Open AccessElectroacupuncture attenuates neuropathic pain after brachial plexus injury
Author(s) -
Shenyu Zhang,
Hailiang Tang,
Junming Zhou,
Yajia Gu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.137589
Subject(s) - medicine , electroacupuncture , zusanli , neuropathic pain , anesthesia , brachial plexus , brachial plexus injury , threshold of pain , chronic pain , acupuncture , physical therapy , pathology , alternative medicine
Electroacupuncture has traditionally been used to treat pain, but its effect on pain following brachial plexus injury is still unknown. In this study, rat models of an avulsion injury to the left brachial plexus root (associated with upper-limb chronic neuropathic pain) were given electroacupuncture stimulation at bilateral Quchi (LI11), Hegu (LI04), Zusanli (ST36) and Yanglingquan (GB34). After electroacupuncture therapy, chronic neuropathic pain in the rats' upper limbs was significantly attenuated. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the expression of β-endorphins in the arcuate nucleus was significantly increased after therapy. Thus, experimental findings indicate that electroacupuncture can attenuate neuropathic pain after brachial plexus injury through upregulating β-endorphin expression.