Scientific Basis of Acupuncture
Published 1 January 1995
Bruce Pomeranz
Citations170
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TL;DR
In this chapter some of the modern scientific studies on acupuncture are outlined.
Abstract
In this chapter some of the modem scientific studies on acupuncture are outlined. A more detailed review appears in Acupuncture Textbook and Atlas by Stux and Pomeranz [179 a] and Scientific Bases of Acupuncture by Pomeranz and Stux [151a].
Keywords
MedicineNeuroscience
PainA new and sensitive method for measuring thermal nociception in cutaneous hyperalgesia
5,119 Citations1988Kenneth Hargreaves, Ronald Dubner +3 more
Both the thermal method and the Randall‐Selitto mechanical method detected dose‐related hyperalgesia and its blockade by either morphine or indomethacin, but the Thermal method showed greater bioassay sensitivity and allowed for the measurement of other behavioral parameters in addition to the nociceptive threshold.
Journal of the American Medical AssociationTHE POWERFUL PLACEBO
1,810 Citations1955Henry K. Beecher
It is interesting that Pepper could say as recently as 10 years ago "apparently there has never been a paper published discussing the important subject of the placebo," but in 1953 Gaddum1 said: Such tablets are sometimes called placebos, but it is better to call them dummies.
Scienceβ-Endorphin and Adrenocorticotropin Are Selected Concomitantly by the Pituitary Gland
1,421 Citations1977Roger Guillemin, Therese Vargo +6 more
Both hormones possess common and identical regulatory mechanisms and there may be a functional role for circulating beta-endorphin in response to acute stress or long-term adrenalectomy.
ScienceOrganization of Endogenous Opiate and Nonopiate Pain Control Systems
798 Citations1982Linda R. Watkins, David J. Mayer
Data is presented demonstrating that opiate and nonopiate analgesia systems can be selectively activated by different environmental manipulations and the neural circuitry involved is described.
PainDiffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC). II. Lack of effect on non-convergent neurones, supraspinal involvement and theoretical implications
770 Citations1979Daniel Le Bars, Anthony H. Dickenson +1 more
It is concluded that convergent neurones are specifically inhibited by DNIC, and the “contrast” between the messages from these two pools may well produce a significant pain signalling output from the convergent dorsal horn cells.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesNeurons containing beta-endorphin in rat brain exist separately from those containing enkephalin: immunocytochemical studies.
655 Citations1978F E Bloom, E Battenberg +3 more
Well-characterized antisera to porcine beta-endorphin were used to localize immunoreactive sites in cryostat sections of formaldehyde-fixed rat brain and are anatomically distinguishable from enkephalin-containing nerve cell and fiber pathways.
The Annual Review of Pharmacology and ToxicologyNeurochemical Basis of Acupuncture Analgesia
588 Citations1982Ji‐Sheng Han, Lars Terenius
A review on acupuncture and its neurochemical basis and much of the work in this field has been published in periodicals not easily accessible to the general scientific community for linguistic or other reasons, it is found it necessary to limit this review to studies of acupuncture for the relief of pain.
NatureFoot-shock induced stress increases β-endorphin levels in blood but not brain
577 Citations1977Jean Rossier, Edward D. French +4 more
The data suggest that physiological increases in plasma β-endorphin levels induced by stress do not result in elevated levels of brain β- endorphin.
NatureStress-induced parallel changes in central opioid levels and pain responsiveness in the rat
566 Citations1977John J. Madden, Huda Akil +2 more
It is reported that inescapable acute stress causes a significant increase in levels of opioid peptides with a concurrent decrease in pain responsiveness in the rat, and both the biochemical and behavioural changes are “reversed” by repeated exposure to stress.
Journal of NeuroscienceOrientation of neurite growth by extracellular electric fields
506 Citations1982N.B. Patel, MM Poo
This finding is consistent with the notion that cathodal accumulation of growth-controlling surface glycoproteins by the field is the underlying mechanism of the field-induced orientation of neurite growth toward the cathode.
Medical HypothesesAcupuncture — from empiricism to science: Functional background to acupuncture effects in pain and disease Pain and disease
469 Citations1995S. Andersson, Thomas Lundeberg
Experimental and clinical evidence suggest that acupuncture may affect the sympathetic system via mechanisms at the hypothalamic and brainstem levels, and that the hypothalamus beta-endorphinergic system has inhibitory effects on the vasomotorcenter, VMC.
