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Trigger point--acupuncture point correlations revisited.

Stephen Birch1

  • 1The Stichting for the Study of Traditional East Asian Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 71524.3461@compuserve.com

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.)
|April 5, 2003
PubMed
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A 1977 study claimed 71% correspondence between acupuncture and trigger points for pain. This re-examination found no more than 40% correlation, suggesting a probable link to a shi points instead.

Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Pain Management
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

  • A 1977 study by Melzack et al. proposed a 71% correspondence between acupuncture points and trigger points for pain treatment.
  • This claim has significantly influenced subsequent research and clinical practice.
  • The original findings have not been empirically re-evaluated until the current study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To rigorously re-examine the claimed 71% correspondence between acupuncture points and trigger points for pain.
  • To investigate the validity of the 1977 study's conclusions through an updated analysis of acupuncture literature.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive review of acupuncture texts published after 1977 was conducted.
  • In-depth analysis focused on five key acupuncture textbooks.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Broader literature review was performed for general analyses.

    • Main Results:

    • The study found that the claimed 71% correspondence is conceptually not possible.
    • Re-analysis suggests a correlation of no more than 40%, and likely only 18%-19%, for pain treatment.
    • A probable correspondence was identified between trigger points and a shi points, a different category of acupuncture points.

    Conclusions:

    • The 71% correspondence claim between trigger points and acupuncture points is not supported by current evidence.
    • Trigger points may correspond to a shi points, offering a new avenue for research and clinical application.
    • Researchers and clinicians should re-evaluate claims based on the 1977 study in light of these findings.