Acupuncture as a bioinformatics science and a proposal for the recognition of a new law of nature “Law of therapeutic neuromodulation”
Affiliation(s)
Universidad Candegabe de Homeopatía, Argentina. Departamento de Disciplinas Pecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México.
Universidad Candegabe de Homeopatía, Argentina. Departamento de Disciplinas Pecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México.
ABSTRACT
Brain, an organ similar to a computer, is the ultimate director of the body1. This means that organs, tissues and cells are under its control and that these parts of the body do not control what happen to them. If the brain is functioning properly, we have health; and if it works wrongly a disease will show. Acting on the brain by neuromodulation, by means of acupuncture, homeopathy or even allopathic drugs can produce a therapeutic response. The purpose of this paper is to recognize this effect and propose a new Law of Cure which explains how several complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) systems work. In this theory, acupuncture works by stimulating peripheral sensory receptors and transmitting information to the brain which in turn will trigger a curative response to the affected organ. In this sense, acupuncture is an informatics system for a biological system, and therefore it could be considered part of the bioinformatics sciences, in the same idea that the brain is a living computer which has inputs and outputs and controls all process inside the body. In this paper we present the basis for this theory.
Brain, an organ similar to a computer, is the ultimate director of the body1. This means that organs, tissues and cells are under its control and that these parts of the body do not control what happen to them. If the brain is functioning properly, we have health; and if it works wrongly a disease will show. Acting on the brain by neuromodulation, by means of acupuncture, homeopathy or even allopathic drugs can produce a therapeutic response. The purpose of this paper is to recognize this effect and propose a new Law of Cure which explains how several complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) systems work. In this theory, acupuncture works by stimulating peripheral sensory receptors and transmitting information to the brain which in turn will trigger a curative response to the affected organ. In this sense, acupuncture is an informatics system for a biological system, and therefore it could be considered part of the bioinformatics sciences, in the same idea that the brain is a living computer which has inputs and outputs and controls all process inside the body. In this paper we present the basis for this theory.
Cite this paper
Zuno-Arce, A. and Haubi-Segura, C. (2012) Acupuncture as a bioinformatics science and a proposal for the recognition of a new law of nature “Law of therapeutic neuromodulation”. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 5, 597-601. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2012.510074.
Zuno-Arce, A. and Haubi-Segura, C. (2012) Acupuncture as a bioinformatics science and a proposal for the recognition of a new law of nature “Law of therapeutic neuromodulation”. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 5, 597-601. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2012.510074.
References
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(2005) Investigating Acupuncture Using Brain Imaging Techniques: The Current State of Play. eCAM, 2, 315-319. [23] Dhond, R.P., Kettner, N. and Napadow, V. (2007) Neuro- imaging acupuncture effects in the human brain. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6, 603-616. [24] Chiu, J.H., Chung, M.S., Cheng, H.C., Yeh, T.C., Hsieh, J.C., Chang, C.Y., Kuo, W.Y., Cheng, H. and Ho, L.T. (2003) Different central manifestations in response to electroacupuncture at analgesic and nonanalgesic acupoints in rats: a manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2, 94-101. [25] Yan, B., Li, K., Xu, J., Wang, W., Li, K., Liu, H., Shan, B. and Tang, X. (2005) Acupoint-specific fMRI patterns in human brain. Neuroscience Letters, 383, 236-240 [26] Woo, Y.M., Lee, M.S., Nam, Y., Cho, H.J. and Shin, B.C. (2006) Effects of contralateral electroacupuncture on brain function: A double-blind, randomized, pilot clinical trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12, 813-815. [27] Kong, J., Ma, L., Gollub, R.L., Wei, J., Yang, X., Li, D., Weng, X., Jia, F., Wang, C., Li, F., Li, R. and Zhuang, D. (2002) A pilot study of functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain during manual and electroacupuncture stimulation of acupuncture point (LI-4 Hegu) in normal subjects reveals differential brain activation between methods. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8, 399-401.
