David Mayor is the editor of the book, Electroacupuncture: A Practical Manual and Resource. In The Journal of Chinese Medicine he reviews electroacupuncture and its use to treat peripheral facial paralysis.

I found his comparison between acupuncture and electroacupuncture instructive.

Here are the differences.

Manual acupuncture

• Needle manipulation is brief and intermittent
• Only “low frequency” is possible (twirling or lifting-thrusting)
• Strong manipulation risks tissue damage

Electroacupuncture

• Stimulation continues for the duration of treatment
• No limitation on frequency of stimulus (frequency-specific effects occur)
• Strength of stimulation only limited by patient tolerance

Advantages of electroacupuncture vs manual acupuncture

• More effective in some situations, and often potentiates the effects of traditional methods, particularly when strong, continued stimulation is required, as when treating paralysis or some forms of pain
• Can be less time consuming and demanding of the practitioner in training and practice
• Results may in some cases be more rapid and longer lasting
• May have specific effects on pain, relaxation, circulation, and muscle that differ from manual acupuncture
• More readily controlled, standardized, and objectively measurable
• Non-invasive stimulation methods can be cost effective for home treatments, perhaps between sessions with a practitioner, although some forms of treatment require supervision
• Permits stronger, more continuous stimulation with less tissue damage

6/19/07 18:54 JR