New study acupuncture in the brain effective?

New study: Acupuncture in the brain is effective?

British scientists have found through brain scans and functional MRI that acupuncture does not work in the body, but directly in the brain.The scientists from the British University of York and their medical school published their study in the international trade magazine „Brain Research“. The magazine is dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary brain science studies.

17 people were examined - all right-handed. With them, the right LI-4 (Hegu) point, which lies on the back of the hand, was acupunctured.

The participants were again subdivided into subjects who felt pain and those who were the so-called „Deqi“- Perceived feeling. This is the feeling that has been described in the effect of ancient times in acupuncture: It can consist of heat, heat, tingling, running ants, cold, etc ....

Among the participants who reported this feeling, the imaging devices used blood circulation to measure the deactivation of certain areas of the brain that are related to the sensation of pain. For the other group, these areas were more likely to be activated.

Scientifically proven to be scientifically proven, acupuncture now seems to affect certain brain areas and functions. How and if pain can be influenced with it, the study does not say. Here, further studies are currently being conducted at the University of York to test the influence of acupuncture on irritable bowel syndrome and depression.

If the studies of the scientists bring demonstrable results, then this would certainly be a blessing for the British health system, since the acupuncture except the needles for treatment is not much needed and thus represents a cost-effective form of therapy.

However, observers warn against seeing individual effects of acupuncture detached from the medical system behind it. The basics of acupuncture go back to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which are about 2000 years old.

They involve the idea of ​​a life force called qi. This should move in our body in a constant flow. If there are imbalances or disturbances, complaints can arise. This is a fundamentally different understanding of health and disease than is the case in Western established medicine.

If the use of acupuncture is too remote from its philosphical and theoretical roots, it could have a negative impact on treatment success. (Thorsten Fischer, Naturopath Osteopathy, 09.02.2010)