[1] Wikipedia Contributors (2012) Science. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science [2] Wikipedia Contributors (2012). Laws of nature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_Nature [3] Hahnemann, S. (1810) Organon of the medical art. http://www.homeopathyhome.com/reference/organon/organon.html [4] Vithoulkas, G. (1980) The science of homeopathy. Grove Press, New York. [5] Juliano, L. (1995) Laws of cure: Getting worse before getting better. http://www.reikistudio.com/law_of_cure.pdf [6] Maciocia, G. (1989) The foundations of Chinese medicine: A comprehensive text for acupunturists and herbalists. 2nd Edition, Churchil Livingston, Edinburgh. [7] Kaptchuk, T.J. (2000) The web that has no weaver: Understanding Chinese medicine. Contemporary Books, McGraw-Hill, New York. [8] Tietao, D. (2004) Practical diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine. Translated by Ergil, M. & Sumei, Y. Churchil Livingston, Edinburgh. [9] Xin-Nong, C. (2010) Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion. 3rd Edition, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing. [10] Xie, H. and Preast, V. (2007) Xie’s veterinary acupuncture. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames. [11] Aung, S.K.H. and Chen, WPD. (2006) Clinical introduction to medical acupuncture. Thieme Medical Publishers, New York. [12] WHO (1997) Acupuncture review and analysis of reprots on controlled clinical trials. WHO Consultation on Acupuncture, World Health Organization. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/s4926e/s4926e.pdf [13] Habacher, G., Pittler, M.H. and Ernst, E. (2008) Effectiveness of acupuncture in veterinary medicine: Systematic review. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 20, 480-488. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2006.tb02885.x/pdf [14] Singh, S. and Ernest, E. (2008) Trick or treatment: The undeniable facts about alternative medicine. Bantam Books, UK. [15] National Institutes of Health (1997) Acupuncture. NIH Consensus Statement, 3-5 November 1997, 15, 1-34. [16] Omura, Y. (1989) Connections found between each meridian (heart, stomach, triple burner, etc.) & organ representation area of corresponding internal organs in each side of the cerebral cortex; release of common neuro-transmitters and hormones unique to each meridian and corresponding acupuncture point & internal organ after acupuncture, electrical stimulation, mechanical stimulation (including shiatsu), soft laser stimulation or QI Gong. Acupuncture & Electrotherapeutics Research, 14, 155- 186. [17] Yoshimoto, K., Fukuda, F., Hori, M., Kato, B., Kato, H., Hattori, H., Tokuda, N., Kuriyama, K., Yano, T. and Yasuhara M. (2006) Acupuncture stimulates the release of serotonin, but not dopamine, in the rat nucleus accumbens. Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 208, 321-326. [18] International Neuromodulation Society (2012) which has an indexed Journal: Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. http://www.neuromodulation.com [19] Zuno Arce, A.A. (2005) Homeopatía e Informática: Bio-informática: Manejo curativo de la computadoracerebro. Ed. Andrés Amado Zuno Arce, Guadalajara, México. http://www.librosdehomeopatia.es [20] Prahlad, V. and Morimoto, R.I., (2011) Neuronal circuitry regulates the response of Caenorhabditis elegans to misfolded proteins. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/08/10/1106557108.abstract. [21] Hui, K.K., Liu, J., Makris, N., Gollub, R.L., Chen, A.J., Moore, C.I., Kennedy, D.N., Rosen, B.R. and Kwong, K.K. (2000) Acupuncture modulates the limbic system and subcortical gray structures of the human brain: Evidence from fMRI studies in normal subjects. Human Brain Mapping, 9,13-25. [22] Lewith, G.T., White, P.J. and Pariente, J. (2005) Investigating Acupuncture Using Brain Imaging Techniques: The Current State of Play. eCAM, 2, 315-319. [23] Dhond, R.P., Kettner, N. and Napadow, V. (2007) Neuro- imaging acupuncture effects in the human brain. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6, 603-616. [24] Chiu, J.H., Chung, M.S., Cheng, H.C., Yeh, T.C., Hsieh, J.C., Chang, C.Y., Kuo, W.Y., Cheng, H. and Ho, L.T. (2003) Different central manifestations in response to electroacupuncture at analgesic and nonanalgesic acupoints in rats: a manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, 2, 94-101. [25] Yan, B., Li, K., Xu, J., Wang, W., Li, K., Liu, H., Shan, B. and Tang, X. (2005) Acupoint-specific fMRI patterns in human brain. Neuroscience Letters, 383, 236-240 [26] Woo, Y.M., Lee, M.S., Nam, Y., Cho, H.J. and Shin, B.C. (2006) Effects of contralateral electroacupuncture on brain function: A double-blind, randomized, pilot clinical trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12, 813-815. [27] Kong, J., Ma, L., Gollub, R.L., Wei, J., Yang, X., Li, D., Weng, X., Jia, F., Wang, C., Li, F., Li, R. and Zhuang, D. (2002) A pilot study of functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain during manual and electroacupuncture stimulation of acupuncture point (LI-4 Hegu) in normal subjects reveals differential brain activation between methods. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8, 399-401.