I like this idea very much. They have developed a sort of “porous” acupuncture needle. This should give a stronger physiological signal since it should have more “grab.” I would love to try this needle!!
Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 7;6:34061. doi: 10.1038/srep34061.
Hierarchical Micro/Nano-Porous Acupuncture Needles Offering Enhanced Therapeutic Properties.
In SL1, Gwak YS2, Kim HR1, Razzaq A1, Lee KS1, Kim HY2, Chang S2, Lee BH2, Grimes CA3, Yang CH2.
Abstract
Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention has been widely used for treatment of many pathophysiological disorders. For achieving improved therapeutic effects, relatively thick acupuncture needles have been frequently used in clinical practice with, in turn, enhanced stimulation intensity. However due to the discomforting nature of the larger-diameter acupuncture needles there is considerable interest in developing advanced acupuncture therapeutical techniques that provide more comfort with improved efficacy. So motivated, we have developed a new class of acupuncture needles, porous acupuncture needles (PANs) with hierarchical micro/nano-scale conical pores upon the surface, fabricated via a simple and well known electrochemical process, with surface area approximately 20 times greater than conventional acupuncture needles. The performance of these high-surface-area PANs is evaluated by monitoring the electrophysiological and behavioral responses from the in vivo stimulation of Shenmen (HT7) points in Wistar rats, showing PANs to be more effective in controlling electrophysiological and behavioral responses than conventional acupuncture needles. Comparative analysis of cocaine induced locomotor activity using PANs and thick acupuncture needles shows enhanced performance of PANs with significantly less pain sensation. Our work offers a unique pathway for achieving a comfortable and improved acupuncture therapeutic effect.
