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Conclusion: Acupuncture Enhances Generation
of Nitric Oxide and Increases Local Circulation. Although it is widely used, the mechanisms and effects of acupuncture
on pain are not completely understood. Recently, increased nitric
oxide (NO) synthase activity has been found in meridians and
acupoints. Because NO is a key regulator of local circulation, and
because change in circulation can affect the development and
persistence of pain, we propose that acupuncture might regulate NO
levels. We studied the effects of acupuncture on local NO levels and
circulation in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study with 20
volunteers, each of whom underwent one session each of real and
noninvasive sham acupuncture in a single hand and forearm with a 1-wk
interval between treatments. NO concentration in the plasma from the
acupunctured arm was significantly increased by 2.8 +/- 1.5 micromol/L
at 5 min and 2.5 +/- 1.4 micromol/L at 60 min after acupuncture. Blood
flow in palmar subcutaneous tissue of the acupunctured arm also
increased, and this correlated with the NO increase. These changes
were not observed in noninvasive sham-acupunctured hands and forearms. In
conclusion, acupuncture increases the NO level in treated regions and thereby increases local circulation. These regulatory effects
might contribute to pain relief provided by acupuncture. Source PubMed
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