Sarajevo seminar

1.Evropskog simpozija o hidžami, Sarajevo 6.i 7.maja 2006.godine

Adequacy of the Variety of the Doctrinal Theories of Alternative Medical Systems

Lj. Ristovski, Farmaceutski fakultet, Beograd
e_mail: malnik11@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: If one take into account that have been identified almost 100 different bioenergies, corresponding to
as much different culture traditions and local putative medical systems, it could be easily understood the actual
controversial situation in alternative medicine. Therefore there is a variety of doctrinal descriptions of the
bioenergies in different AM systems, which are expressed in different terms and vocabularies, because their
origins belong to the different culture traditions. This variety of doctrinal descriptions of the bioenergy, being the
fundamental entity of any AM system that uses it, leads to the irreconcilable differences between the different AM
systems, as well as between the majority of them and actual science. However, the supporters of some AM
systems exert a trend to express the contents of theirs doctrines using the terms and vocabulary of actual science.
In this way, they facilitates the beginning of a dialog with actual science, as well as the reaffirmation of many
very serious and relevant scientific investigations of the phenomena in alternative medicine, which are
accomplished during last almost five decades on the periphery of the actual science. Namely, these investigations
were ignored by the elite science, which even now days consider the alternative medicine, as well as the scientists
which are interested in its phenomena, as an area of pseudo-science and the delusions. On other side, the belief of
the supporters of AM systems was also ignorant, because the results of mentioned scientific investigations did not
confirm their doctrines. In the further, it will be considered the variations of AM doctrines which manifest an
interest to establish a dialog with actual science by accepting the terms and vocabulary of actual science,
independently on the manner by that the doctrine content is expressed. However, this approach does not imply the
ignorance of AM systems with rigid doctrine because, as it will be seen, it is possible to classify all AM systems
in manner which reduces the evident diversity.

Introduction

In spite of all obstacles which it was faced with, the Eastern traditional medicine, developed
and traditionally applied during the last two millennium in China, Korea and India, has an
evident place in the Western medical practice. This does not means that the obstacles are not
present yet, because there are a lot of problems which must be solved. One of the most difficult
is the skepticism of many Western physicians and scientists, because at the moment there is not
an acceptable scientific explanation of the effects of its therapies. There are opinions that the
main problem is misunderstanding which came out from the different world view and different
vocabularies of the Western and Eastern science and scientist, although it is evident that there
is not Western or Eastern science, but the unique actual science only.
There are numerous attempts to translate the Eastern traditional theory on the language of the
actual science, although it is evident that it is not possible to translate the esoteric explanation
written a few thousand years ago on a language of the contemporary science [Uritam]. For
example, let us mention the attempt to explain the basically properties of five elements as a
manifestation of the particular energies: warm, soft, cool or slippery energy [Dong]. The
Eastern five element or yin yang theory is in some sense the gnosis, expressed in terms and
vocabulary of metaphysic. Therefore, although there are no suspicions that Eastern medical
tradition is very effective in some medical areas, and therefore accepted as alternative medical
treatments in the Western medicine, remain a lot unanswered questions and suspicions about
the theoretical explanations of the origin and fundaments of the oriental medical methods.

The penetration of the Eastern traditional medical systems, which belong to the alternative
medicine, into the Western medical practice has induced the arising of many other alternative
medical systems, where only a part of them are officially accepted. Anyone of these alternative
medical systems, as well as anyone of the Eastern traditional system, is based on its particular
doctrine, that role is to give theoretical explanations of the applied medical system.

It is evident, even on the first sight, that the most fundamental concept in the theoretical
doctrines of practically all traditional, as well as new alternative medical systems (AM system
in the farther) is some particular subtle energy. Therefore, all these AM systems could be
joined to the energy medicine, what means that alternative medicine is in fact part of the
energy medicine. This subtle form of energy is known under different names in different AM
systems, such as vital force, life force, etheric energy, orgone, odic force, Qi, Ki, Prana, Mana,
Doshas, homeopathic resonance, etc. The AM practitioners believe that illness results from
disturbances of the corresponding subtle energy and their therapy is believed to act to reinstate
health by correcting energy imbalances, because the unperturbed flow and balance of subtle
energy is necessary for maintaining the health.

