Dystonia is an intractable syndrome that causes involuntary muscle tone abnormalities in various muscles of the body, causing abnormal posture and difficulty in movement.The first line of treatment is botulinum therapy.However, there are many refractory cases in which botulinum therapy is not effective and symptoms are prolonged or cause difficulties in daily life and work.

 At Kansai University of Health Sciences, under the guidance of Professor Toshiaki Suzuki, Dean of the Graduate School of Health Sciences, I have been studying the effects of acupuncture on dystonia and establishing more effective acupuncture methods for a long period of time.The characteristics of acupuncture that have been established so far are to identify the affected muscles that cause abnormal postures and involuntary movements by performing movement analysis for each case, and to identify the meridians and acupuncture points as acupuncture treatment sites. The theory is to target the acupuncture points away from the affected muscles.In addition, as a problem of abnormal posture, acupuncture treatment has been performed focusing not only on abnormal muscle tone but also on muscle shortening and skin shortening, and it has been effective.Movement analysis is supervised by Professor Suzuki, a physical therapist, and acupuncture and moxibustion is performed by Professor Makiko Tani and other acupuncturists of the same graduate school.

 In April 2023, the paper “Acupuncture Treatment for Dystonia”, which Professor Tani and Professor Suzuki explained about acupuncture treatment for dystonia based on the results of this research, was published in the book “Acupuncture and Moxibustion – Recent Advances, New Perspectives, and Applications”. Published in the.In this paper, we explain the pathophysiology of dystonia using surface electromyography, and the effects of acupuncture treatment on distant acupuncture points on muscle tension.There are great expectations both at home and abroad that acupuncture can be effective for dystonia.

Paper information:[Acupuncture and Moxibustion – Recent Advances, New Perspectives, and Applications] Acupuncture Treatment for Dystonia

Kansai Medical University

Fostering a new era of "medical professionals"

Kansai Medical University has developed as a comprehensive medical university with 2 faculties, 6 departments, and 1 graduate school, aiming to integrate with Western medicine based on oriental medical traditions such as acupuncture and moxibustion, and fostering medical professionals who can take charge of medical care for all. ..With the founding philosophy of "a spirit of service that survives on a path that is useful to society," a wide range of education […]

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