Getting to the point with acupuncture

Researchers at the University of Technology, Sydney have undertaken the first comprehensive and scientifically rigorous research into the effects of acupuncture on pain threshold, clarifying some of the basic assumptions about traditional Chinese acupuncture.

The controlled study was undertaken by the head of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the UTS Faculty of Science, Christopher Zaslawski, and his PhD supervisor Dr Deirdre Cobbin, with assistance from statisticians Ed Lidums and Dr Peter Petocz.

Dr Cobbin says international leaders in the field are excited by the groundbreaking research. "For the first time in the world we have first-class science that's been well controlled and very precise in identifying the most effective needle technique," Dr Cobbin said.

"Acupuncture has long been in need of such scientific validation and the findings enhance the evidence for best practice."

Zaslawski said that while it is well known that the most effective acupoint for raising pain threshold is Lower Intestine 4 (LI 4), the effectiveness depends upon precise location of the site and application of appropriate needle technique.

"Our research confirms that if the correct location is needled deeply and vigorously there is a 20 to 30% increase in the pain threshold across the body. It also shows this result will not be achieved if the needle is not deeply inserted or manipulated, or if the needle is inserted into adjacent tissue rather than the acupoint itself.

"In further research involving other acupoints that have also been assumed to increase pain threshold, we've found needling them had no effect on pain threshold," he said.

Dr Cobbin said that because a variety of techniques are used in clinical practice and clinical trials, comparisons are difficult. Also there has been a general failure to report essential details of the acupuncture used, such as the depth and technique of needling, which makes the studies difficult to replicate.

Dr Cobbin also confirmed that leaders in the field at a recent international conference in Hong Kong (at which the Australian researchers were awarded 2nd Prize in the most distinguished poster category) were impressed with the research, which involved double-blind studies and a substantial number of subjects and conditions.

Item provided courtesy of UTS