The study is published in the May issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the IARS’s official journal.
The results pointed to two nerve fibers — the “A delta” pain fibers and the “C” pain fibers — as being specifically affected by acupuncture, according to the release. 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, according to the release.
“Reproducible findings are the cornerstone of scientific inquiry,” Steven L. Shafer, MD, editor-in-chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia and professor of anesthesiology at Columbia University, said in the release. “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 IARS’s release on acupuncture in controlling chronic pain.