Taking into account the properties of the energies that they use, the medical systems or
subsystems, alternative and official as well, could be divided in two sets. The first is the set of
official medicine subsystems which deal with physical, measurable energies (mechanical,
thermal, magnetic, electric and electromagnetic energy). There are many established
application of these energies to diagnose or to treat diseases (magnetic resonance imaging,
ultrasound, pacemakers, radiation therapy, magnetic therapy, sound waves therapy, millimeter
waves therapy, light therapy, etc.). To the second set belong practically all traditional AMS
systems, as well as some relatively modern AM systems (homeopathy, neural therapy), where
all of them deals with pseudo-physical (putative) energies (bioenergies in the further).

If one take into account that have been identified almost 100 different bioenergies,
corresponding to as much different culture traditions and local putative medical systems, it
could be easily understood the actual situation in alternative medicine. Therefore there is a
variety of doctrinal descriptions of the bioenergy in different AM systems, which are expressed
in different terms and vocabularies, because their origins belong to the different culture
traditions. This variety of doctrinal descriptions of the bioenergy, being the fundamental entity
of any AM system that uses it, leads to the irreconcilable differences between the different AM
systems, as well as between the majority of them and actual science. In the further the
differences between the actual science and the most popular AM systems will be considered
only.
.Although there has always been an interest to detect the variety of bioenergies by the physical
equipment and to describe their properties using the terms and theories of modern physics, the
supporter of the majority of the traditional AM doctrines claim that they are too subtle to be
measured by any scientific equipment. This means that the unique equipment for this purpose
is the sensitivity of some human being - extrasens having particular abilities to see or to feel
the bioenergies. However, if the bioenergies could not be measured by scientific equipments, it
means that the essential truth concerning their properties is inaccessible for ordinary human
being. Such a truth belong to the scope of metaphysics, having the contents which are
inaccessible for the human being, because there are behind the endmost border of the mind and
scientific borders, which are always determined by the scope of the scientific experiments, In
other word, the claim that some bioenergy is out of the scope of science, means that it is
metaphysic entity. Therefore any statement concerning the properties of a bioenergy perceived
in this manner is not the announcing of an usual human cognition, but a promulgation that is
reserved for Prophets only, because they could reach up the contents belonging to the scope of
metaphysics. Belief that the therapists of some AM system have supernatural ability, often
described by the science vocabulary, creates confusion that causes theology to be mistaken for
science.

Nevertheless, mentioned set of AM system dealing with bioenergies could be divided in two
subsets. The AM systems which belong to the first subset have rigid persisting doctrines, what
means that although their vocabulary belongs to the far past, it remains unchanged and
therefore completely inappropriate for any reasonable communication with the actual medicine
and science. On other side, to the second subset belong the AM systems which have flexible
doctrines, what means that they accept (at least!) to express their content using the terms of the
contemporary science, although their meanings are misinterpreted. In this way, these AM
systems manifest an interest to establish a meaningful dialog with actual science that is always
useful for both of the parts.

The trend of the supporters of some AM systems to express the contents of theirs doctrines
using the terms and vocabulary of actual science enables the reaffirmation of many very
serious and relevant scientific investigations of the phenomena in alternative medicine, which
are accomplished during last almost five decades on the periphery of the actual science.
Namely, these investigations were ignored by the elite science, which even now days consider
the alternative medicine, as well as the scientists which are interested in its phenomena, as an
area of pseudoscience and the delusions. On other side, the belief of the supporters of AM
systems was also ignorant, because the results of mentioned scientific investigations did not
confirm their doctrines. In the further, it will be considered the variations of AM doctrines
which manifest an interest to establish a dialog with actual science by accepting the terms and
vocabulary of actual science, independently on the manner by that the doctrine content is
expressed. However, this approach does not imply the ignorance of AM systems with rigid
doctrine because, as it will be seen, it is possible to classify all AM systems in manner which
reduces the evident diversity.

