Using Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control (DNIC) to Predict Acupuncture Therapy Outcome: A Pilot Study

Exclusion Criteria

• •Acupuncture treatment in the previous six weeks, to discount any persisting effect of acupuncture.
• •Treatment of a pain condition with pain medication.
• •Regular use of benzodiazepines.
• •Skin diseases, such as scleroderma, psoriasis or eczema.
• •An adverse event due to acupuncture therapy.
• •Pregnant women.
• •Women without a progesterone-coated intrauterine device (Mirena).
• •Anyone older than 60 years of age, fatigued, with a pacemaker ICD, artificial joint, prolonged bleeding time/hemophilia, open wounds, or a known susceptibility to profound analgesia after acupuncture treatment.