Pach D, Brinkhaus B, Willich S N
Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Luisenstr. 57, 10098 Berlin, Germany.
Complement Ther Med. 2009 Aug;17(4):243-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2009.01.002. Epub 2009 Feb 23.
The aim of the study was to examine the infrared spectrum and the irradiance of different types of moxa sticks to develop a basis for a moxa stick control therapy.
An IR radiometer was used to measure the spectral infrared irradiance of seven glowing moxa sticks of different types in dependence of distance to the heat.
All sticks investigated showed a similar spectral distribution of the emitted IR radiation with maxima of about 83.5-87.5% in the range long-wavelength IR radiation (IR-C) and with small contributions of both short wavelength IR radiation (IR-A) between 2.2% and 5.5% and of middle wavelength IR radiation (IR-B) between 9.0% and 12.1% of the total IR emission.
Study results showed that only a small proportion of the IR radiation emitted by moxa sticks is capable of affecting subepidermal tissue. This finding indicates that thermal effects of moxa sticks are caused primarily by superficial effects on the skin. Because most heat receptors are located in the superficial skin, it thus appears impossible to separate the effects of moxa sticks from the sensation of heat. These results should be taken into account while developing placebo or sham moxibustion devices.
本研究旨在检测不同类型艾条的红外光谱和辐照度，为艾条控制疗法奠定基础。
使用红外辐射计测量7种不同类型燃烧艾条在不同受热距离下的光谱红外辐照度。
所有被研究的艾条发出的红外辐射光谱分布相似，长波红外辐射（IR-C）范围内的最大值约为83.5%-87.5%，短波红外辐射（IR-A）占总红外发射的2.2%-5.5%，中波红外辐射（IR-B）占9.0%-12.1%，贡献较小。
研究结果表明，艾条发出的红外辐射中只有一小部分能够影响表皮下组织。这一发现表明，艾条的热效应主要是由对皮肤的表面效应引起的。由于大多数热感受器位于皮肤表层，因此似乎不可能将艾条的效应与热感区分开来。在开发安慰剂或假艾灸装置时应考虑这些结果。
