http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5893871-description.html
Cred ca este "acupressure"/shiatsu si nu acupunctura(ace) in care se aplica benzi adezive.
Ai o explicatie interesanta in sursa citata.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-03-16 21:55:43 GMT)
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Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Description


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to health promoting implements, and particularly to a health promoting implement which is used for the purpose of reducing pains in joints and muscles in arms or legs or the purpose of maintaining and promoting health conditions of the joint regions and the like.

2. Description of the Background Art

The technique of so-called taping is known, which is for treating troubles in joints or muscles accompanied by pain by sticking adhesive tape on the troubled parts or on corresponding effective spots for applying the acupressure, which is performed in osteopaths' offices and the like. (Acupressure: a practice analogous to acupuncture but involving the application of manual pressure to parts of the body rather than the insertion of needles. Called "shiatsu" in Japanese. An effective spot for the acupressure is called "tsubo" in Japanese.)

FIG. 15 shows the taping technique applied on the wrist. In this figure, a plurality of adhesive tapes 9a, 9b having a width of about 3 mm are stuck in a lattice-like form on a painful part or effective spots for the treatment on the wrist. Similarly, when adhesive tapes are stuck in a lattice or a spiral form on a painful part of the leg or arm, for example, the adhesive tapes stimulate the painful part or the corresponding effective spots for the treatment and its acupressure effect reduces the pain. (For example, refer to "Spiral Taping", written by Nobutaka Tanaka, published on Nov. 1, 1991 in Japan.)

However, in the taping technique, the adhesive tapes are difficult to handle because of their adhesiveness. Furthermore, the adhesive may cause a rash on the skin depending on the constitution of the patient. Moreover, since the adhesive tapes removed from the body can not be reused, they must be discarded. Therefore it is necessary to prepare and use new adhesive tapes every time a treatment is performed.