Deqi sensation in acupuncture

When acupuncture stimulation at acupoint it elicits a set of unique sensation, called deqi – arrival of qi or vital energy. Patients often feel numbness, soreness, fullness and heaviness. Deqi sensation sometimes radiates from points of its elicitation along meridians called propagated sensation. Acupuncturists felt the increased resistance of needle as tense, tight and full like “a fish biting onto the bait”. It is believed, in traditional Chinese medicine, deqi sensation reflects the activation of qi and blood along the meridians and collaterals leading to rebalance the body’s function and to prevent or treat diseases.

Acupuncture deqi sensation varies depending on stimulation locations. Stimulation of nerve branches mainly produces numbness; stimulation of muscles elicits soreness and distension, while stimulation of blood vessels causes pain. Studies of deqi sensation found that different nerve fibres convey different deqi sensations. For example arching, heaviness, warmth and dull pain are conveyed by slower conducting A-delta and C fibres; whereas, numbness is conveyed by the faster conducting A-beta fibres in the skin. Brain imaging studies reported deqi sensation induces strong deactivation of certain cortical areas and limbic system, resulting in beneficial effects.

Although deqi sensation is believed to be closely associated with clinical efficacy not all forms of acupuncture follow this. Traditional Japanese acupuncture and wrist-ankle acupuncture avoid inducing deqi sensation and its outcome may be measured by symptom relief.