Influence of de qi on the immediate analgesic effect of SP6 acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation : A multicentre randomised controlled trial
Zhao M, Zhang P, Li J, Wang L, Zhou W, Wang Y, She Y, Ma L, Wang P, Hu N, Lin C, Hu S, Wu G, Wang Y, Sun J, Jiang S, Zhu J · Acupuncture in Medicine · 2017 October
DOI 10.1136/acupmed-2016-011228
Objective
To investigate the contribution of de qi to the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis of cold and dampness stagnation.
Conclusions
This study showed that acupuncture designed to induce or avoid de qi produced no significant difference in immediate pain reduction, although patients who experienced actual de qi had greater analgesic effects.
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Insights
Experiencing the characteristic acupuncture sensation was associated with greater immediate menstrual pain relief, regardless of how needling was intended to produce it.
In a multicentre randomised controlled trial, patients with primary menstrual pain and a traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis of cold and dampness stagnation received acupuncture at the Sanyinjiao point. One group received deeper, manipulated needling intended to evoke the characteristic acupuncture sensation, while the other received shallow, unmanipulated needling intended to avoid it. Pain and experienced acupuncture sensations were assessed immediately after treatment.
Both needling approaches reduced menstrual pain, with no meaningful difference between the assigned groups. However, participants who actually experienced the characteristic acupuncture sensation had greater pain reduction than those who did not, suggesting that the sensation itself may be more relevant to immediate analgesia than the intended needling technique.
