Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2002 Jun; 37(6): 326-32.

[Variations of pain in the treatment of one classical acupuncture-point versus one point of Yamamoto's new scalp acupuncture]

Ogal HP, Hafer J, Ogal M, Krumholz W, Herget HF, Hempelmann G.

Abteilung Anaesthesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Giessen, Germany.

INTRODUCTION: In an experimental design the pain reduction effect of acupuncture is studied and compared to the treatment of a classical acupuncture point and a point of the Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture (YNSA). METHODS: Experimental pain stimuli (32 per test person) were set in 42 test persons at the upper calcaneus edge and pain reduction was checked intra-individually by using the following variations of treatment: Acupuncture YNSA basis-point D, Acupuncture at the classical point Xiao Chang Shu = Bl 27, Acupuncture at a placebo point of the head, Acupuncture at a placebo point of the gluteal region. RESULTS: Evaluation of the data as well as a statistical investigation using a bi-factoral variance analysis with repeated measurements of 2 respectively 1 factor yielded following results: There are highly significant differences concerning pain reduction through the stimulation of the YNSA basis-point D and the acupuncture at the classical point Bl 27 (p < 0,0007). There are also highly significant differences concerning the verum and the placebo treatment (p < 0,00006). Further hypothesis of controlling the experimental design were tested. CONCLUSIONS: On the whole, the investigation shows that there is a marked difference between the verum and placebo treatment as well as a difference between the acupuncture of the YNSA basis-point D and the classical acupuncture point Xiao Chang Shu (Bl 27) with regard to pain reduction induced by experimental stimuli at the calcaneus. These differences are significant.