What Is an AcuGraph Scan? (And What It Isn't)

At your first visit to Seven Medicine, you'll likely have an AcuGraph scan. Because many of our patients are healthcare professionals, we want to explain it precisely.

What it measures

AcuGraph uses a handheld probe to measure the skin's electrical conductance at 24 traditional acupuncture points on the wrists and ankles. Software organizes the readings by meridian and displays them as a graph, relative to your own average and to the opposite side of your body.

How we use it

• As a baseline. Your first scan is a recorded reference point.
• As a conversation tool. Many patients find a visual helpful when Dr. Kristina explains her assessment.
• As one input to reassessment. About a month in, a follow-up scan is compared with your baseline — alongside the things that matter most: your symptoms and how you're functioning.

What it isn't

• It isn't a diagnostic test. It doesn't diagnose or screen for disease and doesn't replace labs, imaging or your physician's evaluation.
• It isn't proof that acupuncture works. A change in readings is not, by itself, evidence of clinical improvement.
• It isn't FDA-cleared as a diagnostic device. The probe is listed with the FDA by its manufacturer as an acupuncture point locator.

Research on skin conductance at acupuncture points also has real limitations: published studies have found that readings vary with age, sex, time of day and operator technique, and a systematic review did not establish that acupuncture points are electrically distinct from surrounding skin. That's why we interpret scans cautiously and always in context.

The bottom line

AcuGraph is a supportive, visual data point — useful for establishing a baseline and having a clearer conversation about change over time. Your experience and clinical findings remain the primary measures of progress.

This article is educational and is not medical advice.