9.2 Scientific Research According to ChannelsWhile both procedures increased the pain threshold, the increase
was not sufficient to justify acupuncture as a means of pain con-
trol in conservative dentistry. Bakke, Scand J Dent Res 1976
ST-4G.B.-14
ST-6G.B.-14; L.I.-4
ST-7L.I.-4 ST-32G.B.-31
ST-34ST-36; SP-9
ST-35A Chinese prospective, randomised, single-blinded, con-
trolled, long-term trial (n24) investigated the effect of electro-
acupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS) at ST-35and Ex-LE-4(eight treatments over a period of
two weeks) in older patients (average age: 85 years) suffering
from painful osteoarthritic knees. This was compared to con-
ventional therapy for this disorder. Both TENS and EA signifi-
cantly reduced the knee pain. EA also had an effect on range of
motion. Ng et al, Altern Complement Med 20034.5 cun ST-8ST-8A large prospective, randomised, multi-centre, group-
comparison trial (n120) in patients suffering from migraine
without aurademonstrated that acupuncture at ST-8, G.B.-5,
G.B.-20, Du-14and LU-7was significantly more effective than
conventional drug therapy, regarding both frequency and dura-
tion of the migraine attacks as well as number of sick days. The
authors calculated that by treating migraine with acupuncture
the Italian health system could save approximately 0.5 billion
Euros per year. Liguori et al., J Tradit Chin Med 2000
A Bulgarian case study (n35) reports the successful treat-
ment of headaches following caesarian sections with spinal
anaesthesia with acupuncture at ST-8, L.I.-4, G.B.-11, G.B.-14,
BL-10, Du-14 and Du-20 during 1–3 treatments. Tsenov,
Akush Ginekol (Sofia) 1996
A Swedish prospective, placebo-controlled trial investigated the
effect of intrasegmental (ST-8) and extrasegmental (L.I.-4)
electro-acupuncture on sensory thresholds. Only the pain thresh-
old could be increased, and this only with intrasegmental
acupuncture at ST-8. Lundeberg et al, Am J Chin Med 1989
ST-18G.B.-14; Du-1
ST-20T.B.-8
ST-21Du-20
ST-25ST-25Du-1; Du-20; L.I.-4; L.I.-15
A Chinese prospective, randomised, controlled trial (n62)
investigated the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion at ST-25
and Ren-4 for chronic colitis. This was compared to modern
drug therapy. The acupuncture group showed the same thera-
peutic results but with fewer side effects. Yang et al, J Tradit
Chin Med 1999
ST-35Level of the lower
patellar border3 cunST-35ST-36ST-36L.I.-4; BL-27; P-6; T.B.-8; G.B.-26; G.B.-31; Du-1, Ex-
B-3; Du-4; Du-20; LIV-3; SP-9; BL-60; L.I.-12; L.I.-15; Ren-17
An Iranian prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, single-
blinded trial (n51) investigated the effect of transcutaneous
electric nerve stimulation (TENS) at ST-36and ST-38on nitro-
glycerin-induced hypotension under general anaesthesia with
halothane. With true acupuncture at the above points, the mean
arterial blood pressure (MAP) was significantly lower (60 vs
66 mmHg). The effect of acupuncture was significantly greater
with lower dosages of nitroglycerin compared with higher dosage.
In addition, the time to reach steady state MAP was significantly
shorter (10 vs 15.8 minutes) and the quality of operative ischaemia
was excellent in 83.3% subjects compared to 25% in the sham
group. Saghaei M. et al, Acta Anaesthesiol Taiwan 2005
A US prospective non-blinded experimental trial investigated
the response to acupuncture at ST-36as evidenced by fMRI.
The limbic and paralimbic structures of the cortical and subcor-
tical regions in the telencephalon, diencephalon, brainstem and
cerebellum were activated in response to acupuncture. Hui et al,
Neuroimage 2005
A prospective, randomised placebo-controlled single-blinded
trial (n13) investigated the effect of electro-acupuncture at
ST-36on the heart rate variability(HRV) in healthy subjects.
There was no acupuncture-specific effect on HRV. Chang et al,
Am J Chin Med 2005
A German prospective randomised placebo-controlled single-
blinded experimental crossover study (n10) investigated the
effect of acupuncture at ST-36, L.I.-11, SP-10 and Du-14on