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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1991

[Experimental acupuncturology and its role in acupuncture education--suggestion offering the course of experimental acupuncture in acupuncture education].

Experimental Acupuncturology is a new subject which probes the channel and principle of acupuncture with the help of modern scientific technique and experimental method. In channel research, the basic responsibility of Experimental Acupuncturology is to expand the essence of the channel. For nearly half a century, the research has been concentrated mainly on the channel detection, the phenomena of channels and the relationship between channel-point and viscera, etc. In the research on the principle of acupuncture, Experimental Acupuncturology has accumulated a lot of information to prove that therapeutic effect of acupuncture is credible. The effect of acupuncture is influenced by many factors. Thus, it is also one of the basic tasks for Experimental Acupuncturology to programme the experimental procedure according to the principles of diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of symptoms and signs, so that the best wiring scheme can be chosen out. Summarily, Experimental Acupuncturology has, at beast, three important significances in training modern specialists of acupuncture medicine. Firstly, it can make it possible for students to get deeper understanding on the thought of traditional acupuncture and realize the advantage of acupuncture, thus, encourage their faith on this medical means. Secondly, it can enrich the contents of acupuncture medicine and broaden the outlook of students, because it introduces modern science, technology and experimental method into traditional theory. Finally, it can train students' ability in scientific researches through strengthening the practicability of acupuncture. Therefore, its active significance in acupuncture education has been granted by acupuncture specialists in our country. Nowadays, more and more colleges of TCM has offered this subject which were welcome widely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1990

Hypalgesic efficacy of acupuncture on experimental pain in man. Comparison of laser acupuncture and needle acupuncture.

The analgesic effect of acupuncture on cutaneous heat stimuli of 43 degrees C has been evaluated in a controlled experimental study with healthy, informed volunteers. Laser acupuncture was administered to 39 probationers using a helium-neon laser under double-blind conditions. The point Hegu (L.I.4) and Jianqian (Extra.) on both sides were each irradiated for 1 min. Forty probationers were needled with stainless steel needles in the point Hegu (L.I.4) on both sides under single-blind conditions. Pain threshold was measured in terms of the time (in msec) that the probationers needed to perceive the cutaneous heat stimulus of 43 degrees C. The painful stimulus was generated by a computer-controlled standardized procedure. The Wilcoxon test was used for the statistical evaluation. Laser acupuncture did not change the pain threshold. Needle acupuncture did, however, increase the pain threshold compared with the initial value (alpha = 0.1%). The difference compared with the control group, where a placebo point was needled, was also significant (alpha = 5%). This controlled experimental study proves the analgesic effect of needle acupuncture on painful heat stimuli. Laser acupuncture had no effect on pain threshold in this study.

Acupuncture Points↗

PubMed2000

Acupuncture for smoking cessation.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is promoted as a treatment for smoking cessation, and is believed to reduce withdrawal symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in smoking cessation in comparison with: a) sham acupuncture b) other interventions c) no intervention. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group trials register, Medline, PsycLit, Dissertation Abstracts, Health Planning and Administration, Social SciSearch, Smoking & Health, Embase, Biological Abstracts and DRUG. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials comparing a form of acupuncture with either sham acupuncture, another intervention or no intervention for smoking cessation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We extracted data in duplicate on the type of subjects, the nature of the acupuncture and control procedures, the outcome measures, method of randomisation, and completeness of follow-up. We assessed abstinence from smoking at the earliest time-point (before 6 weeks), at six months and at one year follow-up in patients smoking at baseline. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence for each trial, and biochemically validated rates if available. Those lost to follow-up were counted as continuing to smoke. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis using a fixed effects model. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 18 publications involving 20 comparisons. Acupuncture was not superior to sham acupuncture in smoking cessation at any time point. The odds ratio (OR) for early outcomes was 1.22 (95% confidence interval 0.99 to 1.49); the OR after 6 months was 1.38 (95% confidence interval 0.90 to 2.11) and after 12 months 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.72 to 1.43). Similarly, when acupuncture was compared with other anti-smoking interventions, there were no differences in outcome at any time point. Acupuncture appeared to be superior to no intervention in the early results, but this difference was not sustained. The results with different acupuncture techniques do not show any one particular method (i.e. auricular acupuncture or non-auricular acupuncture) to be superior to control intervention. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is no clear evidence that acupuncture is effective for smoking cessation.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2005

