Morphological Basis of Peripheral Cold-Action (Cooling) in Acupuncture

Author(s): C. , C., V. , M., M. , A., V. , D. A.

Journal/Book: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur. 1994; 37/4: 91-93.

Abstract: The thermosensors in the skin and the deep body tissues are divided into two groups: specific and non-specific thermosensorsl The specific thzermosensors include the simple sensory nerve formations (SNF - "free nerve endings") and aborizations. They are located in the epidermis, epithelium and deep tissues. The non-specific thermosensors for cooling, determined to date, are Ruffini SNF, some muscle spindles, Merkel complexes and some Herbst and Pacinian corpuscles. The "secondary" ability of slowly adapting Mechanosensors is made possible by the presence of thin nerve fibers (up to 10µm). In some Herbst (birds) and Pacinian corpuscles (mammals) with rapid adaptation this ability can be explained by presence of thin accessory nerve fibers. These fibers were also found in some Meissner, glomerular, simple lamellar and Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles. The authors therefore suspected non-specific thermosensors for cold in these corpuscles, too. Information on cooling is important for the survival af warm-blooded animals. The presence of complicated mechanosensors is not necassary for different kinds of stimuli perception since the simple SNF and aborizations serve the different modalities. The peripheral morphological basis of ear acupuncture can also be explained in this way.

Keyword(s): Thermosensoren, spriphere Kälteperception, Kältestimulation bei Akupunktur.

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