How Are Acupuncture and Stem Cells Connected?

In the news recently was this item from Auburn University, Alabama: using a high-resolution microscope, Professor Vitaly Vodyanoy has been able to see and actually map a system of nodes and vessels — that appear to follow acupuncture meridians.

Dr. Vodyanoy calls this the “primo-vascular system,” and he has seen evidence of it in “blood vessels, organ tissue and the lymphatic system.” Now, he’s only been working with rats so far. But he says that’s just the first step before validating this research in humans.

Explaining acupuncture: the primo-vascular system hypothesis

“Even with our microscope, you cannot see the vessels until they are touched, because they are transparent, but they turn a yellowish color when touched,” says Dr. Vodyanoy. He says the nodes are filled with microscopic stem cells — those primary building blocks that can be used to regenerate tissue and heal diseases.

Dr. Vodyanoy is testing his theory “that the nodes, when activated by acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, pressure or laser, release stem cells that flow to organs where they replace injured cells and become organ cells.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explains “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) as the primordial energy that flows through all living things, along the meridian pathways outlined in acupuncture. Now scientists like Dr. Vodyanoy are attempting to identify and isolate Qi as actual microscopic stem cells.

For example, stimulating an acupuncture point below the knee is thought to send stem cells to the pancreas, where they can repair and even regenerate the organ.

This research could have a major impact on “pain management, tissue regeneration, organ reconstruction and diabetes and cancer prevention and treatment.”

You can read more about this research here:

While we (the public) are waiting to hear the results of these studies, I’d like to point out that energy medicine workers already know how well it works. Reflexology, Reiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Therapeutic Touch and many other modalities have effected profound healing. We may not know why — and even Dr. Vodyanoy’s research may not be the complete answer.

If you haven’t yet experienced the healing energy of Reflexology, Reiki or Jin Shin Jyutsu, please give me a call at 404-406-5204.