Patients’ expectations about acupuncture benefits can shape the timing, intensity, and qualities of needling sensations, even when stimulation is designed to minimise them.
Patients with primary menstrual pain associated with cold and dampness patterns were randomly assigned to receive either deeper, manipulated acupuncture with thicker needles or shallower, non-manipulated acupuncture with thinner needles at a leg acupuncture point. Researchers recorded participants’ needling sensations, anxiety related to acupuncture, and beliefs about whether needle sensations predict treatment benefit.
All participants receiving deeper, manipulated needling reported needling sensations, while many receiving shallow, non-manipulated needling also experienced them. Expectations were associated with several features of sensation, including when sensations began, their intensity, and experiences such as electrical feelings, coldness, and numbness. Anxiety showed little overall association, although it was linked with throbbing among shallow-needling participants who experienced sensations.
