Acupuncture and the Interstitium
Part 1
For thousands of years Traditional Chinese acupuncturists have known the connections that exist in the body which they call meridians. A flow of connection which means if you stimulate an acupuncture point with a needle, the effect will be systemic. Western Medicine has historically been cynical of this view due to a lack of science backing up the knowledge of careful observations over many centuries by Chinese Medics.
However the science has finally caught up! We now believe there is a third circulatory system within the body. Along with the lymph and the blood circulatory systems. We now have the interstitium. The interstitium was discovered by injecting various dyes into acupuncture points. Starting with the arm in 2018, there was clear movement along the pericardium channel through the fluid between the skin and the fascia. In 2021 more extensive exploration was done and found that the dyes migrated when injected into the torso to organs and cavities.
This evidence along with knowledge that acupuncture needles activate electrical impulses along the fascia (qi) helps to explain the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Western Medical thinking.
What Is the Interstitium from a Western Medicine perspective?
The interstitium are fluid-filled space between the cells and tissues in your body. These spaces help support, cushion and connect your cells. Intersitium also plays a role in moving nutrients, fluids and waste between your cells. It keeps your cells and tissues healthy so they can perform important tasks.
Even though you can’t see it (and maybe have never heard of it), it’s a major player in keeping your body balanced and running smoothly. Up until 2018, scientists didn’t know how complex and vast the interstitium was. They now believe it’s an important part in helping your body function.
Anatomy
What are the parts of the interstitium?
The interstitium is everywhere. It’s part of all of your organs, muscles, tissues, nerves and blood vessels.
It’s a large network of small spaces, fluid and supportive material between your cells, tissues and organs. It’s made up of:
Interstitial spaces: The spaces can expand, change shape and move depending on the amount of fluid around and inside them.
Interstitial fluid: This is a clear liquid that fills the interstitial space. The fluid carries nutrients, waste, proteins and electrolytes. It also allows cells and molecules to travel through your body.
Supportive network: A flexible net of collegen and elastin supports the spaces. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/interstitium
The small spaces and fluid filled small cavities follow the lines on the skin that form acupuncture meridians. We call them wells, little dips in the skin where the acupuncture points are found.