[Type of pain, personality traits and effectiveness of modified acupuncture]

In 50 patients with headaches and 50 with radicular pains pain sensitivity and pain tolerance as well as personality traits (Eysenck and Cattell questionnaire) were determined and a modification of acupuncture (with additional chemical stimulation) was used for treatment. The results of treatment were compared with personality traits. Differences were found in the personality traits between patients with paroxysmal headaches and patients with radicular pains. No statistically significant correlation was found, on the other hand, between the results of treatment and personality traits. The obtained results were best in the group of patients with paroxysmal headaches (permanent analgesic effect obtained in 70% of cases). The results of treatment obtained in the group of patients with continuous headaches and with radicular pains were similar. In patients with a lower threshold of pain sensitivity a higher proportion of permanent disappearance of pain was observed after treatment, and this observation may be useful for establishing indications to this therapy. Lack of any influence of personality traits on the result of this modified acupuncture may suggest that the basic analgesic action of these procedure is at lower levels of the nervous system and that it causes blockade of inflow of pain stimuli.