Eastern medicine has long touted the benefits of acupuncture but, until now, studies have been equivocal. In a new study published by the NEJM by Wong et. al, there was a significant difference between hypotensive, tachycardic trauma patients with respiratory distress who received acupuncture compared to those who did not. In this study, patients received a 14G needle along the lung meridian.
And rebalance life force they did: only 19% of hypotensive, tachypneic trauma patients that received a 14G needle along the lung meridian at the second intercostal space died compared to 86% who did not receive any intervention (p<0.005).
Proponents of Eastern medicine are counting this as a win and have plans for expanding their studies to cardiac tamponade, intracranial pressure, and urinary retention.
