Acupuncture has played an important part in pain research. Bischko was
the first in the Western hemisphere to undertake surgery using acupun
cture analgesia. This tonsilectomy was performed in 1972. Decisive res
earch work has been carried out at the Ludwig Boltzmann Acupuncture In
stitute in Vienna. We now have far more knowledge about the importance
of the basic system. Furthermore, we know that the theories on chaos
research, and, especially the fractals play an important role. Various
ways of treating pain by means of acupuncture will be discussed: e.g.
body acupuncture (with or without supportive transcutaneous electrica
l nerve stimulation); treatment via the so-called somatotopies (ear, o
ral mucous membrane, scalp acupuncture according to Yamamoto etc.). Th
e Ludwig Boltzmann Acupuncture Institute, in close collaboration with
the II. Dept. of Internal Medicine at the Kaiserin-Elisabeth Hospital,
Vienna, has been able to demonstrate on inpatients with a variety of
conditions, that acupuncture could significantly reduce the quantity o
f analgesics required.