A study last year concluded that acupuncture helps to arouse coma patients with severe brain injuries. Electroacupuncture applied to acupuncture points GV20 (Baihui), which is at the top of the head; and GV26 (Shuigou), which is just below the nose; as well as related acupuncture points, accelerated a return to consciousness for coma patients and promoted neurological recovery.
The acupuncture group was measured against two other groups in a randomized clinical trial. One group received conventional medications and another received naloxone. The third group received electroacupuncture. Arousal rates for the standard medication group were 46.6 percent and 73.33 percent for the naloxone group. The acupuncture group had an 80 percent arousal rate from a coma state.
