Electroacupuncture & Auricular Electrial Stimulation

The physiological mechanisms underlying electroacupuncture are examined, and the electrical characteristics of this treatment procedure are examined. The primary underlying mechanisms for its clinical effectiveness seems to involve an endogeneous pain inhibitory system that includes both endorphin and non-endorephin systems. No neurophysiological evidence has as yet delineated the exact anatomical pathways by which electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on the body or the ear can alter specific pathological conditions originating from a part of the body at a considerable distance from the site of treatment. It has been conclusively verified that the classical acupuncture points exhibit lower skin resistance, higher skin conductance, and higher skin potential than surrounding dermal areas. Both somatic and auricular acupuncture points show even further reduced skin resistance at specific sites when there is pathology on the ipsilateral side of the body. Thus, electroacupuncture and auriculotherapy can be used both for the diagnosis and treatment of medical disorders.