The Bioenergies and the Biofields

In this chapter will be mentioned and discussed the statements and data concerning the
bioenergies, which are either obtained in the scientific experiments or, independently of its
origin, if they are expressed in terms of actual science. In the second case it is necessary to
take into account that the majority of the modern version of the traditional doctrines, being
assigned as scientific, contain confusing and mystical concepts which, and that is only novelty,
are expressed using the vocabulary of actual science mostly with false interpreted terms.
However, it should be mentioned that the majority of the papers and books devoted to the AM
systems and their doctrines bring the hypothesis and the experiment results concerning the
physiological correlates of the therapists, what means that the object of the investigations was
not the therapy itself and their effects, but the particular physiological and physical properties
of the therapists.

1. Kirlian photography, accidentally discovered in 1939., which is the photo-imaging of

the gas discharge in a high-voltage electric field, remains up to nawdays very often
assigned as a crutial scientific evidence of the aura and biofield existence, although it is
many time repeated that what is recorded is due to natural phenomenon, depending on the
known way of the known quantities: electrical field, ionized gas, moistur and
temperature. Namely, if a photo is taken in the vacuum, where ionized gas and moistur are
not present, Kirlian image does not appear (Hines 2003). The differences between the
Kirlian images taken before and after energetic therapeutic treatment (Oschman JL.;
2000.), which could be explained in a same way, are relatively new argument of the
suporters of the still persistent belief that the bioenergy field of each living being extends
beyond the surface of the body and generates an aura.

Although the Kirlian corona, previously assigned as aura, is misinterpreted in alternative

medicine, my opinion is that should not be ignored its importance in the history of energy
medicine. It shows that any life system, due to its evident electric properties, interacts
with the external electromagnetic field and that interactions depends on external ambient
conditions (air electric properties, air moistur, pressure, temperature). These facts has
indicated that the starting points in the scientific investigations of the AM systems, which
belong to the energy medicine, must be the energetic properties of human body and the
influence of the external fields on them.

2. During the therapeutic touch sessions were measured the emissions from the hands of
experienced practitioners of a few AM systems and the results show the emission of
frequency-pulsing electromagnetic (biomagnetic!) field, 1000 times greater than the
strongest known human electromagnetic field (Zimmerman J. 1990). The electromagnetic
fields of the same magnitude and frequency range (2 Hz - 50 Hz) were tested in medical
research laboratories for use in speeding the healing process of certain biological tissues
(Sisken 1995).
3. In the measuring during the non-contact therapists were found body-potential of
negative polarity ranging from 4 volts to 190 volts ( Beal, 1996), while the temperature of
the therapist emitting palm is decreased comparing to the temperature of his contra lateral
palm (Tanaka & al., 2001).
4. Measurements taken during the therapeutic touch sessions, show that gamma radiation
levels markedly decreased during the sessions at every body site of 100% tested subjects
and It has been hypothesized that this is consequence of the self-regulation energy process
within the body and the surrounding electromagnetic field, induced, as it was assumed, by
the body's primary gamma emitter, potassium-40 (K40) (Benford. 2001).
5. Concerning the mechanism of the therapeutic touch healing, it should be mentioned
the studies which, it could be sed so, show that energy fields from one person can interact
with energy fields of other people. When one person touch another one, the touch is
 registered on the the second person's electrocardiograph and electroencephalogram
(Russek 1996).
6. At the end let us mention the biophotons, firstly introduced 1922 by Alexander
Gurvich, which, as it was assumed, serve as the main communication means and regulator
of all life processes and . There are the experiments which demonstrate that separated
living cells by quartz glass are still able to communicate vital cell information by
biophoton transfer (Rubik, 1993). Biophotons are constantly released and absorbed by the
DNA in every cell, tissue and organ within the body. Their emission have been
demonstrated in many species, with a spectrum ranging from infrared to ultraviolet
(Yanagawa, 2000).

Although it was not mentioned, the listed experiments data concerns the bioenergies used in
different AM systems, because the therapist of different systems have been included in the
realization of the these experiments, as it is case in the experiments described in the
paragraphs 2-4. On other side, it is worth to note that the Kirlian images have been used as
scientific proof of the existence of a few bioenergies in some traditional AM systems, which
have metaphysical doctrines. This is curious because to accept the proof of this type is same
as to accept that the corresponding bioenergy is not putative, but physical electromagnetic
energy. Finally, it should be also mentioned that are omitted all bioenergies which have not be
investigated in some partly or completely relevant experiments, like Sheldrake morphogenetic
field and the torsion electromagnetic field, where both of them, as it was postulated, that
convey information without transmitting energy.

