Has acupuncture an analgesic effect in the rabbit?

Abstract

The effect of acupuncture stimulation on pain tolerance was studied in rabbits. Painful stimulation was provided by a tungsten lamp focused on the snout. Four acupuncture points were selected: preocular retroauricular, in the forepaw between the median and ulnar nerves and in the ears. A control series without acupuncture stimulation was also studied. Electrical stimulation was applied bilaterally through the acupuncture needles. A statistical analysis of the reaction time to the noxious stimulus demonstrated that the responses of the acupunctured animals were not significantly different from those of the controls. Based on operational behavioral measurements, the acupuncture procedure apparently did not produce significant changes of pain tolerance in rabbits.