Blood Flow in Brain Shows Acupuncture Relieves Pain

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Acupuncture relieves pain and a scan of brain activity
proves it, researchers said on Wednesday.

Doctors at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey induced
pain in 12 subjects by using a filament to touch their upper lips, then
detected the associated increases in brain activity with a magnetic
resonance imaging device.

As the subjects' pain was relieved with acupuncture needles placed between
thumb and forefinger, images taken of their brains showed the activity
diminishing.

The pain-induced activity subsided in 60 percent to 70 percent of the entire
brain during treatment with acupuncture needles, the researchers said.

``We're using a new technology to understand how this 2,500-year-old
technique works,'' study co-author Huey-Jen Lee said.

The rise in brain activity, which is based on an increase in blood flow, was
seen in the parietal area, the sensory center of the brain, and the brain
stem. But each subject exhibited differences in where brain activity
increased.

``So many people with pain, whether from cancer, headache or a chronic,
unexplained condition, rely on medications, such as morphine, which can
become addicting,'' Huey-Jen Lee said. ''Acupuncture has no side effects,
and other studies have shown the pain relief it provides can last for
months.''

The researchers presented their findings to the Radiological Society of
North America, meeting in Chicago.