Jun J. Mao|John T. Farrar|Katrina Armstrong|Alethea Donahue|Jessica Ngo|Marjorie A. Bowman
De Qi: Chinese Acupuncture Patients' Experiences and Beliefs regarding Acupuncture Needling Sensation – An Exploratory Survey
Center for Clinical Research (United States)|Center for Clinical Research (United States)|University of Pennsylvania|Stanford University|University of Pennsylvania
de qi acupuncture needling sensation considered important component acupuncture little known acupuncture patients experience beliefs de qi clinical settings aim study describe chinese acupuncture patients perceived sensations beliefs acupuncture needlingwe developed questionnaire conducted survey study two time periods among 200 subjects six outpatient acupuncture clinics beijing chinarespondents 55 female mean age 41 years common types needling sensations reported subjects terms distended 94 sore 81 electric 81 numb 78 eightynine percent subjects reported needling sensation travelled away puncturing points travelled among needling points eightytwo percent subjects believed needling sensation important acupuncture treatment 68 indicated stronger needling sensation effective therapy eightyone percent subjects found acupuncture process comfortable relaxingchinese acupuncture patients described common characteristics de qi migratory nature sensations believed important producing clinical efficacy patients measuring sensations described de qi future prospective studies help us understand degree phenomenon effect physiological outcome clinical response acupuncture appears limit number sensations discriminated individual patient development questionnaire planned