Acupuncture--effect on normal subjects.

Abstract

The effect of acupuncture analgesia on pain threshold was assessed in a group of 60 healthy volunteers. On the average a 60% elevation of the pain threshold was achieved. This effect was seen bilaterally with unilateral acupuncture stimulation. There was no significant difference in the effect produced by three widely separate sites of acupuncture stimulation. The possibility of an additive effect when two sites were simultaneously stimulated was not confirmed in our limited study. Evidence is presented that sensory nerve fibre stimulation may be the basic primary requirement of successful acupuncture analgesia.