Modulation effects of imagery acupuncture and no-touch double-blinded placebo acupuncture, a cross-over pilot study

Both imagery and acupuncture are the oldest medical practices. Recently, we have developed a new treatment modality, video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT), which combines acupuncture and imagery. In this crossover study, we investigated the modulation effects of video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment compared with placebo acupuncture using no-touch double-blind placebo acupuncture needles and a no-treatment resting control. Pressure pain threshold and electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected before and after each intervention. 12 healthy participants completed the study. Results showed that pressure pain thresholds were significantly increased after VGAIT compared to the resting control condition. In addition, we found that VGAIT, but not the no-touch placebo acupuncture or the resting control, significantly increased alpha and beta band power. Our findings demonstrate the potential of VGAIT as a remote therapeutic method (e-health treatment option) for pain and the value of no-touch double-blind placebo acupuncture in acupuncture research.