The Energies and the Fields

Let us consider the results of the scientific investigations of the influence of the
electromagnetic radiation on live beings. All results which will be mentioned in the further are
taken from two Russian books (Ismailov E.S. 1987, Presman A.S. 1968), where Presman is
known as founder of Electromagnetic biology, which has three main parts: influence of the
external electromagnetic radiation on live beings, the influence of the electromagnetic
processes on the processes in live beings and mutual electromagnetic interaction of live
beings.

The live beings, as well as all parts of the human body, including the cell parts, have particular
electric properties which are very important in the maintaining of all vital activities. The
biomolecules (macromolecules), the proteins, cell membranes and many other more
complicated biostructures are electric dipoles, because they have asymmetrical distribution of
the electric charges. The intercellular liquid is an electrolit, the electric charges (K and Na ions)
permanently migrate through the cell membranes, as well as the nervous electric impulses are
permanently driving along the neurons in all parts of human body and, finally, there is not a
process in the human body in which the electric properties could be neglected. Contrary to this,
the experimental data show that the magnetic properties of all these systems and sybsystems
could be completelly neglected.

The influence of th electromagnetic waves on the live being, especially on the human body
tissues, is determined by the frequency and energy of waves, as well as by the
electromagnetical properties of iradiated tissue and the proper frequences of its parts, cells and
macromoleculs. Namelly, any brief exertion of the electric field on the charged part of the
macromolecules or cells enforces their proper oscilations with corresponding proper frequency,
that is determined by the mechanical properties of these oscilators. On the Table 1. are given
the proper frequences of some biostructures, free water molecules and linked water
molecules, i.e. the molecules which are, due to the dipol-dipol interaction, linked to the
biostructures, like it is the cell membrane.

The proper frequences of water and some biostructures (Hz)

Free water molecules 1010
Linked water molecules 108 - 109
Polar phospholipide head in cell membrane 109
COO-, NH3 and other functional groups 1010 - 1011
Table 1.

The permanent exertion of the oscilatory time dependent electric field, like it is the electriic
field of the electromagnetic wave, enforces any oscilator to oscilate with the frequency of the
electric field (forced oscilation). The maximal aplitudes of these forced oscilations is in the
case of resonance, when the frequency of the electric field is equal to the proper frequency of
the oscilator.

All iradiated human tissues apsorbs the EMW energy, but not equaly, because the absorption
depends on the electromechanical properties of tissue and on the EMW frequency . This is
ilustrated on the Fig 1, that represents the apsorption spectrum of DNA components and DNA
itself (absorption is in relative units).

Fig 1.

The apsorption spectrum is a particular inherent property of any system, alive or not, that
determines how it absorbs the different parts of the spectrum. As it can be seen, DNA has the
maximum of absorption for EMW having wavelength 260nm. This means that the EMW
having the frequency of about 1016Hz exerts the most intensive influence on the processes in
DNA. It is worth to note that the order of magnitude of that wavelength is of the same order as
the magnitude of DNA. However, this is not a curiousity, because it is, in some sense, a
general rule: the most intensive influence of the EMW on a particular system arises when the
magnitude of the EMW wavelength and the dimension of the system are of the same or near
order, as it is shown on the Table 2.

Frequency (Hz) Wavelength (nm) The same dimension has...

8 9
10 10 (=1m) Human body
1010 107 (=1cm) Some glands
1012 - 1014 103 - 101 Cell
1014 -1016 101 -102 Molecule, Amino acid
1016 -1019 10-2 - 101 Nucleus
Table 2.

The main role in the process of apsorptioon of EMW in human tissues has the water. Thus, as
it can be seen on Table 3, water apsorbs 90% - 98% of the total apsorbed energy in tissue if the
frequency of the EMW is 1010 - 1011Hz. However, these energy is not apsorbed by free water
molecules, but by the water linked water molecules. These linked water molecules are
dominantly responsible for apsorption of EMW that results in termal heating of the human
tissues. The rest of the totally absorbed energy, i.e. the non-thermal absorption, is an resonant
absorption, that is consequence of the resonant interaction of the electric field with the intrinsic
tissue oscilators.

