Objective: To give some suggestions about the connecting methods of output wires of electro-acupuncture (EA) therapeutic apparatus by reviewing documents published in recent years and comparing the interrelation between the connecting method and clinical therapeutic effect.

Contents: It is known from documents that there are two main connecting methods of output wires of EA therapeutic apparatus in clinical practice. The first one is that the two terminals of each output wire are connected to the acupuncture needles inserted in the acupoints on the same side of the body; and the second one is that the two terminals of each output wire are connected to the two needles inserted on both sides of the body. Clinical study on the therapeutic effect of EA of Hegu (LI 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on drug-induced abortion revealed that needling sensations from, at least, Hegu (LI 4) or Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in the non-ipsilateral connecting method group appeared in every patient; while the needling sensations from Hegu (LI 4) in the homolateral connecting method group appeared in only half of the patients. In another study, it was found that in non-ipsilateral connecting method group, the therapeutic effect of EA on blatocyst excretion, analgesia and menstrual cycle recovery was evidently better than that of ipsilateral connecting method group (P<0.05).

Results: show that different connecting method of the output wires of EA therapeutic
apparatus brings about different therapeutic effect and different acupoint-origin of needling sensations.

Suggestion: (1) In treatment of limb-disorders as neuromuscular diseases, the ipsilateral connecting style of output wires of EA therapeutic apparatus is chosen; (2) for general diseases as visceral diseases, the non-ipsilateral connecting style is chosen preferentially, but the stimu1ating; electric current should be avoided to pass through the heart; and (3) the connecting method should be readjusted in the light of the demands of disease's treatment and the needling sensations wanted.

By Zhu Jiang , Zhang Jun, Wang Meiqing ,Zhang Ruoruo & Li Xiaofang