Method for rapid insertion and quick withdrawal of the needle (RI-QW) is clinically used for infants, children, pregnant women, women shortly after they have given birth, old and weak patients, nervous and sensitive patients, and for patients who have not experienced acupuncture before. The curative effect of RI-QW has been described for chronic diseases, skin diseases, pain and paralysis diseases, gastroenteric disorders, and so on. While research on needle-steadying techniques based on retaining the needle (RN), such as electroacupuncture (EA) and manipulation, is abundant, research an needle-steadying techniques which do not retain the needle, such as RI-QW, is deficient. The reason may be that needle-steadying techniques based on RN, such as EA and manipulation, are excellent in producing an analgesic effect, and the stimulation of EA is quantitative. However this technique can induce adverse reactions and side effects, such as acupuncture syncope, and it is difficult to perform acupuncture in various areas simultaneously; there are many cases in which RN is impossible due to the contraindication of needling. In the case of RI-QW, contrary to RN, it is possible to perform acupuncture in various areas simultaneously for a short time, and to reduce the patient´s stress due to needling. RI-QW can also be performed at the same time with needle-steadying techniques based on RN. The present study was performed to improve this advantage of RI-QW, and to clinically aid the various applications of the needle-steadying technique as fundamental data about the analgesic effects of RI-QW.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 170g∼325g were lightly anesthetized with thiopental sodium (40㎎/㎏, i.p.). Pain threshold was estimated by the latency of the tail-flick test. Variables which may have influenced the tail flick latency (TFL) were adjusted constandy, particularly the body temperature or tail-skin temperature of the rats and the intensity of radiation heat after anesthesia.
The analgesic effect of RI-QW according to the stimulation quantity was examined with stable TFL values. RI-QWs were performed at a frequency of 1 time/sec, at the same depth of 3㎜ at the point of "zusanli (ST36)", but the stimulation quantities were different. AQ1 was repeated 5 times for 5 sec, AQ2 was repeated 10 times for 10 sec, and AQ3 was repeated 15 dmes for 15 sec. TFL values of AQ1·AQ2·AQ3 were higher than those in the control group, and AQl was the highest among all groups. Particularly at the 40-minute mark, TFL values of AQ1·AQ2 were higher than those in the control group by one-way ANOVA and Duncan grouping (p<0.05). The analgesic effect of RI-QW according to the stimulation depth was examined with stable TFI, values. RI-QWs were performed for the frequency of 1 time/sec for 5 seconds at the point of "zusanli (ST36)", but the depths of insertion were different. AD1 was performed at a depth of 1㎜, AD2 was 3㎜, and AD3 was 5㎜. TFL values of AQ1·AQ2·AQ3 were higher than those in the control group, and AD2 was the highest among the groups. Particularly at the 40-minute mark, TFL values of AD1 AD2 were higher than those in the control group by one-way ANOVA and Duncan grouping (p<0.05). Of the different RI-QWs using changes in stimulation quantity and depth, AQ1 (=AD2) was the most effective.
These results suggest that (1) in tail-flick test, the body temperature of the rats and the intensity of radiant heat are important variables to consider after anesthesia, and (2) there is an suitable stimulation condition of RI-QW to produce an analgesic effect.
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