The apsorption of EMW energy by water into human tissues

(cm)
Frequency (Hz) 109 1010 1011
Wave length 10 1 0.1
(cm) 10-5 10-4 10-3
Photon energy (ev)
Part of the apsorbed
50% 90% 98%
energy by water
Table 3.

The absorption decreases the penetrenation depth of the EMW in tissues. As the absorption rate
depends of the properties of the absorber, therefore the penetration of EMW is different in
different human tissue, as it is shown on Table 4.

The penetration depth of EMW into human tissues (cm)

Frequency (Hz) 108 109 1010 1011
Wave length 100 10 1 0.1
(cm) 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3
Photon energy (ev)
Skeen 3.8 1.6 0.2 0.01
Fat tissue 20.5 6.4 1.1 0.3
Muscles 3.45 1.5 0.3
Table 4.

It is important to note that the penetration depth of the EMW waves which frequency is in the
range 108 Hz - 1012Hz, which are verified to have the most intensive influence on live systems,
are absorbed in dermis, what means, consequently, that they can not affect the processes in the
internal sommatic structure of the human body.

Fig.2.

As it was mentioned above, the most intensive influence on the biological processes in live
systems have the electromagnetic waves which frequencies are in the interval from 108 Hz
(wavelength 1m) to 1012Hz (wavelength 0.1 mm). As it can be seen on the Fig. 2, these
electromagnetic waves belong to the invisible part of the spectrum that is between the far
infrared and FM waves. The iradiation of the tissues with EMW having the frequency from
about 108 Hz increases the tissue temperature, what means that these EMW dominantly exert
the thermal influence on the human tissues. Dominantly because besides these thermal effects,
the non-thermal effects are present as well, induced by the resonant and non-resonant, that
means selective, interaction of the cell membranes, proteins, biomoleculs and other functional
groups with the electric field of EMW. The non-termal influence of EMW on human tissue, as
it is confirmed, does not depends on the energetic properties of the EMW, but on its wave
properties (frequency, modulation frequency, etc.). Finally, it is important to note that the
photon energy of the EMW-s which frequencies belong to the biologically relevant range from
108 Hz to 1012Hz do not exceed 10-12eV, what means that in the tissues iradiated with these
waves could not arise the quantum processes, like photoinactivation, photodenaturation or
photodestruction, that changes the structure and function of the biomolecules.

The collected experimental data show that the most important influence on the biological
processes have the non-termal and low-energy EMW-s. Thus, the iradiation of the neuron with
EMW-s, with frequency in the range (1,5-4,5)x1011 Hz, being modulated by the sinusoidal
wave with frequency in the range (1-20)Hz, during 20 minutes could decreases the treshold
potential and amplitude of the nervous impuls from 30% - 90%. The iradiation of the human
brain with the same waves, provokes the migration of calcium ions 45Ca2+ from neurons.

The Bioenergies and the Energies

As it is asserted in the doctrines of many AM systems, the main properties of any bioenergy
are: it is tight connected with life itself, what means no life, no bioenergy; it is dynamical
quantity that vibrates, what means it changes in time and space; it is subtle and therefore
inaccessable for the scientific equipments. However, as it was mentioned previously, these
assertive statements are going to change, because a numerous experimental data, which are
obtained in the scientific measurements of the energies, that means electromagnetic waves, are
accepted as relevant proofs that bioenergy really exists. This, first of all, is a direct agreement
that the bioenergy is accessable for the scientific equipments and, more preciselly, that
bioenergy is in fact the energy of the quite usual electromagnetic waves! In other word,
bioenergy = energy, and biofield = electromagnetic field.

Of course, there are yet many rigid supporters of the traditional doctrines, which do not accept
these conclusions, first of all among them the most crucial conclusion that the bioenergy is
accessable for the scientific equipments. Neverthelless, they accept, because it is their
assertion, that the bioenergy vibrates, i.e. it changes in time and space. This means that it is the
energy of some biowaves, very subtle biowaves but waves. As any other waves, these subtle
biowaves have some frequency range and therefore a corresponding place in the spectrum
presented on the Fig 2. Strictly speking, that frequency range is not presented on that figure,
because it contains the frequencies of the non-subtle waves which are accessible for the
scientific equipments. Consequently, their place in that spectrum could be somewhere on the
left side only, that corresponds to the extra high frequencies, because on the right side there is
no place - the most low frequency is 1Hz. The energy of the corresponding photons
(biophotons) of these biowaves will be extremelly large (at least 107ev), higher of the energy of
gamma radiation, and therefore they will be very danger and destructive. In other word, if the
biowaves are such or simmilar, it will be very healthful to be in or near the nuclear reactor,
what is out of mind.

