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Have you ever wondered just how quickly a single acupuncture treatment could work? What better way to showcase the efficacy of acupuncture therapy than through the speedy reduction of a fever in not just one, but multiple patients.

A small, simple scientific study appearing in the December 2014 edition of Acupuncture Medicine called "Acupuncture therapy for fever induced by viral upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in military medical service: a case series," set out to do just that.

Eight members of the military all presented with a fever of at least 100 degrees as a result of an infection in the upper respiratory tract. All the patients received similar acupuncture treatments, which included the use of well-known acupuncture points specifically renowned for addressing symptoms of URTI. Some of these points can be found on the head and on the hands.

At the conclusion of just one acupuncture treatment, which lasted for approximately 20 minutes, researchers discovered that every single patient experienced an immediate reduction in body temperature. Not only that, but symptoms that usually accompany a URTI, such as stuffy nose, headache and body aches, displayed a propensity to decrease in severity as well. Three days after this treatment, six out of the eight patients no longer suffered from fever or any other symptoms of URTI.

Source: Kwon S, Shin K, Jung W, Moon S, Cho K. (2014). Acupuncture therapy for fever induced by viral upper respiratory tract infection in military medical service: a case series. Acupunct Med. 32(6):509-11. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2014-010629. Epub 2014 Sep 29.

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About the Author: Vanessa Vogel Batt, L.Ac., MSTOM, studied at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and practiced acupuncture and Oriental medicine in New York for several years. Vanessa enjoys traveling the world, and has published articles on acupuncture and Oriental medicine and related health topics for websites and publications in both the U.S. and abroad.