The needling sensation: A factor contributing to the specific effects of acupuncture?

Publication date: 2012 Source:Acupuncture and Related Therapies, Volume 1, Issue 1 Author(s): Thomas Lundeberg , Iréne Lund , Jan Näslund Acupuncture is a complex intervention, and there are both specific and non-specific influences associated with its therapeutic benefit. Although large randomized controlled trials (RCT) and systematic reviews have demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture, the conclusions are controversial due to the lack of a significant difference in the results between real and sham acupuncture. This similarity may be due to the omission of important components of the acupuncture treatment itself, such as the needling sensation. The needling sensation is considered to represent an important component of acupuncture. Despite this importance, several RCTs have lacked data on whether the needling sensation has been achieved. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the needling sensation, deQi, is a combination of unique sensations that are interpreted as the flow of Qi, or “vital energy.” Furthermore, acupuncture is believed to be successful only upon the arrival of “vital energy,” Qi. This state is suggested to be essential to the specific therapeutic effect of acupuncture. From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture excites sensory receptors and nerve fibers in the stimulated tissue, resulting in a needling sensation. Moreover, acupuncture induces both the deactivation of a limbic–paralimbic–neocortical network in the bra...
Source: Acupuncture and Related Therapies - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research