Prevent Disease.com - Flick of the Wrist May Be Key to Acupuncture Effect



		Flick of the Wrist May Be Key to Acupuncture Effect NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Acupuncture's therapeutic effect may originate from the way in which the acupuncture needle is manipulated as it is pulled out of the skin, according to researchers. Dr. Helene M. Langevin of the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington and colleagues report that they measured an increase in the amount of force needed to withdraw acupuncture needles from the skin when the needles were rotated. Such a technique is used in traditional acupuncture therapy. The investigators also found that 18% more force was needed to pull the needles from acupuncture points specified in ancient texts, compared with ``control'' points that are not used in acupuncture. This is the first time that scientists have identified a physical response to acupuncture needles, according to the report, which is published in the December issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. ``We now know that needle manipulation has a measurable biomechanical effect on the tissue,'' Langevin explained in a prepared statement from the University of Vermont. In the study, Langevin's team measured the amount of force required to remove an acupuncture needle from human skin. Needles were placed in various locations on the body. The pullout force was measured when the needle was pulled straight out, rotated in one direction and rotated in two directions. The needle required 167% more force when pulled out while rotating the needle in one direction and 52% more force when rotated back and forth upon pullout compared with when the needle was extracted with no rotation, the report indicates. ``This study for the first time demonstrates a link between acupuncture needle manipulation and biomechanical events in the tissue,'' the authors write. ``These biomechanical events are potentially associated with long-lasting cellular and extracellular effects,'' they add. ``Our working hypothesis right now is that the needle grasp is due to connective tissue winding around the needle,'' Langevin said in a prepared statement. ``We also think that the needle may come into contact with more connective tissue at the acupuncture points identified in ancient texts. This may explain why the pullout force was slightly greater at those points,'' she added. Nonetheless, the researchers note that ``an important limitation of this study is that a cause and effect relationship between pullout force and therapeutic effect has not been established.'' Acupuncture can be traced back at least 2,500 years. The general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patterns of energy flow (qi) through the body that are essential for health. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for disease. The belief underlying the technique is that the acupuncturist can correct imbalances of flow by inserting needles at specific points in the skin. More than one million Americans are estimated to use acupuncture. In 1993, the Food and Drug Administration reported that Americans spent $500 million annually and made about 9 to 12 million patient visits for acupuncture treatment. SOURCE: Journal of Applied Physiology 2001;91:2471-2478. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".