Scientific exploration and hypotheses concerning the meridian system in traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

The meridian theory is an important component of traditional Chinese medicine, playing a crucial role in disease diagnosis, treatment, and health preservation. Serving as the media for the effects of acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, and acupressure massage, meridians exert undeniable impact on the human body. However, the essence of meridians remains a topic of debate. Recent research has primarily focused on their anatomical structures, leading to numerous hypotheses. Simultaneously, other researchers have approached this subject from an energetic perspective, discovering information interactions within the meridian system. These findings suggest that meridians possess both physical and information dimensions, indicating that a singular approach to their study is insufficient. To bridge this gap, a shift from purely structural research toward an exploration of the information aspects of meridians is necessary. By integrating this information approach with traditional meridian theory, it may be possible to develop a new, modernized meridian theory that is aligned with contemporary concepts, making it more accessible and applicable in clinical settings.

Keywords

Communication / Information state / Meridian essence / Physical state

Conflict of interest statement

Fanrong Liang is the editorial board member of this journal. The other authours declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82205286) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82074556). The regional cooperation program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20404) and the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2023NSFSC1819).

Author contributions

Wenchuan Qi, Bin He, and Qingxin Gu: Conceptualization, writing—original draft preparation. Yongming Li: Review and editing. Fanrong Liang: Writing, review and editing, funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Ethical approval of studies and informed consent

Not applicable.

Acknowledgments

None.

Data availability

Not applicable.

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Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine