Randomised Double-Blind Trial on the Immediate Effects of Naloxone on Classical Chinese Acupuncture Therapy for Chronic Pain

Abstract

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that acupuncture therapy and acupuncture analgesia are both endorphin mediated. Thirty consecutive patients, all with pain at the time of treatment, were chosen. Classical acupuncture was used on seventeen patients; ear acupuncture was combined with classical Chinese acupuncture on eight patients, and ear acupuncture alone was used in five cases. No electrical stimulation of any sort was used. Pain was assessed by the patients on a visual scale of 0 to 100 before and after acupuncture therapy. Immediately following the post-acupuncture pain assessment, the patient was injected intravenously with a 1 ml. injection of 400 micrograms of Naloxone or a 1 ml. injection of 0.9% Sodium Chloride on a randomised double-blind basis. The effect on pain relief was noted immediately and after thirty minutes. No significant change in pain relief already obtained was noted after Naloxone in any patient. This does not support the hypothesis that acupuncture therapy is mediated by endorphin.