PainEffect of low- and high-frequency TENS on Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe and dynorphin A immunoreactivity in human lumbar CSF
447 Citations1991Ji‐Sheng Han, X-H Chen +6 more
This is the first report in humans that 2 Hz and 100 Hz peripheral stimulation induces differential release of peptides from preproenkephalin and preprodynorphin, respectively.
The LancetINCREASED β-ENDORPHIN BUT NOT MET-ENKEPHALIN LEVELS IN HUMAN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AFTER ACUPUNCTURE FOR RECURRENT PAIN
385 Citations1980Vicky Clement‐Jones, Susan Tomlin +4 more
The results suggest that the analgesia observed after electroacupuncture in patients with recurrent pain may be mediated by the release into the CSF of the endogenous opiate, beta-endorphin.
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative PhysiologyThe glabrous epidermis of cavies contains a powerful battery
333 Citations1982A. T. Barker, L. F. Jaffe +1 more
It is concluded that the hair and gland-free skin of cavies has a battery comparable in power and character to that of frogs; but it is suggested that this mammalian battery may primarily subserve epidermal wound healing rather than salt uptake.
Brain ResearchThe influence of naloxone on analgesia produced by peripheral conditioning stimulation
329 Citations1979Bengt H. Sjölund, Margareta Eriksson
To see whether the analgesia experienced by the chronic pain patients is mediated via links utilizing endorphins, the opiate antagonist naloxone was administered to these patients under double-blind conditions, saline being used as a placebo, and it was found that 6 out of 10 patients receiving acupuncture-like stimulation but none out of10 patients receiving high frequency stimulation of skin nerves, reported an inhibition of the stimulation-produced analgesia by nAloxone.
Life SciencesElectroacupuncture analgesia could be mediated by at least two pain-relieving mechanisms; endorphin and non-endorphin systems
319 Citations1979Richard S.S. Cheng, Bruce Pomeranz
Medicine & Science in Sports & ExerciseEndorphins and exercise
317 Citations1990Peter Thor n, John S. Floras +2 more
It is proposed that prolonged rhythmic exercise can activate central opioid systems by triggering increased discharge from mechanosensitive afferent nerve fibers (Group III or A-delta) arising from contracting skeletal muscle.
Journal of Clinical EpidemiologyAcupuncture and chronic pain: A criteria-based meta-analysis
314 Citations1990Gerben ter Riet, J. Kleunen +1 more
The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain remains doubtful because of the quality of even the better studies, which proved to be mediocre.
The Annual Review of Pharmacology and ToxicologyThe Physiology and Pharmacology of Spinal Opiates
304 Citations1985Tony L. Yaksh, R. Noueihed
The spinal administration of opiates in the intact and unanes thetized animal has revealed powerful receptor-mediated effects on motor, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and bladder function.
PubMedPlacebo controls for acupuncture studies.
300 Citations1995Charles Vincent, George Lewith
It is proposed that assessing the credibility of treatments and control conditions may provide a way forward to a more rigorous, consensus approach to acupuncture research.
Natureβ-Endorphin as a potent analgesic by intravenous injection
281 Citations1976LIANG‐FU TSENG, Horace H. Loh +1 more
The analgesic effects of β-endorphin when it is injected intravenously are reported, which is considerably more potent than morphine in molar basis.
NeurologyCan sensory stimulation improve the functional outcome in stroke patients?
250 Citations1993Karin Johansson, Ida Lindgren +3 more
Patients given sensory stimulation recovered faster and to a larger extent than the controls, with a significant difference for balance, mobility, ADL, QL, and days spent at hospitals/nursing homes.
SpineDry Needling of Muscle Motor Points for Chronic Low-Back Pain
234 Citations1980C. Chan Gunn, W. E. Milbrandt +2 more
The results seem to justify the procedure in chronic low-back patients in whom myofascial pain (the majority) rather than skeletal irritation is the dominant disabling feature.
SciencePituitary-Brain Vascular Relations: A New Paradigm
226 Citations1979Richard M. Bergland, Robert B. Page
These questions raise the larger question, namely, whether pituitary hormones are transported directly to the brain to modify brain function, and the neurohypophyseal capillary bed may function as a vascular switch.
New England Journal of MedicineEfficacy of Acupuncture on Osteoarthritic Pain
217 Citations1975A Gaw, Lennig W. Chang +1 more
Thirty patients, randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group, participated in a double-blind study to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing chronic pain associate pain in patients with chronic pain.