These facts are not given to assert the statements that the biowaves do not exist at all. Of
course, there are many experimental evidences, they exist, but they are not some particular
form of waves, because all their known properties show that they are electromagnetic waves.
There is one possibility more: to accept that biowaves are the electromagnetic waves, because
there is no other real possibility, but to refuse to accept that they are accessible for the
scientific equipments, what means that they have extremelly low intensity. It is possible, but
even in that case their existence could be indirectly confirmed by the investigations of their
effects during the therapeutic sessions. This must be carefully considered, because, as it was
mentioned in the prevous part of this paper, the most important influence on the biological
processes have the non-termal and low-energy EMW-s. Evenmore, there are experimental data
which show that the devices which emit the electromagnetic waves with extra low intensity of
about 10-20 W/m2, have impresive therapeutic effects (Sit’ko S.P. 1994).

Taking into account the previous considerations, I am inclened to derive the following
conclusions:
1. All available experimental data, scientific as well as pseudo-scientific, confirm the
assertion that anyone biofield is the electromagnetic field that propagates through the space
as the electromagnetic waves.
2. The electromagnetic waves, which could be joined to the all known biofields, have the
frequences in the range 108 Hz - 1012Hz and very low intensity.
3. All different bioenergies, which are used in different AM systems and therefore have
different names, are the same above mentioned electromagnetic energy. This means that Qi
is Ki, as well as it is Prana, as well as it is Mana and so on. Many names for a single
entity.
4. A single bioenergy means a single alternative medical therapy, i.e. all AM systems
which belong to the energy medicine deal with same bioenergy, have the same aim: to
restore the most appropriate energy state, that corresponds to the health state, although
using different means and therapetic procedures, that will be analysed in the next part of
the paper.
The Number of different AM Systems in Energy Medicine

Let us consider the last conclusion from the previous part of the paper that a single bioenergy
means a single alternative medical therapy, i.e. all AM systems which belong to the energy
medicine do the same using slightly different means and therapetic procedures.

The main aim of all AM therapies in energy medicine, that is to restore the energy balance, is
fullfiled by some kind of manipulation with bioenergy, that depends on the AM system itself.
In acupuncture that is the stimulation of the acu points with different means (needle, moxa,
acupresure, grains, cupping), in Qi-Gong is the energy transfer from therapist to the patient, in
Yoga it is fullfiled by meditation, in therapeutic touch by the laying the therapist palms on
patient’s body etc. In all these mentioned, as well as in all non mentioned therapetic technique,
is beleaved that restoring of the patient’s energy balance could be reached by the increasing of
his bioenergy only and by the removing the obstacles which disturb its flow in the body. In
other word, in all therapeutic treatments in energy medicine some enery should be imported in
the patient’s body. The question arises: is it possible to import the energy from outside in all
part of the human body, that will be a benefactor for the physiological processes?

From the point of view of the actual science, the answer on the previous question is very
simple: such a energy could not penetrate in the human body deeper then a few centimeters,
what means that it could be penetrated in the dermis only. If this is true, the question is: what is
the real mechanism of the therapeutic treatments in energy medicine?

The mentioned valid experimental data, which show that the penetration of the EMW in the
human body does not exceed the dermis, enforce the conclusion that the secret of the process
of restoring the energy (health) state is hiden in the physical processes which arise in the
dermis. This conclusion could be supported by the fact that the acupuncture does not need the
needle, that is usually considered as some energy antenna, because it could be supstituted by
grain. Evenmore, the self-acupuncture, based on the self-acupressure of the acu points,
demonstrates that energy should not be imported from outside. The only answer that solve all
these contraversal problems is the following one: all mentioned AM system are based on the
trans-cutanous stimulation (TC in th efurther) of some specific parts of the dermis
(skeen).However, this answer implies a new contraversal question: how is possible to influence
the state of the inner sommatic by the stimulation of skeen. The aim of this part of the paper is
remove these contraversions and to confirm the statement that the therapies in energy
medicine are based on the TC stimulation of some particular skeen segments.