[Observation on therapeutic effect of scalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture on stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To search for the best acupuncture and moxibustion treatment program for stroke. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-three cases of stroke were divided into a scalp-body acupuncture group of 62 cases, a scalp acupuncture group of 60 cases and a body acupuncture group of 61 cases. They were treated for 2 months and then their therapeutic effects were compared. RESULTS: In the scalp-body acupuncture group, 13 cases were basically cured, 32 cases improved obviously, 15 cases improved, 2 cases was ineffective, and corresponding figures in the scalp acupuncture group were 8, 21, 24, 7, and in the body acupuncture group were 11, 28, 19, 3, with a significant difference between the scalp-body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group (P<0.05) , and with no significant differences between the scalp-body acupuncture group and body acupuncture group, and between the body acupuncture group and the scalp acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: Scalp acupuncture combined with body acupuncture has a better clinical therapeutic effect than that of simple scalp acupuncture for the patient of stroke.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2006

[Clinical therapeutic effects of body acupuncture and ear acupuncture on juvenile simple obesity and effects on metabolism of blood lipids].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the optimal acupuncture treatment program for juvenile simple obesity. METHODS: Ninety cases were randomly divided into 3 groups: ear acupuncture group, body acupuncture group and control group. The patients of the control group were treated by regulating diet structure, increasing motion and mental direct of slimming, in the body acupuncture group, body acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. were added, and in the ear acupuncture group, acupuncture at ear acupoints Jidian (hunger point), Pizhixia (subcortex), earshenmen, etc. were added. Seventy days later, the therapeutic effects and changes of blood lipids were observed. And they were followed up after one month. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 69.23% in the body acupuncture group, 65.52% in the ear acupuncture group and 26.67% in the control group, with significant differences as the two acupuncture groups compared with the control group. And there were significant differences in total cholesterol (TC) and lower density lipid protein-cholesterol (LDL-C) as the two acupuncture groups compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the two acupuncture groups in all the indexes. CONCLUSION: Both ear acupuncture and body acupuncture have obvious therapeutic effect on juvenile simple obesity, and have some actions on blood lipids.

Acupuncture↗

PubMed1985

Differentiation between acupuncture and non-acupuncture points by association with analgesia inhibitory system.

Acupuncture and non-acupuncture points were differentiated by their connection to different pathways in the central nervous system. We have found that the pathway connected to the acupuncture point is different from the pathway connected to the non-acupuncture point. In addition, pathway connected to the non-acupuncture point is inhibited within the lateral periaqueductal gray when the analgesia inhibitory system (AIS) is activated. We have explored these pathways by means of selective lesioning of discrete brain regions, selective stimulation of brain regions, as well as by recording evoked potentials arising from stimulation of acupuncture and non-acupuncture points. It was found that the lateral centromedian nucleus of the thalamus and the posterior hypothalamus are parts of the AIS. The acupuncture (tibialis muscle) and non-acupuncture (abdominal muscle) points are both connected to the AIS. Analgesia caused by stimulation of the acupuncture point is naloxone reversible, while that caused by stimulation of the non-acupuncture point after lesion of AIS is dexamethasone reversible. Stress-induced analgesia caused by low frequency electrical shock is naloxone as well as dexamethasone reversible. All three kinds of analgesia were abolished by hypophysectomy. The features and the degree of analgesia caused by intraperitoneal 0.5 mg/kg morphine were similar to analgesia caused by acupuncture point stimulation. D-phenylalanine acts like a lesion of AIS in analgesia caused by stimulation of acupuncture and non-acupuncture points, and enhances naloxone reversible analgesia. The descending pain inhibitory system plays a role as the common pathway to produce these three kinds of analgesia. This pathway is found in the arcuate nucleus (dopaminergic), ventromedian nucleus of the hypothalamus, raphe nucleus (serotonergic), reticular gigantocellular nucleus (noradrenergic) and reticular paragigantocellular nucleus.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2005

