Electro-acupuncture is an acupuncture technique in which the needles are stimulated by small electric impulses after being inserted. Several pairs of needles can be stimulated simultaneously, allowing the impulses to travel between the needles.
In principle, adding a slight electrical current gives the acupuncturist more control over the amount of stimulation provided. Electro-acupuncture is not painful and most patients feel only a tingling during treatment.
In the United States, electro-acupuncture has been effectively used as a form of anesthesia, as a pain reliever for muscle spasms, and as a treatment for neurological disorders. Other studies have examined the role of electro-acupuncture in treating skin conditions such as acne, renal colic, and acute nausea caused by cancer medications. There is also some evidence that electrical stimulation of acupuncture points activates the endorphin system, which could lower blood pressure and reduce heart disease.