What Is Electro Accupunture?

Acupuncture is the treatment of pain or disease by inserting needles into the skin at specific points, known as acupoints. It is claimed that, in so doing, acupuncture practitioners can manipulate the flow of "life energy"--otherwise known as chi, or qi--through the body.

Electro-acupuncture Procedure

• In electro-acupuncture, needles are also inserted into the skin and manipulated manually. However, once the needles are in position, a pulsating electrical current is applied to them to provide continued stimulation of the acupoints.

Current and Voltage

• Electro-acupuncture only delivers a very small current--in the region of 0.5 milliamperes (mA)--to the acupoints. It does, however, typically deliver a voltage of between 40 and 80 volts, which is what provides stimulation to the patient.

Uses

• Electro-acupuncture can be used to complement standard acupuncture treatment for a variety of conditions. However, according to the Institute for Traditional Medicine, it is most effectively used for the treatment of neurological diseases.