title: Noneffect of manual needle acupuncture on experimental pain parameters in healthy young men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of manual acupuncture on experimental pain parameters in healthy participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental design was a repeated-measures, three-group pre- and postprocedure. All subjects participated in a control, sham, and acupuncture procedure, separated by 1 week, in a counterbalanced sequence to forestall an order effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected in a laboratory environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants included 12 healthy young men (mean age 21.3 ± 2.6 years; height 183.8 ± 5 cm; weight 77.7 ± 9.5 kg).
  
  
  METHODS
  The control procedure comprised assessing the experimental pain parameters before and after a quiet rest for 20 minutes. The sham procedure was performed with the needle inserted bilaterally 1-1.5 cm outside each acupoint. The manual acupuncture procedure was performed at two bilateral acupoints of LI-4 (Large Intestine 4, Hegu) and ST-44 (Stomach 44, Nei Ting).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain parameters assessed included the pain threshold, nociceptive reflex threshold, and nociceptive reflex amplitude.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated-measures analysis of variance between pre- and postcontrol, sham, and acupuncture procedures for pain threshold, nociceptive reflex threshold, and nociceptive reflex amplitude revealed no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Manual acupuncture at bilateral acupoints LI-4 and ST-44 did not show a change in pain threshold, nociceptive flexion reflex threshold, or the nociceptive reflex amplitude in healthy participants.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia. pmicalos@csu.edu.au
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Micalos
authors.forename: Sok Cheon
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pak
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017288:Pain Threshold; D012016:Reference Values; D012018:Reflex; D055815:Young Adult