A randomized clinical trial of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture in fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common chronic pain condition for which patients frequently use acupuncture. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether acupuncture relieves pain in fibromyalgia. DESIGN: Randomized, sham-controlled trial in which participants, data collection staff, and data analysts were blinded to treatment group. SETTING: Private acupuncture offices in the greater Seattle, Washington, metropolitan area. PATIENTS: 100 adults with fibromyalgia. INTERVENTION: Twice-weekly treatment for 12 weeks with an acupuncture program that was specifically designed to treat fibromyalgia, or 1 of 3 sham acupuncture treatments: acupuncture for an unrelated condition, needle insertion at nonacupoint locations, or noninsertive simulated acupuncture. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was subjective pain as measured by a 10-cm visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain ever). Measurements were obtained at baseline; 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment; and 3 and 6 months after completion of treatment. Participant blinding and adverse effects were ascertained by self-report. The primary outcomes were evaluated by pooling the 3 sham-control groups and comparing them with the group that received acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia. RESULTS: The mean subjective pain rating among patients who received acupuncture for fibromyalgia did not differ from that in the pooled sham acupuncture group (mean between-group difference, 0.5 cm [95% CI, -0.3 cm to 1.2 cm]). Participant blinding was adequate throughout the trial, and no serious adverse effects were noted. LIMITATIONS: A prescription of acupuncture at fixed points may differ from acupuncture administered in clinical settings, in which therapy is individualized and often combined with herbal supplementation and other adjunctive measures. A usual-care comparison group was not studied. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture was no better than sham acupuncture at relieving pain in fibromyalgia.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2005

The integration of acupuncture within medicine in the UK--the British Medical Acupuncture Society's 25th anniversary.

Acupuncture was first used in China, probable about 2000 years ago. When acupuncture first arrived in the West in the 17th century, the principles which the Chinese had used to explain its actions were at variance with current scientific knowledge of the body's structure and function. This led to the rejection of acupuncture by the medical profession in the UK, although individual practitioners adopted it with enthusiasm, usually needling the point of maximal tenderness to treat musculoskeletal pain. Acupuncture was more generally accepted in France and Germany, where the pioneering British physician Felix Mann encountered it in the 1950s. He then taught acupuncture to other medical practitioners and organised regular meetings in London, from which the British Medical Acupuncture Society, BMAS, emerged in 1980. The tradition of biannual scientific meetings has continued since then. The Society has many connections with prominent acupuncturists internationally and is a founder member of the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART), and has hosted two world congresses. The Society was involved in standardisation of the meridian nomenclature published in 1990. The Society's scientific journal, Acupuncture in Medicine, was founded in 1981 and has gained international recognition, being indexed on several databases. The Society has established regular teaching courses at different levels, which lead to professional qualifications of Certificate and Diploma. The membership is now open to different health professionals, has grown steadily and now stands at nearly 2500. The Society is administered from offices in Cheshire and London. Many individual members have contributed to the Society's characteristic Western 'medical' approach to acupuncture in which needling is seen as a form of neuromuscular stimulation that owes little to traditional meridians or points. The Society has shown a particular interest in acupuncture for myofascial trigger point pain. Members of the Society have contributed to the evidence base of acupuncture with several books, clinical trials and reviews. The Society is optimistic that it will have an increasingly important role in promoting the use and scientific evaluation of acupuncture for the public benefit.

Acupuncture↗

PubMed2002

Acupuncture and sham acupuncture reduce muscle pain in myofascial pain patients.

