Acupuncture and blood studies in sickle-cell anemia.

The author recently treated a case of sickle-cell crisis as an emergency for pain relief using acupuncture because all other conventional therapies failed. The result was so effective, dramatic and encouraging that four other cases of genotype SS/SC were also treated. These cases are reported, (though small in number) to bring attention to this easy, simple, cheap and convenient therapy and to stimulate research among practicing acupuncturists and clinicians.