Firstly, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study reveals that electroacupuncture effectively inhibits osteoarthritis-induced pain by boosting 5-HT2A/2C serotonin receptor activity. Consequently, this receptor activation generates potent anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, researchers from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, and Shanxi Medical University in Shanxi, China, demonstrated that electroacupuncture significantly reduces osteoarthritis pain by stimulating serotonin receptors, which crucially modulate pain at the spinal level. Furthermore, the team discovered that electroacupuncture activates serotonergic neurons, which subsequently extend projections into the spinal cord.
A patient receiving cupping for osteoarthritis of the knee.
The study applied electroacupuncture to acupuncture points GB30 (Huantiao) and St36 (Zusanli) in rats with osteoarthritis.
Thirty-two gauge needles pierced two acupuncture points per leg, using 10Hz, 2mA, 0.4ms pulses for 30 minutes per session. Moreover, the researchers found that electroacupuncture triggers serotonergic neurons, which then extend projections into the spinal cord.
EA [Electroacupuncture] activates different areas in the brain that, in turn, modulate various functions.” The researchers concluded that electroacupuncture has the ability to, “induce spinal serotonin release and stimulate 5-HT2A/2c [serotonin] receptor activities at the spinal cord to inhibit osteoarthritis-induced pain.”
ACUPUNCTURE STOPS ARTHRITIS PAIN with SEROTONIN – New Research
Dr. Tony Willcox travels to China, researching acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine for a decade. He studies at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. These universities affiliate with hospitals, offering hands-on patient treatment. Willcox practices acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine on the front line.