Experimental NeurologyAcupuncture reduces electrophysiological and behavioral responses to noxious stimuli: Pituitary is implicated
215 Citations1977Bruce Pomeranz, Richard Cheng +1 more
BMJTraditional Chinese acupuncture: a potentially useful antiemetic?
214 Citations1986J. W. Dundee, W. N. Chestnutt +2 more
Manual needling for five minutes at the P6 acupuncture point (Neiguan) resulted in a significant reduction in perioperative nausea and vomiting in the 50 patients who underwent acupuncture compared with the 75 patients who received no acupuncture.
The LancetACUPUNCTURE IN HEROIN ADDICTS: CHANGES IN MET-ENKEPHALIN AND $beta;-ENDORPHIN IN BLOOD AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
213 Citations1979Vicky Clement‐Jones
In heroin addicts showing features of heroin withdrawal basal beta-endorphin levels were elevated in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid and did not change during electroacupuncture, although this therapy suppressed the clinical features of withdrawal.
PainFactors influencing peripheral nerve stimulation produced inhibition of primate spinothalamic tract cells
201 Citations1984Jin Mo Chung, K. H. Lee +3 more
The results of the present experiments suggest that the most effective way to produce analgesia by peripheral nerve stimulation would be by high frequency stimulation of a nerve innervating the area from which pain originates with an intensity at least strong enough to activate A&dgr; fibers.
Behavioural Brain ResearchAnalgesia induced by electroacupuncture of different frequencies is mediated by different types of opioid receptors: another cross-tolerance study
195 Citations1992Xiaohong Chen, Ji-Sheng Han
PainThe distribution of brain-stem and spinal cord nuclei associated with different frequencies of electroacupuncture analgesia
188 Citations1993Jang‐Hern Lee, Alvin J. Beitz
Results indicate that many brain‐stem regions are activated by both 4‐Hz and 100‐Hz EA but additional brain‐ stem regions are selectively activated by 4-Hz EA which may relate to the opiate sensitivity of 4‐ Hz EA.
British Journal of AnaesthesiaEFFECT OF STIMULATION OF THE P6 ANTIEMETIC POINT ON POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING
187 Citations1989JOHN W. DUNDEE, R. G. Ghaly +4 more
In women, premedicated with nalbuphine 10 mg, undergoing minor gynaecological operations under methohexitone-nitrous oxide-oxygen anaesthesia, invasive ACP markedly reduced the incidence of vomiting and nausea in the first 6 h after operation, compared with untreated controls.
PubMed[The peripheral afferent pathway in acupuncture analgesia].
184 Citations1974C Chiang, Chung-Yen Chang
Experiments demonstrated that vascular occlusion of the upper arm could not prevent the analgesic effect of acupuncture needling of a point on the hand from being mediated to other regions of the body as manifested by raising the thresholds of pain at those regions, and infiltration of procaine in the deep tissues around the point of acupuncture abolished entirely the analgesics effect.
PainInvolvement of endogenous opioid peptides in acupuncture analgesia
176 Citations1987He Lianfang
Electroacupuncture (EA), utilizing electric current to stimulate acupuncture points via inserted needles, was developed and is now widely used in China, especially in scientific studies since it is easier to control.
Clinical Journal of PainA Controlled Trial of the Treatment of Migraine by Acupuncute
176 Citations1989Charles Vincent
True acupuncture was significantly more effective than the control procedure in reducing the pain of migraine headache and posttreatment reductions in pain scores and medication were recorded.
PainAn experimental evaluation of auricular diagnosis: The somatotopic mapping of musculoskeletal pain at ear acupuncture points
174 Citations1980Terrence D. Oleson, Richard Kroening +1 more
Both quantified readings of electrical current flow and subjective ratings of dermal tenderness were statistically significant in arriving at accurate diagnoses and support the hypothesis that there is a somatotopic organization of the body represented upon the human auricle.
Life SciencesOpiate receptors in mice: Genetic differences
171 Citations1975Avi Baran, Louis Shuster +2 more
The concentration of opiate receptors in the brains of mice was determined by means of a naloxone-binding assay and it was found that at least 2 genetic determinants may be involved in regulating the level of opiates receptors.
NeuroscienceAcupuncture and diffuse noxious inhibitory controls: Naloxone-reversible depression of activities of trigeminal convergent neurons
165 Citations1990Bing Zhu, Luis Villanueva +1 more
It is suggested that, at least in the authors' experimental conditions, acupuncture manoeuvres trigger the neuronal mechanisms involved in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls.