At the beginning, it is worth to mention again that the iradiation of the neuron with low-energy
EMW-s, with frequency in the range (1,5-4,5)x1011 Hz, during 20 minutes could decreases the
treshold potential and amplitude of the nervous impuls from 30% - 90%. Besides this, even the
silky touch of the skeen is enough to excite a nervous impuls, as well as the minor change of
external temperature could excite it, and, finally as well as the Qi-Gong or distant healer
therapy changes the skeen temperature or provokes the feeling of some waves traveling along
the dermis. This demonstrates that the nervous impuls in the neurons in the dermis could be
easily provoked. Let us now explain how is possible to influence the state of the inner
sommatic by the stimulation of skeen.
Any transcutaneous therapy is based on the stimulation of the particular dermotomes (skeen
segments), that changes the external conditions of the organism, being handled by the nervous
system with its peripheral nervous receptors and then transferred to particular centers in central
nervous system (CNS in the further) by the afferent sensory pathways. The transfer of the
external noxious or nonnoxious stimulus toward the internal CNS centers, which is manifested
as a pain or nonpain perception, has a few stages. The first one corresponds to the activation of
the sensory nervous terminations (receptors), i.e. to the creation of the nervous impuls due to
the transformation of the energy of the initially stimulus (mechanical, electric, chemical etc.) in
the chimio electric energy. The transmission of the created nervous impuls toward the CNS
centers is along the sensory pathway which usually consists of three neurons.

However, the function of the nervous system is not only to register the stimulus, which is
caused by the changes of the external conditions in the environment, but also to answer to it
using the efferent neurons and effectors. This answer means the accomplishment of the basic
function of the nervous system: handling of the changes of external conditions and
accommodation to these changes. All these activities are functionally accomplished through
the particular reflex arches (reflexes in the farther). As the functions of the nervous systems
could be completely accomplished on different levels, the reflexes could be less or more
complicate, where the level depends on the type of the control centers included in the reflex.
The simple reflexes are accomplished on the spinal cord level, the more complicate is the
reflex which includes the hypothalamic control centers, while the most complicate reflexes
include the cortical control centers as well.
Every reflex could be considered as a closed neuron loop, which consists of a different number
of neurons. However, the particular reflex does not contains always the same set of neurons,
because the closure of the particular neuron loop is determined by the synapses states on the
way of the nervous impuls, which passes through the most ready synapses, i.e. through the
synapses which are in the most appropriate state for impuls transfer. Therefore, the different
closing of the particular reflex, which is activated by the stimulation of the particular
dermotom, could be effectuated through the different neuron loops with different neurons and,
evenmore, with different number of neurons end synapses in the loop.

Fig. 3

The neuron-neuron connections are synaptic, where there are axon-axon, axon-dendrite and
dendrite-dendrite connections all of them through the synapses. If one take into account that
there are less neurons then dendrites and synapses, it follows that every neuron could be con-
nected with less or more other neurons, what is confirmed by the existence of so called
polysynaptic reflexes. The polysynaptic reflex, as that one which is presented on Fig 3, consists
of a sensory afferent neuron A, which diverges on more spinothalamic polysynaptic pathways
B, C, D, E and F. These spinothalamic polysynaptic pathways could converge on a single (a) or
on more efferent neurons (b). In the first case there is prolonged reaction of the efferent
neuron, because it is prolonged the arriving of the afferent nervous impulses along the
pathways. Namely, the nervous impuls which drives along the pathway with smallest number
of neurons and synaptic neuron connections will arrive first at the synaptic connection with the
efferent neuron, while the time delays of the impulses from other pathways depend on the
number of neurons which they contain.

Fig. 4.

Due to the existence of the multiple neuron – neuron connections, every nervous impuls
driving along the particular neuron can diverges on more other neurons (the divergence effect,
Fig 4a), as well as impulses from many neurons can converges to a single neuron (the
convergence effect, Fig 4b). Therefore it is possible the situation where numerous afferent
nerves from the different viscera and different peripheral dermotomes or other somatic
structures converge to a particular spinothalamic neuron which serve all these nerves. In this
case, it is possible the false alloting of the visceral pain, which could be projected on some
somatic structure or dermotom as referred pain, that will be considered later.
 Fig. 5.

