Neurophysiologic Basis for the Relief of Human Pain by Acupuncture

It is known that acupuncture, a Chinese old medical science, is often very effective in pain relief processes in several parts of the human body, particularly in the treatment of tooth and lower back pain. The origin for the pain relief is generally attributed to the release of some proteins in the brain, like β endorphin (neurotransmitters) which are known to have an analgesic effect. In this paper we suggest an additional and significant neural process which provides relief from pains due to the suppression of the action potential by the insertion of acupuncture metal needles that attract the excess of Na⁺ and hence the process reduces the intensity of the action potential. Successive steps of reduction with a set of needles inserted at selected points reduce the intensity of the action potential below the threshold value. This simple, but noteworthy process has far reaching consequences in acupuncture science as it might provide, for the first time, a solid foundation for a well established technique.