[Current role of acupuncture in analgesic therapy]

After a brief introduction dealing with the great development of acupuncture in management of various painful conditions in the West today, its increased importance, use and role in acute and chronic pain, benign and intractable pain, are discussed. Recent acquisitions about known and yet unknown neurophysiological parameters (evoked cns potentials, endorphines, action of acupuncture in "regulation" of many functions--so called homeostasis--milieu) in connection with good pain relief properties of acupuncture, are referred. The main methods of acupuncture in pain treatment (acupuncture as reflexotherapy--so called electroacupuncture and the very effective auriculotherapy, in comparison with traditional acupuncture as "regulating" method of homeostasis and others minor methods, with our casuistry and positive results in 724 cases of various pain conditions are stressed. Own conclusions about the positive results and the great significance of physician-patient relations in delicate field of pain therapy are referred.