On the Fig 5. are represented two spinothalamic neurons (a,b), one peripheral afferent neuron
arriving from a particular dermotom (c) and another afferent neuron arriving from a particular
viscera (d), which diverges on both spinothalamic neurons through the terminations (e) and (f).
The presence of the nervous impulses in the excitation termination (f) decrease the activation
treshold potential of spinothalamic neuron (b) for the impulses arriving along the peripheral
neuron (c), i.e. the impulses in the afferent neuron (d), arriving from the viscera, facilitates the
activities of the afferent neuron (c). Therefore, if the neural impulses are present in the visceral
neuron (c), an undertreshold neural activities in the peripheral neuron (c) excites the impulses
in the spinothalamic neuron (c), which transferred into the brain give a perception of referred
pain, mentioned above, which is false allotted to the dermotom instead of to the viscera.

Fig. 6.

As it was mentioned previously, the answer (reaction) to the external stimulation is transferred
along the efferent sensory pathways from the CNS toward the stimulated dermotome and
toward the viscera that is functionally connected with it. This is possible due to the existence of
viscerocutaneous and cutaneosvisceral reflexes, which connect the viscera with particular skin
segments. The viscerocutaneous reflexes are the neuron pathways which connect the viscera
with dermotomes and thus allow the projection of the visceral diseases on these dermotomes.
On other side, the cutaneosvisceral reflexes are the neuron pathways which allows to act on the
viscera by the stimulation of the appropriate skin zone. These connections, which project the
visceral pains on the particular dermotomes and allow to blockade it by the stimulation of these
zones (Head,s zones), has been first described by Sir Henry Head at the end of the 19. century
[Sinclair]. The description of this phenomenon, which is known as referred pain phenomenon,
is based on the assumption that the referred pain arises in the case when the viscera (inner
somatic structure) and the dermotom are innervated and supplied by the same spinal cord (Fig
6.). This cutaneous-viscera functional connection on the neural level arises between the
dermotom and viscera which develop from same embryonal segment in the embryogenesis. For
example, the traditional example of referred pain is the projection of the myocardial infarction
pain on the left hand, which explanation as basic assumption has the fact that the hart and the
left arm arise from the same embryonal segment. This allows to conclude that the particular
inner organ and the corresponding Head’s zone, which are supplied by the same spinal cord
segment, can be seen as a functional unit - the viscero-somatic reflex. The activation of the
somatic part of this reflex is enabled due to the convergence and facilitation effect. The con-
vergence effect is responsible for referred pain when the visceral and somatic neurons
converge to same spinothalamic neuron. As the somatic pain is more frequently then the
somatic pain, the brain makes the false alloting of the visceral pain as somatic pain. On other
side, the facilitation effect is responsible for referred pain when the visceral neuron converge to
two spinothalamic neurons, where one of them is connected with the somatic afferent neuron.
In this case the activation of the visceral neuron facilitates the activation of the somatic neuron,
even in the case when it receives under treshold stimulation.

Concerning th eacupuncture, independently on the applied method (needle, mosca, electric

pulses) the stimulation of one or more acu points provoke the local, regional (spinal cord) and
general (brain) reactions [Bischko]. The local reaction is the most direct consequences of the
external stimulation of the particular acupuncture point. It is the result of the change of the
local electric potential in the vicinity of the stimulated acupuncture point, which provokes the
secretion of some chemical substances by the surrounding cells and the excitation of the
adjacent sensory receptors of the nervous system [Becher, Watkins]. The effects on the
regional and global level [Cheng], if one neglect the provisional and esoteric Eastern
explanations, could be explained on the basis of the description of the referred pain
phenomenon. It means that I am inclined to impose that the acupuncture points coincide with
the Head’s zones, what is, strictly speaking, not yet confirmed. More precisely, I impose that
the regional and global action of the acupuncture treatment is accomplished by the stimulation
of the afferent parts of the cutaneousvisceral reflexes, which comprehend the different
integrative centers of the nervous system.

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