Neuroscience LettersAcupuncture and sensory neuropeptides increase cutaneous blood flow in rats
163 Citations1989Gunilla Brodda Jansen, Thomas Lundeberg +2 more
Treatment with electro-acupuncture increased the blood flow moving the circulatory border distally 66% after a treatment and it is suggested that the effect of EA on blood flow is similar to the effect achieved by injecting CGRP and SP.
The LancetCONTROLLED TRIAL OF ACUPUNCTURE FOR DISABLING BREATHLESSNESS
163 Citations1986Kim A. Jobst, Klim McPherson +9 more
After three weeks' treatment the traditional-acupuncture group showed significantly greater benefit in terms of subjective scores of breathlessness and six-minute walking distance than the placebo group.
European Heart JournalEffect of acupuncture in patients with angina pectoris
162 Citations1991Arina Richter, Johan Herlitz +1 more
Acupuncture showed an additional beneficial effect in patients with severe, intensively treated angina pectoris and a life quality questionnaire confirmed improved feeling of well-being.
PainAntinociceptive effect of peripheral segmental electrical stimulation in the rat
162 Citations1980Clifford J. Woolf, Duncan Mitchell +1 more
The results support the concept that peripheral electrical stimulation excites naloxone‐dependent antinociceptive mechanisms at both spinal and supraspinal levels, and reduce the effect of both electrical stimulation and morphine administration in intact rats, but not in spinal rats.
PubMedSuperficial acupuncture in the relief of chronic low back pain.
162 Citations1983Alexander Macdonald, K D MacRae +2 more
A single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of superficial acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain showed significant superiority of acupuncture over placebo.
PainEffect of transcutaneous electrotherapy on CSF β-endorphin content in patients without pain problems
161 Citations1981G. Salar, I. Job +3 more
Results indicate a time dependent increase of CSF in the group of patients studied, which suggests that the analgesic properties of the treatment may be ascribed to an involvement of the endogenous opiates system, independently from the basal clinical conditions of the patients.
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesFailure of the opiate antagonist naloxone to modify hypnotic analgesia.
159 Citations1975A Goldstein, Ernest R. Hilgard
The hypothesis that some features of hypnotic analgesia are mediated through neuronal pathways activating specific opiate receptors in brain are not confirmed and the opiate antagonist naloxone had no effect on hypnotics analgesia in three subjects.
NeuroscienceResponses of adrenal sympathetic nerve activity and catecholamine secretion to cutaneous stimulation in anesthetized rats
158 Citations1984Takeaki Araki, Kenichi Ito +2 more
The secretion of adrenal medullary hormones can be controlled reflexly by mechanical cutaneous stimulation through the central nervous system via adrenal sympathetic efferent nerves via cutaneous mechanical stimulation.
International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsAcupuncture for the management of primary dysmenorrhea
158 Citations1987JM Helms
There was a 41% reduction of analgesis medication used by the women in the Real Acupuncture group after their treatment series, and no change or increased use of medication seen in the other groups.
Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause SocietyEffects of Acupuncture on Climacteric Vasomotor Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Urinary Excretion of Neuropeptides among Postmenopausal Women
156 Citations1995Yvonne Wyon, R. Lindgren +2 more
Acupuncture significantly affects hot flushes and sweating episodes after menopause, with effects persisting at least 3 months after the end of treatment, and changes in calcitonin gene-related peptide, which is a very potent vasodilator, could be involved in the mechanisms behind hot flushing.
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical EngineeringElectrical Correlates of Acupuncture Points
155 Citations1975Maria Reichmanis, Andrew A. Marino +1 more
Employing a Wheatstone bridge, skin conductance was measured over those putative acupuncture points on the large intestine and pericardium meridians lying between the metacarpophalangeal joints and the elbow to demonstrate the presence of acupuncture points at most acupuncture points.
Acta Anaesthesiologica ScandinavicaAcupuncture treatment of severe knee osteoarthrosis. A long‐term study
151 Citations1992Birgitte Christensen, Inger Ulldal Iuhl +4 more
Acupuncture can ease the discomfort while waiting for an operation and perhaps even serve as an alternative to surgery, and in the second part of the study, it was shown that it was possible to maintain the improvements.
Brain ResearchLong-lasting cardiovascular depression induced by acupuncture-like stimulation of the sciatic nerve in unanaesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats
151 Citations1982T. Yao, S. Andersson +1 more
Findings indicate a sympathetic and cardiovascular depression induced by a prolonged stimulation of the somatic group III or A-delta afferent fibers; its long duration and naloxone reversibility suggest the involvement of endorphins in the mechanism of this response.
