3,5,11 needles: looking for the perfect number of needles--a randomized and controlled study.

3,5,11 needles: looking for the perfect number of needles--a randomized and controlled study. Acupunct Electrother Res. 2014;39(3-4):241-58 Authors: Ceccherelli F, Marino E, Caliendo A, Dezzoni R, Roveri A, Gagliardi G Abstract Acupuncture has been successfully used in myofascial pain syndromes. However, the number of needles used, i.e. the "dose" of acupuncture stimulation, to obtain the best antinociceptive efficacy, is still a matter of debate. The question was addressed comparing the clinical efficacy of 3 different therapeutic schemes, mainly characterized by different numbers of needles used on 90 patients affected by a painful cervical myofascial syndrome. Patients were divided into 3 groups; the first group of 30 patients was treated with 11 needles, the second group of 30 patients was treated with 5 needles and the third group of 30 patients was treated with 3 needles. Each group underwent eight cycles of somatic acupuncture. In each session and in each group, all needles were stimulated until the pain tolerance threshold was reached; "pain tolerance is the amount of pain a person can handle without breaking down, either physically or emotionally". Pain intensity was evaluated before therapy, immediately after, and at 1 and 3 months follow-up by means of both the Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Pain and the repercussion of pain on the patient's quality of life (DOPE- Descriptors Of Pain Effect...
Source: Acupuncture and Electro-Therapeutics Research - Category: Complementary Medicine Tags: Acupunct Electrother Res Source Type: research