| Anesthesia and Analgesia, an official journal published | | | | joy, when they applied acupuncture to the leg, the |
| by the International Anesthesia Research Society, | | | | next thing that the researchers saw was a marked |
| also known as IARS, has recently concluded that the | | | | change in the pain thresholds. In some of the |
| olden technique of Chinese acupuncture is nothing but | | | | volunteers, the pain threshold increased by up to 50 |
| effective when it comes to treating different types | | | | percent after the application of acupuncture. |
| of pain. | | | | The remarkable thing is that the improved threshold |
| This conclusion was published in the May issue of this | | | | for pain was noticed in both the leg that had |
| official journal putting in a new found trust in the | | | | received acupuncture and the other side too which |
| practice. | | | | had not, the contra lateral leg that is. |
| A lot of people had previously known that the | | | | In conclusion, according to the researchers, this was |
| practice of acupuncture could be used as alternative | | | | well backed up proof that these results show the |
| medicine for different kinds of treatment but there | | | | ancient practice of acupuncture is indeed effective |
| has always been a lot of skepticism around the issue. | | | | towards easing pain in patients. |
| Many people were doubting whether this art of | | | | "These results that we have found prove that contra |
| sticking needles into the skin at specific points really | | | | lateral stimulation on the leg leads to a marked relief |
| does the trick to alleviate various forms of ailments. | | | | in pain to the patient," remarked leading author |
| Now they can be rest assured that it works after all | | | | Dominik Irnich, M.D. "This goes to show that |
| the research that has gone into proving it true or | | | | acupuncturists should try to needle the contra lateral |
| false by the International anesthesia Research | | | | leg or side if the affected side is too painful to be |
| Society. | | | | done with acupuncture or simply not accessible. This |
| The university of Munich was very crucial in the | | | | could be because the skin is gravely injured or |
| deriving of this conclusion that the practice of | | | | covered in dressing." |
| acupuncture really is an effective solution to | | | | The research also showed that there are three |
| ameliorating pain in the body. These researchers | | | | effective types of acupuncture that could be used. |
| utilized quantitative sensory testing for this. They | | | | These are: |
| would use it to mark out the different changes in | | | | 1. Manual acupuncture |
| pain sensitivity in 24 different healthy volunteers | | | | 2. Needling by itself |
| when acupuncture was applied. They would put the | | | | 3. Needling in combination with high frequency and or |
| very thin needles in specific points in the leg where | | | | low frequency stimulation. |
| there are pain receptors to see what changes would | | | | Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine. |
| take place in the volunteers' pain thresholds. To their | | | | |