Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Auricular Acupuncture as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Combined with Sleep Disorders
Published on: August 18, 2023
Auricular electroacupuncture reduces frequency and severity of Raynaud attacks
Oliver Schlager1, Michael E Gschwandtner, Irene Mlekusch
1Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Vienna Medical University, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
Background:
Acupuncture has been shown to influence skin perfusion and the subjective cold perception threshold. Therefore, we hypothesized that auricular electroacupuncture (EA) might reduce symptoms in primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP).
Methods:
Twenty-six patients with PRP received 6 cycles of auricular EA. After 3, 6 and 24 weeks attack frequency and severity were reevaluated using standardized questionnaires and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Skin temperature was assessed by infrared thermography and laser Doppler perfusion imaging was used to determine skin perfusion.
Results:
Compared to baseline we found a significant reduction of attack frequency after 3 (p = 0.001) and 6 weeks (p < 0.001) of auricular EA. This improvement sustained following cessation of EA, after 24 weeks (p < 0.001). Furthermore, attack associated pain was reduced after 3 (p = 0.003), 6 (p = 0.003) and 24 weeks (p = 0.001) of treatment, while skin temperature and skin perfusion did not change significantly throughout the study period.
Conclusions:
Auricular EA reduces symptoms by means of frequency and severity of attacks in PRP but has no influence on skin perfusion and skin temperature.
