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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2026 , Vol. 46 >Issue 3: 684 - 694

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20251030.001

Original Articles

Clinical characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension: a cross-sectional matched case-control study

  • GONG Yu ,
  • HAO Xiaomin ,
  • LIU Qingguo ,
  • TIAN Junjian ,
  • LIU Yu
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  • 1 School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102400, China
    2 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100000, China
    3 Department of Medicine, School of Special Education, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100071, China
First author contact:

GONG Yu and HAO Xiaomin are co-first authors and contributed equally to this work

LIU Yu, Department of Medicine, School of Special Education, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100071, China, 2270031106@qq.com, Telephone: +86-15210359531

Received date: 2025-04-12

  Accepted date: 2025-08-29

  Online published: 2025-10-30

Supported by

Open Project of National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion: a Study on The Evidence-Based Evaluation of the Acupuncture Therapy of Promoting Blood Circulation and Dispelling Wind in the Treatment of Primary Hypertension(NCRCOP2023004);Young Faculty and High-Level Project Incubation Program of Beijing Union University: a Study on the Mechanism of Pingchong Jiangni Acupuncture in Regulating the Adenosine 5‘-monophosphate-activated Protein Kinase/ Perilipin 2 Lipophagy Signaling Pathway in the Paraventricular Nucleus of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats(ZK30202508)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To observe the characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension, analyze the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of each acupoint, and summarize the clinical characteristics of high-sensitivity acupoints.

METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional matched case-control design and enrolled a total of 448 volunteer participants, including 224 patients with hypertension and 224 healthy controls. The main outcome measures included measuring the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of 16 highly sensitive acupoints in both hypertensive subjects and healthy controls. The receiver operating characteristic curve method was used to evaluate the sensitivity of each acupoint. Additionally, the rules of mechanical pain threshold, tenderness threshold sensitization rate, and degree of sensitization of each acupoint in hypertension patients were summarized to identify the optimal highly sensitive acupoints related to hypertension.

RESUITS: The mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of hypertensive patients were significantly lower than those of healthy subjects, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001), indicating that the mechanical pain threshold and tenderness threshold of hypertensive patients at various points had a downward trend. Acupoints with high incidence of sensitization in hypertensive patients include Quchi (LI11), Taichong (LR3), Fenglong (ST40), Xingjian (LR2), Taixi (KI3) and Renying (ST9).

CONCLUSION: This study successfully achieved the objective of exploring acupoint sensitization in patients with primary hypertension. Hypertensive patients exhibited significantly lower mechanical pain thresholds and pressure pain thresholds compared to healthy subjects. These findings provide clinical evidence for acupoint selection in acupuncture treatment for primary hypertension.

Key words： essential hypertension; acupoint sensitization; ROC analyses; cross-sectional studies; case-control studies

Cite this article

GONG Yu , HAO Xiaomin , LIU Qingguo , TIAN Junjian , LIU Yu . Clinical characteristics of acupoint sensitization in patients with essential hypertension: a cross-sectional matched case-control study[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026 , 46(3) : 684 -694 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20251030.001

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