AIMS: To compare the effectiveness of dry needling in classically recognized acupuncture points ("acupuncture") with dry needling in skin areas not recognized as acupuncture points ("sham acupuncture") in reducing masseter muscle pain in a group of patients with myofascial pain of the jaw muscles. METHODS: Eighteen patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups: Ten patients received acupuncture and 8 received sham acupuncture. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure changes in masseter muscle pain evoked by mechanical stimulation of the masseter muscle before and after the experiment. RESULTS: Both groups showed a statistically significant reduction in VAS pain scores (P = .001). Seven out of 10 acupuncture subjects had a 10 mm or greater VAS reduction in pain, while 4 out of 8 of the sham acupuncture subjects had that great a pain reduction. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Both acupuncture and sham acupuncture reduced pain evoked by mechanical stimulation of the masseter muscles in myofascial pain patients. However, this reduction in pain was not dependent on whether the needling was performed in standard acupuncture points or in other areas of the skin. These results suggest that pain reduction resulting from a noxious stimulus (i.e., needling) may not be specific to the location of the stimulus as predicted by the classical acupuncture literature.

Acupuncture Analgesia↗

PubMed2002

Acupuncture and bronchial asthma: a long-term randomized study of the effects of real versus sham acupuncture compared to controls in patients with bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has traditionally been used in China in the treatment of bronchial asthma and is being increasingly applied in Western countries. Although there are many published studies on acupuncture and asthma, few meet the scientific criteria necessary to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture. OBJECTIVE: To examine the short- and long-term effects of real versus sham or no acupuncture in patients with bronchial asthma. DESIGN: Randomized partially blinded study with three parallel groups. SUBJECTS: Sixty-six (66) patients of both genders (mean age, 39 years) with mild-to-moderate persistent bronchial asthma. INTERVENTIONS: After 2 weeks of run-in, the patients with asthma were randomized to receive either real (23 patients) or sham acupuncture (23 patients) or no acupuncture (20 patients). Two acupuncture periods (each 4 weeks) within the first 4 months were followed by a 6-month observation. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was the change of peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability at the end of the two treatment periods. Secondary outcomes were changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), airway responsiveness, symptoms of asthma, the use of asthma drugs, and patients' well-being. Moreover, the effect of the intervention on eosinophils and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in blood and sputum was assessed. RESULTS: PEF variability decreased in all groups. In a subgroup of patients whose asthma medication remained fairly unchanged, PEF variability decreased significantly after needling of real as well as sham points at month 4 and 5 compared to controls (p < or = 0.005). However, there was no difference in the decrease of PEF variability between patients who had the blinded treatment with real or sham acupuncture. Most of the other functional and clinical variables did not differ from those obtained in controls. Eosinophils and ECP in blood and sputum decreased in all groups, but the only significant differences were found in blood eosinophil count at 4 months between sham acupuncture and the control group (p < 0.05) and at 10 months between real and sham acupuncture (p < 0.05) suggesting a possible effect on eosinophilic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the fact that the effects after real and sham acupuncture compared to controls who had no needling at all were small, in all likelihood clinically irrelevant, our data do not seem to support the use of acupuncture in the management of pharmacologically well-treated patients with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2004

Designing an acupuncture study to meet evidence-based medical criteria: methodological considerations for logistic design and development of treatment interventions arising from the German randomized controlled acupuncture trial on chronic shoulder pain (GRASP).

The results from studies on potential treatment effects of acupuncture are often limited due to serious difficulties in methodology. Randomized controlled trials on acupuncture should test a widely accepted treatment strategy of verum and sham acupuncture. However, in clinical practice various patterns of acupuncture techniques are employed, and up to now no generally accepted guidelines on how to perform a reliable verum or sham treatment have been established. Another limitation is that in most studies the study populations are too small to obtain reliable data and to detect subtle differences between the unspecific needling of sham acupuncture and specific needling of verum acupuncture with sufficient statistical power. Moreover, only a multicenter trial in an outpatient setting would guarantee a naturalistic environment in which acupuncture is used in clinical practice. In the present report we discuss such methodological aspects in detail and summarize some practical considerations for planning an acupuncture trial that fulfills evidence-based medical criteria. The largest German study on the treatment effects of acupuncture in patients with chronic shoulder pain (recruited patients n = 452), might serve as an example for such a well-designed study. Before we could conduct our study, clear definitions and protocols for the verum and sham acupuncture treatments as well as adequate endpoints had to be developed. For this we used a combination of a comprehensive study of the literature and structured interviews with experienced physicians followed by an expert panel. A total of 41 physicians had to be trained to achieve a homogeneously high quality of acupuncture treatment. The latter represents a prerequisite for reproducibility, constituting a critical component of rigorous efficacy trials in scientific acupuncture research.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2006

Designing an acupuncture study: II. The nationwide, randomized, controlled German acupuncture trials on low-back pain and gonarthrosis.

