J Tradit Chin Med. 1989 Mar; 9(1): 40-4.

Observations on clinical therapeutic effect in treating soft tissue injuries by acupuncture, with pain threshold and electromyography as parameters.

Yuan CX, Xing JH, Yan CY.

360 observations were made on 120 cases of soft tissue injury divided into groups. 1. Among the 100 patients in the acupuncture treatment group, 300 observations were made; among the 20 controls there were 60 observations. The effective rate in the acupuncture treatment group was 85.00%; in the control group it was 41.67%, a very significant difference (P less than 0.01). 2. Relationship between therapeutic course and effect. The effective rate for the first course was 74.00%; it was 90.50% when more than two courses were given, a very significant difference (P less than 0.01) indicating the marked effect of acupuncture treatment. 3. Based on the therapeutic theory of TCM syndrome differentiation and reinforcement method in the asthenia state, and reducing method in asthenia state, different manipulations were used for asthenia-heat and asthenia-cold types with good clinical results. There was no significant difference (P greater than 0.05) between the effective rate in these two types, pointing up the significance of the TCM syndrome differentiation theory in clinical acupuncture. 4. There was very significant difference (P less than 0.01) in the degree of pressed pain on the patient's tender spot before and after acupuncture treatment, also (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.001 respectively) in the EMG amplitude on the affected side of the lumbar area before and after acupuncture treatment during light and heavy force in extension action of back muscles. Acupuncture treatment on soft tissue disease based on TCM syndrome differentiation theory is thus shown to be effective.