A Preliminary Observation Of The Effect Of Acupuncture On Pain Perception In Man

Mo Huanying, Yao Tai, Chen Zibin, Department of Physiology, Shanghai First Medical College.

Gao Tonghua, Shanghai First Tuberculosis Hospital.

Jin Shubai, Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Experiments were undertaken on medical students and school workers. The changes of pain perception were measured by a calibrated spring rod dolorimeter from different points of the body surface before and during acupuncture. Twenty-nine unilatenal and ten pair classical needling points have been tested, each from 16 subjects. All the data were analysed statistically by t-test.

The results can be summarized as follows:

(1) In most subjects hand needling of the classical needling points could elevate pain threshold and pain tolerance. Among the 17 points of "Yang channels" tested, needling of the Hegu point was the most effective, and among the 12 points of "Yin channels" tested, needling of the Gongsun points was the most effective. Effect of bilateral points needled simultaneously was better than unilateral needling.

(2) The magnitude of elevatoins of pain threshold and its tolerance in a given body surface was different on needling different points, and the analgesic effect of needling point was different in different parts of the body surface.

(3) The effectiveness of acupuncture analgesia were significantly different among different subjects, i.e., there are individual heterogenecities.