It’s a cold, hard fact that nobody in the world enjoys getting an MRI — a procedure used for diagnostic imaging that involves immersing yourself in a well, cold and hard machine.

For people with claustrophobia, it can be a real nightmare.  

Yet thanks to a recent study published by HealthCMi, acupuncture can help.

Researchers at the Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine found that true acupuncture proved more effective than “sham acupuncture” (the control group”) in treating those who suffer f claustrophobia during an MRI.

Claustrophobia can be extremely problematic for both the patient and the imager. The patient may begin to feel panic attacks o extreme nervousness, and unable to continue with the procedure — leading to inconclusive results.

So researches set out to treat the nervousness and fear by, “soothing the liver qi, tonifying the kidney qi, and stabilizing the spirit and mind.”

Those who received that treatment achieved a 92.5% effective rate. Those who did not? Twenty-five percent and 17.5 percent, respectively.

So, acupuncture clearly worked.

For one session with a 30-minute needle retention rime, the rotating and twisting technique of acupuncture was performed at the following acupoints:

• KI6 (Zhaohai)

• LV3 (Taichong)

• HT4 (Lingdao)

• PC6 (Neiguan)

• HT7 (Shenmen)

• CV17 (Danzhong)

• GV20 (Baihui)

• GB20 (Fengchi)

In the sham group, they were inserted elsewhere, at irrelevant points.

After the treatment, the patients were evaluated using the SAI, or State Anxiety Inventory which assessed their emotions and anxiety. When, “fear and relevant symptoms showed improvement, and a patient could complete an MRI examination,” it was considered effective — which was 92.5% of the time.

The bottom line? Acupuncture before an MRI just might make a world of difference.