Acupuncture and its Effect on Capillaries
Acupuncture is known to cause vasodilation by relaxing the sphincter muscles of the metarterioles. This is probably why Dr. So suggested doing acupuncture first when treating patients, because he found that makes the gwa sha more effective.
“The flow of blood through the capillaries is fundamental to a feeling of well being, which is why the “…walls of capillaries are composed of only a single layer of cells, the endothelium. This layer is so thin that molecules such as oxygen, water and lipids can pass through them by diffusion and enter the tissues. Waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea can diffuse back into the blood to be carried away for removal from the body. Capillaries are so small the red blood cells need to partially fold into bullet-like shapes in order to pass through them in single file.”
