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Are acupuncture points tender? A blinded study of Spleen 6
B Janovsky1, A R White, J Filshie
1Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
Objectives:
To explore the methodology for investigating the tenderness of acupuncture points, with particular reference to the hypothesis that the point Spleen 6 (SP6) is more tender in women than in men.
Design:
Single-blind, observational study with volunteers.
Setting:
University of Exeter, U.K.
Subjects:
Student volunteers, 13 male and 13 female.
Outcome Measures:
Pressure thresholds at SP6, a control acupuncture point Stomach 36, and two nonacupuncture control sites in each leg were measured weekly for 4 weeks.
Results:
No statistically significant differences were found between the pressure thresholds of SP6 in women and those in men.
Conclusion:
The present study provides no strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the acupuncture point SP6 is more tender in women and in men. Recommendations for further investigations are discussed.
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