Journal of Internal MedicineAcupuncture versus metoprolol in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized trial of trigger point inactivation
147 Citations1994Jette Hesse, B. MØGELVANG +1 more
To compare the effects of dry needling of myofascial trigger points in the neck region to metoprolol in migraine prophylaxis to find out whether these effects are related to migraines or not.
PainAcupuncture compared with placebo in post-herpetic pain
143 Citations1983George Lewith, Jennifer Field +1 more
It is suggested that acupuncture is of little value as an analgesic therapy for post‐herpetic neuralgia, but the study method and the use of a mock transcutaneous nerve stimulator as a placebo may be of value when assessing the effects of acupuncture in other conditions.
Acta Anaesthesiologica ScandinavicaImportance of modes of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic nociceptive low back pain
141 Citations1994M. Thomas, Tommy R. Lundberg
The results suggest that 2 Hz electrical stimulation is the mode of choice when using acupuncture in the treatment of chronic nociceptive low back pain.
Acta Odontologica ScandinavicaAcupuncture in treatment of facial muscular pain
141 Citations1991Anders Johansson, Bengt Wenneberg +2 more
It is concluded that acupuncture is an alternative method to conventional stomatognathic treatment for individuals with craniomandibular disorders of muscular origin.
Lara D. VeekenTHE ANALGESIC EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE IN CHRONIC TENNIS ELBOW PAIN
139 Citations1994Albrecht Molsberger, E. Hille
It is shown that non-segmental verum acupuncture has an intrinsic analgesic effect in the clinical treatment of tennis elbow pain which exceeds that of placebo acupuncture.
PainCholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8): Antagonism to electroacupuncture analgesia and a possible role in electroacupuncture tolerance
137 Citations1986Ji‐Sheng Han, Xuan-Zhou Ding +1 more
Longer EA stimulation results in a profound release of opioids which may trigger the release of CCK‐8 in the central nervous system to counteract the opioid component of EA analgesia, which may account, at least in part, for the development of EA tolerance.
European Heart JournalAutoantibodies against the -adrenergic receptor in human myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy: -adrenergic agonism without desensitization
134 Citations1991Gerd Wallukat, M. Morwinski +4 more
The serum of patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy contains immunoglobulins capable of causing in vitro acceleration of beating of neonatal rat heart myocytes, but this effect is stereoselectively inhibited by (-)-propranolol and is inhibited also by the beta 1-selective adrenergic antagonists, bisoprolol and metOProlol.
Life SciencesEvidence for pituitary-brain transport of a behaviorally potent acth analog
134 Citations1978Éva Mezey, Miklós Palkovits +3 more
A significant flow of radioactivity from the pituitary to the brain, particularly to the hypothalamus, is suggested, and transport to other brain areas may occur via the cerebrospinal fluid, but a neural route cannot be excluded.
Experimental NeurologySuppression of noxious responses in single neurons of cat spinal cord by electroacupuncture and its reversal by the opiate antagonist naloxone
132 Citations1979Bruce Pomeranz, Richard Cheng
Electroacupuncture reduced the electrophysiologic noxious responses of single cells in lamina V of cat spinal cord and naloxone was given intravenously and this blocked the electro-acupuncture effect.
Journal of Psychosomatic ResearchThe significance of needle placement site in acupuncture
129 Citations1989Charles Vincent, Phil Richardson +2 more
Two studies examine the claim that correct needling of classical acupuncture loci is associated with a characteristic set of sensations usually referred to as 'Teh Chi' and the results did not support the contention that the sensations of Teh Chi occur more frequently at classical acupuncture needling sites.
The American Journal of Chinese MedicineThe Acupunture Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Study
127 Citations1980Ralph M. Coan, Grace Ching Yin Wong +5 more
The acupuncture treatment situation was beneficial to the majority of people with how back pain and this was shown by the use of the short-term and long-term controls.
Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral PathologyThe effect of acupuncture on salivary flow rates in patients with xerostomia
126 Citations1992Marja Blom, Irena Dawidson +1 more
The results of the present study indicate that acupuncture may be a useful adjunct for the stimulation of salivary flow in some patients with xerostomia.
PainThe effects of acupuncture versus placebo in the treatment of headache
124 Citations1985David Dowson, George Lewith +1 more
At most acupuncture appears to be approximately 20% more effective than a placebo in alleviating headache but no statistically significant difference between these two treatments could be demon‐ strated.
