Acupuncture for Gastric and Cardiac Autonomic Function

This study contradicts other studies which have found that stimulation of both ST36 and PC6 enhance vagal activity.  Happy to see these kinds of studies nonetheless.  It’s interesting that Bladder 32 would have an effect on the GI tract since, traditionally, one doesn’t use that point for that.  Also that CV12 increases vagal hrv (presumably the high frequency component.)  I never would have thought to use it for vagal enhancement.
Auton Neurosci. 2013 Apr 1.
Site-specific organ-selective effect of epifascial acupuncture on cardiac and gastric autonomic functions.
Minagawa M, Kurono Y, Ishigami T, Yamada A, Kakamu T, Akai R, Hayano J.
The Oriental Medical Center Group Futaba Acupuncture and Moxibustion Clinic, Ogaki, Gifu, Japan.
Abstract
Needle stimulation at the specific sites of body surface modulates autonomic functions in various organs. To examine their site-specificity and organ-selectivity, the changes in electrogastrogram (EGG) and heart rate variability (HRV) with such stimulation at PC6 (forearm), BL20 (back), CV12 (abdomen), BL32 (sacral), and ST36 (lower leg) were analyzed in healthy men. Stimulation at CV12 increased vagal HRV component without affecting dominant EGG frequency. Conversely, stimulation at BL32 decreased dominant EGG frequency without affecting vagal HRV component. Stimulation at the other points affected neither of them. These support site-specific and organ-selective effect of body surface needle stimulation on autonomic functions.