A recent study published in the May issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, the official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society shows positive support of acupuncture for pain relief.
The study examined 24 healthy volunteers using Quantitative Sensory testing to determine if acupuncture could affect levels of pain perception. Researchers found that pain tolerance increased by up to fifty percent. Acupuncture was performed on classic acupuncture points on the legs with either manual or electric stimulation. The reaction in both legs treated and untreated was noted.
Results showed that even the untreated leg experienced pain relief when the opposite leg was treated. This is an interesting finding because this is often a frequently practiced acupuncture style where the affected area of pain is not directly treated with acupuncture. Sometimes an area can be too sensitive or too aggravated to receive acupuncture, but effective pain relief can occur by treating the opposite limb. This study seems to verify why this pain relief may be possible.
By using Quantitative sensory testing, they were able to clearly identify which two nerve fibers were affected by acupuncture. Modern Science is still in the process of figuring out how acupuncture “works”, but it is evident that studies like this can clearly show some physiological changes in the body at work. More studies on larger scales need to be performed in the future, but these types of tests reveal promising information towards treating chronic pain.
To read the entire research study, go to:
http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/content/110/5/1448.full
Alyson Adams, L.Ac.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
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