central to these models) does not really exist. Alternative explanations are provided for all the common phenomena that are usually attributed to “chi”, and a simple account of how acupuncture works is given