Study Supports
Acupuncture Effects in Pain Control
By: International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS)
The scientific validity of traditional Chinese medicine for
pain treatment of pain received a nod of support in the May issue of Anesthesia
& Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia
Research Society (IARS).
Dr. Philip Lang and colleagues of the University of Munich used
quantitative sensory testing to identify changes in pain sensitivity
with acupuncture in 24 healthy volunteers. After applying acupuncture to
the leg, the researchers found that pain thresholds increased by up to
50 percent. Effects were noted in both the treated leg and the untreated
(contralateral) leg.
Tests Show Measurable and Specific Effects of Acupuncture on
Pain
Quantitative sensory testing is used clinically to help physicians
understand specific injuries in nerve fibers associated with chronic
pain. It includes tests of both thermal perception (heat and cold), and
mechanical perception (pressure applied to the skin). The patterns of
response provide diagnostic information in patients with nerve injury
regarding the type of nerve involved, and possible treatments.
The results pointed to two nerve fibers—the "A delta" pain fibers and
the "C" pain fibers—as being specifically affected by acupuncture.
Although the effects were modest, the researchers believe they provide
the basis for future studies in individuals with chronic pain, where the
effects might be more dramatic.
The study also supported the effects of three different forms of
acupuncture: manual acupuncture needling alone and with the addition of
high-frequency and low-frequency electrical stimulation. All treatments
were performed by an experienced acupuncturist, applied to acupuncture
points commonly used in pain management.
The results provide a scientific background for the ancient practice
of acupuncture, according to Dr. Dominik Irnich, Head of the
Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Department of Anesthesiology, University
of Munich, and the study's leading author. Additionally, Dr. Irnich
notes, "Our results show that contralateral stimulation leads to a
remarkable pain relief. This suggests that acupuncturists should needle
contralaterally if the affected side is too painful or not
accessible—for example, if the skin is injured or there is a dressing in
place."
Dr. Steven L. Shafer, Editor-in-Chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia
and Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University, views the
results as an important preliminary finding. "Reproducible findings are
the cornerstone of scientific inquiry," Dr. Shafer comments. "The
authors have clearly described their methodology, and their findings. If
other laboratories can reproduce these results in properly controlled
studies, then this provides further support for the scientific basis of
acupuncture. Additionally, the ability of quantitative sensory testing
to identify specific types of nerves involved in pain transmission may
help direct research into the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia."
Read the full study in Anesthesia & Analgesia
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