BACKGROUND: In the nationwide German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC), verum acupuncture, mirroring the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture style, was tested against sham acupuncture and guideline standard therapy for the entities classified in the West as chronic low back pain (LBP) and gonarthrosis (GON). OBJECTIVE: The objective was to develop broadly consensual acupuncture and control protocols for the treatment of LBP and GON in the GERAC trials. METHODOLOGY: Extensive literature study and consultation with acupuncture experts were consulted. Personal interviews, both free and structured, e-mail discussions, and phone conferences were used as well. RESULTS: Broadly consensual acupuncture protocols for LBP and GON for verum and invasive sham acupuncture were developed. They included semistandardized point combinations with clearly described point selection rules based on TCM acupuncture diagnosis. A procedure was developed to help ensure homogenous treatment quality in a large multicenter trial. CONCLUSIONS: With 1162 randomized patients for LBP and 1039 patients for GON, the GERAC study design allowed acupuncture to be tested in a naturalistic environment. The rigorous study design and large number of physician investigators guaranteed a high external validity for the results. The results will help determine the significance of Chinese acupuncture in the context of Western medicine for the treatment of LBP and GON.

Acupuncture Points↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Randomised trial of acupuncture compared with conventional massage and "sham" laser acupuncture for treatment of chronic neck pain - range of motion analysis].

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of acupuncture on active motion of the cervical spine in patients with chronic neck pain with those of "sham" laser acupuncture and massage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 177 patients with chronic neck pain were included in this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. The patients were allocated by external randomization to five treatments over three weeks with acupuncture, massage and "sham" laser acupuncture. The range of active motion was measured by means of a 3D ultrasound real time motion analyzer. RESULTS: The analysis of cervical motion in three directions showed the largest increase in range of motion 14 days after acupuncture. Compared to massage, a significant improvement in total range of motion was seen in those patients treated by acupuncture immediately (p = 0,03) and one week (p = 0,03) weeks after therapy. There was no significant difference in those patients treated by sham laser acupuncture. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that acupuncture is superior to conventional massage for improving active range of motion in patients with chronic neck pain. Because of its positive effects, its acceptance among patients and the lack of severe side effects, acupuncture can be recommended for the treatment of chronic neck pain, although there was no significant difference in results between "sham" laser acupuncture and acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1996

Can acupuncture have specific effects on health? A systematic review of acupuncture antiemesis trials.

The effects of acupuncture on health are generally hard to assess. Stimulation of the P6 acupuncture point is used to obtain an antiemetic effect and this provides an excellent model to study the efficacy of acupuncture. Thirty-three controlled trials have been published worldwide in which the P6 acupuncture point was stimulated for treatment of nausea and/or vomiting associated with chemotherapy, pregnancy, or surgery. P6 acupuncture was equal or inferior to control in all four trials in which it was administered under anaesthesia; in 27 of the remaining 29 trials acupuncture was statistically superior. A second analysis was restricted to 12 high-quality randomized placebo-controlled trials in which P6 acupuncture point stimulation was not administered under anaesthesia. Eleven of these trials, involving nearly 2000 patients, showed an effect of P6. The reviewed papers showed consistent results across different investigators, different groups of patients, and different forms of acupuncture point stimulation. Except when administered under anaesthesia, P6 acupuncture point stimulation seems to be an effective antiemetic technique. Researchers are faced with a choice between deciding that acupuncture does have specific effects, and changing from 'Does acupuncture work?' to a set of more practical questions; or deciding that the evidence on P6 antiemesis does not provide sufficient proof, and specifying what would constitute acceptable evidence.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1989

Connections found between each meridian (heart, stomach, triple burner, etc.) & organ representation area of corresponding internal organs in each side of the cerebral cortex; release of common neurotransmitters and hormones unique to each meridian and corresponding acupuncture point & internal organ after acupuncture, electrical stimulation, mechanical stimulation (including shiatsu), soft laser stimulation or QI Gong.