PainA psychophysical analysis of acupuncture analgesia
123 Citations1984Donald D. Price, Amir Rafii +2 more
The results of this analysis reveal the unique spatial and temporal properties of electroacupuncture analgesia and the extent to which it is mediated by at least two different mechanisms.
PainNaloxone fails to reverse pain thresholds elevated by acupuncture: Acupuncture analgesia reconsidered
120 Citations1983Richard C. Chapman, Costantino Benedetti +2 more
Review of experimental design issues, other related human subjects research, and animal studies on acupunctural analgesia provided little convincing evidence that endorphins play a significant role in acupsule analgesia, and the primary analgesia elicited by ac upunctural stimulation seems to involve other mechanisms.
ThoraxAcupuncture and asthma: a review of controlled trials.
119 Citations1991Jos Kleijnen, Gerben ter Riet +1 more
Claims that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of asthma are not based on the results of well performed clinical trials because the results from the better studies are highly contradictory.
PainSympathetic vasomotor changes induced by manual and electrical acupuncture of the hoku point visualized by thermography
115 Citations1985Monique Ernst, Mathew H.M. Lee
This study evaluated in normal conditions the specific sympathetic effects of both manual and electrical acupuncture applied to the same hand (Hoku) point, indicating reduced sympathetic activity (sympatholytic effect) and a transient segmental increase in sympathetic activity.
Journal of the Royal Society of MedicineP6 Acupressure Reduces Morning Sickness
115 Citations1988JOHN W. DUNDEE, F B R Sourial +2 more
Pressure at the Neiguan point appears to have a specific therapeutic effect in preventing morning sickness and when the data are adversely ‘weighted’ to compensate for the lower incidence of fully completed returns in the active treatment groups, only the P6 group show a significant reduction in sickness.
Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental ResearchAlcoholics Anonymous: Affiliation Processes and Effectiveness as Treatment
113 Citations1987Chad D. Emrick
Compared to professionally treated alcoholics, AA members seem to achieve abstinence at a higher rate, and consideration is given to the apparent unsuitability of AA for problem drinkers who choose the goal of nonproblem drinking.
PubMedA study on the receptive field of acupoints and the relationship between characteristics of needling sensation and groups of afferent fibres.
112 Citations1985K M Wang, Shenqin Yao +2 more
It has been found that the fibres of Group II and Group IV convey numbness and soreness, respectively, and the fibre of Group III relates to the conduction of heaviness and distention closely.
PainEvoked potential assessment of acupunctural analgesia: Attempted reversal with naloxone
111 Citations1980Richard C. Chapman, Yoko M. Colpitts +3 more
Findings contribute to the growing evidence that acupunctural stimulation significantly reduces pain sensibility in volunteers undergoing dolorimetric testing, but they do not support the hypothesis that endorphin release is a mechanism by which acupuncture exerts analgesia.
Brain ResearchAlterations in rat central nervous system endorphins following transauricular electroacupuncture
111 Citations1981Agu Pert, Raymond A. Dionne +4 more
Results are interpreted to imply that electroacupuncture in the rat produces at least part of its analgesic action by activating central nervous system endorphinergic circuitary which results in a release and depletion of endorphins in certain brain loci and a concomitant elevation in the CSF.
The LancetATTENUATION OF EXERCISE-INDUCED ASTHMA BY ACUPUNCTURE
111 Citations1986Kam Pui Fung, Olivia Kit Wun Chow +1 more
Real acupuncture provided better protection against exercise-induced asthma than did sham acupuncture and both affected the basal bronchomotor tone but both, when applied 20 min before exercise, attenuated exercise induced asthma.
Brain Research BulletinThe acupuncture point and its connecting central pathway for producing acupuncture analgesia
110 Citations1993Chifuyu Takeshige, Kiyoshi Oka +6 more
The lateral hypothalamus, lateral septum, cingulate bundle, dorsal-hippocampus, and habenulo-interpeduncular tract were found to belong to the AA afferent pathway, and a network of divergence and convergence in their rostral and caudal relations was observed.
PainEvaluation of the efficacy and neural mechanism of a hypnotic analgesia procedure in experimental and clinical dental pain
110 Citations1977Joseph Barber, David J. Mayer
It is demonstrated that the hypnotic procedure used produces an unusually effective and reliable increase in pain threshold, which suggests that hypnotic pain control is a more widespread phenomenon in the population than has been thought.
