The author recently treated a case of sickle-cell crisis as an emergency for pain relief using acupuncture because all other conventional therapies failed. The result was so effective, dramatic and encouraging that four other cases of genotype SS/SC were also treated. These cases are reported, (though small in number) to bring attention to this easy, simple, cheap and convenient therapy and to stimulate research among practicing acupuncturists and clinicians.

The effects of therapeutic acupuncture on gastric acid secretion on pain relief in chronic duodenal ulcer patients were studied. Ten adult Nigerian patients with clinical, endoscopic as well as radiological evidence of duodenal ulcer constituted the "Ulcer Group." Four other patients who gave history of dyspepsia formed the "Dyspeptic Group." Pentagastrin stimulation test was performed on all subjects pre- and post-acupuncture therapy. The classical Chinese acupuncture loci were employed. The mean Basal Acid Output (BAO) in the duodenal ulcer group was markedly reduced from 4.04 +/- 1.01 mMols/hour to 1.05 +/- 2.5 mMols/hour. The mean Maximal Acid Output (MAO) was lowered from 34.72 +/- 13.81 mMols/hour to 15.34 +/- 4.01 mMols/hour. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). It is more probable, therefore, that the relief of pain is attributable to the therapeutic inhibition of gastric hyperacidity in our patients. Thus, though pain relief has been previously demonstrated in response to acupuncture, the results of this investigation have gone further to show that acupunture achieves symptomatic relief through therapeutic gastric depression in duodenal ulcer patients.

Discharges were recorded from spinal dorsal horn neurons in response to noxious skin heating (50 degrees C) in anesthetized cats. Repetitive electrical stimulation of the superficial peroneal (SP) and posterior tibial (PT) nerves inhibited these nociceptive discharges as well as systemic administration of met-enkephalinamide (synthetic endorphin). The inhibitory effects of electro-stimulation as well as administration of synthetic endorphin were partially but significantly antagonized by naloxone, thus arguing in favor of endogenous morphine release as the basis for the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia. However, non-responding neuronal units to the administration of enkephalin were also observed in the present study. These non-responding units may explain why acupuncture is not effective in some individuals.

In prospective, random assignment of 2 groups of 15 patients, relief of postoperative pain with narcotic medications was evaluated and compared with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for 2 days immediately following surgery. Presence of ileus and hospital stay were identical in both groups. Patients on TENS demonstrated a marked significant decrease in the amount of narcotics administered. There was favorable nursing, physician and patient acceptance to these devices. Further clinical evaluation is, therefore, in progress.

No abstract