Original articleThe Effect of Real and Sham Acupuncture on Thermal Sensation and Thermal Pain Thresholds
Section snippets
Design
This study was a single-blind randomized controlled repeated-measures (within-subject) trial. The independent variable was acupuncture (real, sham). The dependent variables were the thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds.
Participants
A convenience sample of 18 healthy volunteers (12 women, 6 men; mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 29.1±9.2y) was recruited from among students at Queen Margaret University College, who responded to a general notice and word of mouth. All 18 subjects completed the
Results
Mean thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds are presented in table 2. There were no statistically significant differences (P>.05) between the baseline values of any of the 4 thermal thresholds recorded before application of each of the 3 interventions were applied. Inferential comparisons were therefore made of the levels of change calculated in degrees Celsius. The levels of change in thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds are presented in table 3 as the mean of the changes
Discussion
Our results show no significant differences in the level of change in thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds when the 3 interventions were applied. Hence, 2 inferences can be made: first, real acupuncture did not have any significantly greater analgesic effect (as represented by change in thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds) in comparison with sham and control. Second, because there was no significant difference between sham and control, there was no evidence of a placebo
Conclusions
We found no statistically significant differences between real and sham acupuncture and a control intervention on thermal sensation and thermal pain thresholds in this cohort. Consequently, no support was provided for the analgesic and placebo effects of acupuncture. A trend to a reduction in sensitivity to all thresholds was observed with real acupuncture, but the changes were small relative to the underlying variance. The low power of the inferential tests applied could have resulted from
Acknowledgments
We thank Andrew Grainger, BSc, for technical support and Judith Lane, MSc, MCSP, for statistical advice.
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Supported by the Arthritis Research Campaign, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Hilda Martindale Educational Trust, SmithKlineGlaxo, and the Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.