Using the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test Imaging Technique", the author has been able to accurately localize meridians and acupuncture points that correspond to specific internal organs and has found that most general patterns of meridians and the number of acupuncture points on each of the meridians of specific internal organs of the 12 main internal organs described in the literature of ancient Chinese medicine, are more or less correct, with the exception of some variations and inaccuracies. Each meridian of specific internal organs was found to be connected to the organ representation area in the cerebral cortex of specific internal organs. The acupuncture point has an area and occupies 3-dimensional space. It has a circular or slightly oval boundary with diameter in the range of 3 mm to 2.7 cm, although 6-12 mm are the most common diameters in human adults, with the exception of the area outside the corners of the nailbeds of the fingers and toes. Using the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test Molecular Identification Method", the author also found that within the boundary of most acupuncture points and meridian lines (including Heart, Stomach, and Triple Burner) were high concentrations of neurotransmitters and hormones, including Acetylcholine, Methionine-Enkephalin, Beta-Endorphin, ACTH, Secretin, Cholecystokinin, Norepinephrine, Serotonin, and GABA. On all these meridian lines, in addition to the above neurotransmitters and hormones, Dopamine, Dynorphin 1-13, Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and VIP were found, but the latter do not usually exist within the boundary of the acupuncture point with the exception of the center midline of the acupuncture point where the meridian line is situated. Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and Cholecystokinin appeared in either one of the above 2 patterns, depending on the individual. Usually, no significant amounts of these neurotransmitters and hormones were found at the surrounding area outside of meridian and acupuncture points. However, the essential amino acid L-Tryptophan (which is a precursor of Serotonin), was usually found outside of the boundary of the acupuncture point and the meridian but not within the boundary of the acupuncture point and the meridian. Wherever Serotonin appeared, L-Tryptophan disappeared significantly and when the Serotonin disappeared, L-Tryptophan reappeared. In addition to the above common neurotransmitters and hormones, the Heart meridian had additional Atrial Natriuretic Peptide in both the meridian and its acupuncture points. Similarly, the Stomach meridian had additional Gastrin in both the meridian and its acupuncture points. Likewise,the Triple Burner meridian had additional Testosterone (in the male) and Estrogen (especially Estriol and Estradiol in the female.

Acupuncture Points↗

PubMed2002

[Variations of pain in the treatment of one classical acupuncture-point versus one point of Yamamoto's new scalp acupuncture].

INTRODUCTION: In an experimental design the pain reduction effect of acupuncture is studied and compared to the treatment of a classical acupuncture point and a point of the Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture (YNSA). METHODS: Experimental pain stimuli (32 per test person) were set in 42 test persons at the upper calcaneus edge and pain reduction was checked intra-individually by using the following variations of treatment: Acupuncture YNSA basis-point D, Acupuncture at the classical point Xiao Chang Shu = Bl 27, Acupuncture at a placebo point of the head, Acupuncture at a placebo point of the gluteal region. RESULTS: Evaluation of the data as well as a statistical investigation using a bi-factoral variance analysis with repeated measurements of 2 respectively 1 factor yielded following results: There are highly significant differences concerning pain reduction through the stimulation of the YNSA basis-point D and the acupuncture at the classical point Bl 27 (p < 0,0007). There are also highly significant differences concerning the verum and the placebo treatment (p < 0,00006). Further hypothesis of controlling the experimental design were tested. CONCLUSIONS: On the whole, the investigation shows that there is a marked difference between the verum and placebo treatment as well as a difference between the acupuncture of the YNSA basis-point D and the classical acupuncture point Xiao Chang Shu (Bl 27) with regard to pain reduction induced by experimental stimuli at the calcaneus. These differences are significant.

