Review of Experimental Studies on Midnight-Noon Ebb-Flow Acupuncture

Abstract

The progress in the experimental studies of midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture therapy was comprehensively and systematically reviewed in this paper. Searching CNKI, Wanfang databases and VIP from August 1957 to January 2013, it was found that a total of 233 articles had been published since 1950’s in three main areas: experimental verii cation of the specii c ef ects for points selected by midnight-noon ebb-l ow acupuncture methods(91 articles), experimental observation on the dif erent ef ects of acupuncture in dif erent time(72 articles) and experimental observation on the dif erent ef ects on rhythm with acupuncture at dif erent phase of rhythm(70 articles). However, the investigation has shown that the involved research work was not sui cient and in-depth, especially in the ideas and methods of the research, there were still some problems need to be solved. This paper expounded the scientii c value and academic signii cance of the experimental studies of midnight-noon ebb-l ow acupuncture therapy, comprehensively evaluated and discussed the achievements and shortcomings in previous research, and indicated that, applying the research methods of chronobiology and chronomedicine, employing modern science and technology, and exploring further the scientii c connotation of midnight-noon ebb-l ow theory, should be the basic train of thought for experimental study on midnight-noon ebb-l ow acupuncture therapy, the result will greatly promote the development of acupuncture and moxibustion.