Now THIS study is REALLY interesting, and I wish more like it were done…it helps me and should help all of understand that we don’t have to put the needles where the pain is to get results…but that putting them in the painful area ALSO helps. This is why I often ask my patients what they would prefer, because I know that needling locally as well as at sites distant from the pain/injury/illness can both be effective. But I want to work WITH rather than against my patient’s preferences. What’s also interesting is that the same patient who initially prefers and responds better to distant vs. local needling (or vice-versa) may respond differently after several treatments, so sometimes we just keep mixing it up for optimal results. But the bottom line, once again, is that acupuncture can be very useful for treating pain. Read on:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/study-supports-acupuncture-effects-in-pain-control