Life SciencesAnalgesia following transcutaneous electrical stimulation and its partial reversal by a narcotic antagonist
109 Citations1977C. Richard Chapman, Costantino Benedetti
Transcutaneous electrical stimulation was employed at two sites in the second trigeminal division to induce dental analgesia in 24 human subjects who were undergoing painful tooth pulp stimulation, suggesting that endogenic opiate-like substances play a role in stimulation-induced analgesia.
PubMedAcupressure for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: a randomized, blinded study.
109 Citations1994J Belluomini, R C Litt +2 more
The results indicate that acupressure at the PC-6 anatomical site is effective in reducing symptoms of nausea but not frequency of vomiting in pregnant women.
British Journal of AnaesthesiaEFFECT OF P6 ACUPRESSURE ON POSTOPERATIVE VOMITING IN CHILDREN UNDERGOING OUTPATIENT STRABISMUS CORRECTION
108 Citations1991Ian Lewis, S Pryn +3 more
P6 acupressure did not reduce the incidence of postoperative vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery, and pressure at the P6 (Neikuan) point was not an antiemetic.
NeuroepidemiologyA Randomized Controlled Trial on the Treatment for Acute Partial Ischemic Stroke with Acupuncture
107 Citations1993Han‐Hwa Hu, C.‐S. CHUNG +7 more
The data and results of this study will be used as a guideline for planning a full-scale clinical trial, e.g. sample size calculation, method of randomization with stratification of prognostic factors, choosing acupuncture points and technique of acupuncture.
PubMedAn acupuncture programme for the treatment of drug-addicted persons.
107 Citations1988Michael O. Smith, Inayat Khan
It is assumed that acupuncture, in conjunction with other drug-demand reduction programmes, can make a significant impact on the illicit demand for drugs by reaching this entire range of patients.
PainEffects of intrasegmental electrical acupuncture on dental pain: Evaluation by threshold estimation and sensory decision theory
106 Citations1977C. Richard Chapman, A. C. Chen +1 more
This study demonstrated that intrasegmental analgesic stimulation is more efficacious than the extrasegmental meridian point stimulation used in earlier studies.
Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental ResearchAcupuncture Treatment of Alcoholic Recidivism: A Pilot Study
106 Citations1987Milton L. Bullock, Andrew J. Umen +2 more
The results of this study suggest that acupuncture may be able to interdict the cycle of alcoholic recidivism and the role of acupuncture in the treatment of alcoholism more precisely.
Life SciencesElectroacupuncture analgesia is mediated by stereospecific opiate receptors and is reversed by antagonists of type I receptors
106 Citations1980Richard S.S. Cheng, Bruce Pomeranz
The results strongly support the hypothesis that electroacupuncture analgesia is mediated by opiate receptors, and possibly Type I receptors are the major component of this system.
PainTraditional Chinese acupuncture in tension-type headache: a controlled study
103 Citations1992Tiziana Tavola, Costanzo Gala +2 more
No single M MPI scale predicted the response to treatment, but the mean MMPI profile of acupuncture non‐responders showed the presence of ‘Conversion V’, and no difference between acupuncture and placebo treatment was found.
European Journal of PharmacologyNaloxone-reversible peripheral electroanalgesia in intact and spinal rats
102 Citations1977Clifford J. Woolf, Graham D. Barrett +2 more
Peripheral electrical stimulation of the rat produced a "dose-dependent" analgesia both in intact and in spinal animals, and Naloxone, a narcotic antagonist, almost completely reversed this analgesia.
Pharmacology Biochemistry and BehaviorPain threshold changes in adjuvant-induced inflammation: A possible model of chronic pain in the mouse
101 Citations1986Alice A. Larson, David R. Brown +2 more
Changes in the response latency to a noxious stimulus in the areas surrounding the inflamed joint were similar to those observed in non-inflamed limbs, suggesting that changes in sensitivity to noxious stimuli were not merely the result of local hypersensitivity of the inflame tissue, but may also be due to alterations in nociception at the level of the central nervous system (CNS).
NeuropharmacologyTolerance to electroacupuncture and its cross tolerance to morphine
99 Citations1981Han Jisheng, Sijia Li +1 more
A bidirectional cross-tolerance between electroacupuncture and morphine points to the similarity between the underlying mechanisms of electroac acupuncture hypoalgesia and morphine analgesia.
