Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine (동의생리병리학회지)

The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and The Society of Pathology in Korean Medicine (대한동의생리학회·한의병리학회)
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Past, Present, and the Future of Understanding the Entity of the Meridian System

경락시스템 실질에 대한 이해: 과거와 현재 그리고 미래

  • Chae, Youn Byoung (Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
  • 채윤병 (경희대학교 한의과대학 침구경락과학연구센터)
  • Received : 2016.12.06
  • Accepted : 2016.12.19
  • Published : 2016.12.25
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Abstract

The concept of the meridian system is originated from an empirical, systematic references in the clinical setting, which does not always require anatomical features. As the principles of systems biology are mainly associated with regulating the body's internal environment to maintain a stable condition, they are closely similar to the theory of the meridian system. In this review, I describe the origin of the concept of the meridian system, current status of research on the meridian system and acupuncture points, and the future directions of the research. To unravel the entity of the meridian system, we have to start from understanding its origin and clinical significance. The meridian system, as a theoretical model of the indications of acupuncture points, can help to understand the interconnections that underlie the pathologies of particular diseases or symptoms. Based on the establishment of clinical data platform for acupuncture research, we can extract novel medical information from the clinical data and generate analytical models that are useful for medical knowledge discovery on acupuncture points in the future.

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