Electroacupuncture consists of the application of electrical currents to acupuncture needles to enhance the treatment. Normally electro-stimulation is used for pain treatment, but it can be applied for everything as long as a good diagnosis and choice of treatment principle is made.
Parameters
The parameters to consider in electroacupuncture are the following:
- Frequency: is the number of pulses/second. High frequencies are faster, low frequencies are slower.
- Wave type: continuous, discontinuous, or dense-dispersing.
- Intensity.
Frequencies
- Low (<10 pulses/s): tonifies. For mild discomfort, chronic pain, dull, empty-type pain, worsens at night, improves with movement.
- High (>80 pulses/s): disperses. For acute pain, Yang-excess type, that improves with rest and prefers the cold. Faster analgesia, but not maintained over time.
- Medium (20-70p/s): balances. There is no pain but functional limitation.
Wave
- Continuous: maintains constant frequency over time.
- Discontinuous: alternates periods of stimulation and rest. Indicated if the patient is bothered by the continuous wave or for treating muscle groups.
- Dense-dispersing: alternates periods of high and low frequency (tonifies and disperses alternately). Indicated for chronic problem that has become acute.
Intensity
What the patient can tolerate. The body develops tolerance and after a few minutes the electrical stimulus is felt less. It must be checked and increased as the patient gets used to it.
Most used waves
Continuous with low or spaced frequencies
- 1-1.5 sec.
- 2-5 Hz/sec.
- It is tonifying and relieves pain in the long term, good for chronic pain.
- Also to stimulate in Wei Syndrome, paralysis, ...
- Not used with spastic paralysis. Heated needle is used as an alternative (if they tolerate the smoke).
- Time: 20-30 min.
Continuous with high frequency, dense waves
- 50-100 Hz/sec, where the frequency interval is barely noticeable, it feels like a continuous vibration.
- Wave for analgesia, anesthesia.
- Good for acute and intense pain. Operations, after 20 minutes.
- As an alternative to electro-stimulation, much manual stimulation is needed.
Discontinuous waves
- They are used little.
- Used with smooth muscles.
- As an alternative, continuous is used.
Dense-dispersing waves
- Combines dense and spaced low frequencies at the same time.
- Alternates every 1.5 seconds.
- For chronic pain. If not effective, low frequency is used.
- For lipolysis with high frequency (at the limit), 45 minutes. Long needles transfixed crossing the entire zone creating squares (three by three) of 5-7 Cun. After electro-stimulation, do drainage by hand or with cupping. One loses weight from spring, in winter it is not worth doing this treatment because the body stores up. Bikini operation: 2 times a week.
Procedure
- I set the timer.
- I put ON.
- Select the wave type (e.g.: continuous).
- I put the 2 needles, with half or one-third outside. Negative is the black pole, it is applied to the most important point I want to work on. Red is the positive pole. The clamp is put on the base of the handle so it does not weigh much, better that it also touches the body of the needle a little. If the handle cover is not metallic, the clamp is put on the body of the needle. It is put near the skin without the clamp touching the skin.
- Lower the intensity to minimum and slowly increase according to what the patient tolerates. After 5 minutes tolerance has increased and the intensity can be increased.
Contraindications
Precautions and contraindications of electroacupuncture.
- Pacemakers: electro-stimulation is contraindicated if the patient has a pacemaker!!!!
- Epileptics: electro-stimulation is not done on the head.
- Hypertensives: more than 150-90, do not needle the head, measure blood pressure before (better to needle KI-1).
- Also do not apply electro-stimulation on non-intact skin (wounds, burns...).
- Diabetics: due to their associated neuropathy, better not to use.
- High fever.
- Pregnant women: avoid electroacupuncture during the first trimester of pregnancy.