PainRelationship between electroacupuncture analgesia and descending pain inhibitory mechanism of nucleus raphe magnus
98 Citations1986Xiang Liu, Bing Zhu +1 more
It is suggested that the EA can activate NRM, a supraspinal area mediating a negative feedback circuit modulating pain, thus inducing analgesia via descending inhibition through descending inhibition.
PainAcupuncture and chronic pain mechanisms
98 Citations1976Jawahar N. Ghia, Willie Mao +2 more
DSB was found to be complimentary to acupuncture therapy in that it facilitated patient selection for the therapy and resulted in maximum subjective improvement following acupuncture therapy performed at a later time.
Gynecological EndocrinologyAuricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Female Infertility
98 Citations1992Gerhard, F. Postneek
Based on the data, auricular acupuncture seems to offer a valuable alternative therapy for female infertility due to hormone disorders, even though hormone disorders were more pronounced in the acupuncture group.
Brain ResearchElectroacupuncture modifies the expression of c-fos in the spinal cord induced by noxious stimulation
97 Citations1992Jang‐Hern Lee, Alvin J. Beitz
The hypothesis that EA has a direct inhibitory effect on spinal cord dorsal horn neurons is supported and the results indicate that both high- and low-frequency EA are capable of inhibiting the expression of c-fos in the dorsal horn induced by NS.
PainComparative effects of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous nerve stimulation on the human blink reflex
97 Citations1982Jean‐Claude Willer, Agnès Roby-Brami +2 more
Electrophysiological studies provide some evidence for two different mechanisms in the depressive effects of EA and TNS upon the nociceptive component of the blink reflex in man.
The LancetACUPUNCTURE RELIEF OF CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROME CORRELATES WITH INCREASED PLASMA MET-ENKEPHALIN CONCENTRATIONS
97 Citations1983Randall Kiser, Robert J. Gatchel +4 more
In twenty patients with chronic pain syndrome, acupuncture treatment resulted in significant improvement of both pain and psychiatric symptoms and higher plasma concentrations of met-enkephalin, which was correlated with the degree of symptom relief.
Journal of the Autonomic Nervous SystemNeural mechanism of depressor responses of arterial pressure elicited by acupuncture-like stimulation to a hindlimb in anesthetized rats
96 Citations1995Hideo Ohsawa, Kaoru Okada +2 more
The results indicate that the decrease in MAP induced by acupuncture-like stimulation of a hindlimb is a reflex response, which may be involved in the present reflex, because an intravenous injection of naloxone, an antagonist of the opioid receptors, did not influence the reflex.
NeuropeptidesIs cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) a candidate for endogenous antiopioid substrates?
95 Citations1985Ji‐Sheng Han, Xuan-Zhou Ding +1 more
Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), given intracerebroventricularly or intrathecally at the dose range of 0.25-4.0 ng, dose-dependently antagonised the effect of morphine analgesia and electroacupuncture analgesia in the rat, and was capable of reversing the tolerance to EAA and changing the non-responders of EAA into responders.
GutAcupuncture inhibits vagal gastric acid secretion stimulated by sham feeding in healthy subjects.
92 Citations1994G. Lux, J. Hägel +6 more
It is shown that in healthy volunteers, only the versions of acupuncture using more pronounced stimulation (electroacupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), but not those with only mild stimulation of the nerves (classic needle acupuncture, laser acupuncture), and secondly only acupuncture performed at defined points lead to significant reduction in gastric acid secretion.
The American Journal of Chinese MedicineAcupuncture and Transcutaneous Electric Stimulation in the Treatment of Chronic Sacrolumbalgia and Ischialgia
91 Citations1976Jaakko Laitinen
Pain relief was complete or moderate in the acupuncture group in 58% of the cases, and in 46% in the electric stimulation group, with a mean of 5 in both groups.
Experimental NeurologySympathetic effects of manual and electrical acupuncture of the Tsusanli knee point: Comparison with the Hoku hand point sympathetic effects
91 Citations1986Monique Ernst, Mathew H.M. Lee
Sympathetic effects of manual and electrical acupuncture of the Tsusanli knee point were evaluated by thermography in 19 normal subjects and appears to be a central sympathetic inhibition evoked by acupuncture.
American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative PhysiologyCharacteristics of afferent fiber innervation on acupuncture points zusanli
90 Citations1983Guowei Lü
Local afferent fiber composition at this point contains more myelinated fibers, more large-sized fibers, and more A-beta-fibers than nonacupoints, which contributes to its powerful acupuncture effect.
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