Research: Acupuncture in EAE a prick too far?

Kim KY, Yang WJ, Shin TK, Jeong HJ, Kim HM. Impact of acupuncture by using life-energy (qi) oriental needle on the paralysis of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Am J Chin Med. 2012;40:769-78.




In acupuncture, adaptation to energy flows in body cycles is the key to health and therapy. From the evolution of our thinking about acupuncture, we developed the Life-Energy (Qi) oriental needle (Qi needle). It contains a rotating electromagnetic wave and has a strong affinity for the meridians. We report for the first time on the effect of acupuncture by using a Qi needle (Qi acupuncture) on rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model of human demyelinating multiple sclerosis. Both Qi acupuncture (QA) and general acupuncture (GA) were used on the limbs, at the shaoshang (LU11) and zhongchong (PC9) acupoints, of rats from one day post-immunization (dpi) to 12 dpi. The therapy in the QA groups significantly blocked the onset of EAE paralysis (3/13, 77%, p < 0.05) while all rats in the control EAE groups (12/15) and GA groups (11/13) showed EAE paralysis. In addition, the duration of paralysis was shortened in QA groups (1.5 ± 0.5 days) compared with those of the vehicle (5.5 ± 0.2 days) and GA groups (3.6 ± 1.1 days). The numbers of inflammatory cells and CD4(+) T cells in the QA treated EAE group were significantly reduced compared with those of the EAE control and EAE with GA (p < 0.05). Collectively, the present findings suggest that QA ameliorates the paralysis in rats in an EAE model. The precise mechanism of the amelioration and human studies, however, needs further study.

This study used a Qi (Chi) needle in the feet of rats. They stuck  needles into the rat equivalent of the thumb (shaoshang) and middle (zhongchong) finger. They also used an ordinary needle and low and behold sticking a rotating magnetic acupuncture needle stopped EAE from developing. Great, but this suggests also that General Acupuncture is a waste of time, as a DMT. Surely if there is anything in acupuncture then it would be symptom control


I suspect this is equivalent to the "building site phenomenon" = put rats in a building site and the noise/ultrasound makes them so stressed out that you can not get EAE in the animals. This probably works via a stress hormone effect.  I guess animals will get stressed by the holding and needles.


I think this should be a case of Dutch beer Advert (CoI-I don't drink it..I prefer baby beer <5% alcohol) or as this is a post about Chinese medicine ."Schtop":-). 


What's your experience with acupuncture? Maybe you swear by a Qi needle

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