Acupuncture Analgesia↗

PubMed2005

[German Acupuncture Trials (gerac) address problems of methodology associated with acupuncture studies].

OBJECTIVE: Conflicting or ambivalent findings on the effectiveness of body acupuncture in pain treatment are often attributed to flaws in study methodology. The paper describes the methodology used for the German Acupuncture Trials (gerac), which demonstrates that it is possible to design acupuncture studies in accordance with the standards of good clinical practice. METHOD: Approximately 1000 chronic pain sufferers per indication (migraine, tension-type headache, low back pain (cLBP), or gonarthrosis) are randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups (verum acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or established conservative therapy). Patients are blind to the type of acupuncture. All patients receive ten sessions of treatment (two per week) with an option of adding five more treatments in cases of slight but insufficient improvement (number of headache days or von Korff pain score). Participating physicians are in private practice, representing a variety of specialties. All have completed at least a 140-hour training course in acupuncture. Mandatory and optional verum and sham points are predefined. The point selection is individualized according to the criteria of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Primary outcome measures are number of headache days per month, von Korff Graded Chronic Pain Scale or Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire (cLBP), or WOMAC scores (gonarthrosis). Data are assessed by trained telephone interviewers not involved in treatment and blind to types of acupuncture. PRESENT STATUS: Over 500 participating physicians in ten urban areas of Germany. Patient recruitment for cLBP and gonarthrosis was completed in November 2003 and March 2004 respectively. Recruitment for chronic headaches will be completed in autumn 2004. CONCLUSIONS: The gerac trials prove that it is possible to design and carry out acupuncture studies in accordance to stringent standards of methodology and clinical practice. The results will form a basis for the assessment of acupuncture effectiveness in Germany and abroad.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed1995

A critical analysis of acupuncture in pulmonary disease: efficacy and safety of the acupuncture needle.

Criteria for therapeutic efficacy and safety include significant amelioration of symptoms and, ideally, cure (i.e., patients' belief in effective improvement of symptoms and quality of life, durable impact on symptoms, verifiable subjective and objective changes); improved patient management (e.g., diminishing, or ceasing medication, physiotherapy, and other interventions); safety for patient and practitioner and an acceptable side effect profile; cost-effectiveness of the therapy in practice and to teach to others. There is evidence that in bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic disabling breathlessness the use of acupuncture fulfills these to varying degrees. It can facilitate reducing pharmacologic medication and is safe, suggesting that acupuncture as an adjuvant in the treatment of respiratory disease might be safer than prolonged pharmaceutical maintenance therapy alone. Its cost-effectiveness has yet to be adequately researched. Twenty-one papers in English were obtained and 16 were further evaluated; eight were double-blind, five single-blind, and three unblinded. The remaining five, and most of the Chinese literature, were excluded on account of their poor quality. Acupuncture was effective in four of eight of the double-blind, three of five single-blind, and three of three unblinded studies (i.e., 10 of 16 [62.5%] overall). A previously unreported confounding variable was identified and concerned the designation of sham points. Most sham points were believed to be inactive but, according to traditional Chinese principles, many are active in pulmonary disease. Reappraised accordingly, the unequivocally positive studies were summed with those in which "real" and "sham" acupuncture were not significantly different but in which the combined effect of all acupuncture (i.e., real + sham) on breathlessness was significantly different from baseline. This yielded 13 of 16 (81%) [corrected] studies in which acupuncture led to significant improvement. In most studies, current pharmacologic treatment had a greater effect than acupuncture alone. However, in the 11 studies in which it was evaluated, medication could be significantly reduced by acupuncture in 10 (91%). Twenty-three of the 320 patients in the 16 studies (7%) reported minimal side effects, none requiring intervention. Current published evidence reveals no reason to withhold acupuncture as a safe and potentially effective treatment in patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease. Further, more appropriately designed studies are urgently required. This would be facilitated in the United States by licensing the acupuncture needle as a therapeutic agent and might lead to important new insights and therapeutic opportunities.

Acupuncture Therapy↗