Acupuncture News and Research
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Acupuncture news releases received a great deal of attention at HealthCMi this summer. The following are short excerpts taken from the HealthCMi summer top three list. The first in our top three is an article on the topic of acupuncture for the treatment of neck pain due to disc degeneration.
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Acupuncture alleviates depression and cravings associated with alcohol dependence. Affiliated Hospital of Henan Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers conducted a controlled clinical trial quantifying changes in alcohol cravings and depression levels using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Two groups were compared. One group received Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emotional reconciliation therapy. Another group received TCM emotional reconciliation therapy plus acupuncture. The results demonstrate that the combination of acupuncture with TCM emotional reconciliation therapy is effective for the alleviation of depression and cravings in patients with alcohol dependency.
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Acupuncture combined with herbal medicine benefits children with autism. Hebei Province researchers conducted a clinical trial and determined that acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments produce significant clinical benefits. The researches conclude that acupuncture improves communication, language, physical movement, and sensory perception. In addition, the children in the study demonstrated improvements in self-care. Based on the data, the researchers conclude that the addition of acupuncture and herbal medicine to a standard rehabilitation protocol improves positive patient outcomes.
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Acupuncture combined with topical herbs is effective for the treatment of facial paralysis. Researchers from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department of People’s Hospital (Huairen, Shanxi) tested two acupuncture protocols. Using acupuncture as a monotherapy produced a 76.92% total effective rate. The addition of topical herbal medicine to the acupuncture point prescription increased the total effective rate to 97.44%. [1] The type of facial paralysis examined in the investigation is categorized as Bell’s palsy.
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Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers find two different styles of acupuncture effective for the alleviation of knee osteoarthritis. Patients in the clinical trial had significant reductions in pain, stiffness, and joint immobility. The two styles tested were conventional acupuncture and four seas acupuncture. Results were very similar when comparing both groups. Four seas acupuncture produced a 96.7% total effective rate. Conventional acupuncture produced a 93.3% total effective rate. [1]
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Acupuncture alleviates migraine headaches. Many clinical trials compare MRI scans, biological markers, and subjective clinical outcomes in human trials. This investigation varies by using only biological markers to confirm the results in a laboratory investigation. Overall, this multi-arm investigation demonstrates that a limited acupuncture point prescription of local points is enhanced by the addition of distal acupoints.
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Researchers find acupuncture effective for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a local entrapment neuropathy affecting the wrist and hand that causes pain, numbness, and dysfunction. The research team documents acupuncture’s beneficial influence on the morphology of the median nerve and improvement of clinical symptoms.
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Acupuncture alleviates osteoporosis related pain and improves bone mineral density. First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College researchers conducted a controlled clinical trial. The team measured bone mineral density and serum osteocalcin before and after the study, along with visual analog scale (VAS) measurements of pain levels. Based on the scientific evidence, the researchers conclude that acupuncture reduces pain levels and promotes increased bone density in patients with osteoporosis. [1]
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Acupuncture helps to heal peptic ulcers and prevents relapses. Researchers conclude that acupuncture increases the total effective rate of drug therapy for the treatment of peptic ulcers. Researchers from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhongnan University (Hunan, China) combined acupuncture with standard drug therapy. Patients receiving both drug therapy and acupuncture in a combined treatment protocol had superior patient outcomes compared with patients receiving only drug therapy. Furthermore, acupuncture increases the H. pylori-negative conversion rate and decreases the recurrence rate of drug therapy. [1] In a significant finding, acupuncture added to usual care reduces the relapse rate from 41.7% to 15.4%.
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Dalian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers confirm that acupuncture combined with herbal medicine is effective for the treatment of insomnia in Parkinson’s disease patients. In a controlled clinical trial, a combination of scalp acupuncture and a modified version of the herbal formula Gui Pi Tang were tested. Using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) as a quantitative measure, Parkinson’s disease patients demonstrated significant improvements in sleep. [1]
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Acupuncture continuing education requirements have changed within Texas and the proposed changes to California requirements have not been implemented yet. However, the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) has announced a special cooperative agreement for licensed acupuncturists in California. Let’s take a look at the changes.
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Acupuncture and cupping are safe and effective treatments for lumbopelvic pain during pregnancy. Researchers conducted an observational study at a hospital-based community antenatal clinic in New Zealand and determined that acupuncture produces significant positive patient outcomes, including reductions in lumbopelvic pain levels. [1] Lumbopelvic pain is in the lower torso, lower back, and pelvic girdle and is frequently experienced by pregnant women. Acupuncture provides an important alternative treatment option because many common prescription drugs and over-the-counter analgesics are not recommended during pregnancy.
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Acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for the alleviation of fibromyalgia. Researchers at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of Ataturk University conclude that acupuncture improves two biochemical markers and clinical outcomes for patients with fibromyalgia. Objective measures show that acupuncture increases serum serotonin levels while simultaneously reducing Substance P levels. For subjectives, the researchers document lasting subjective improvements including less pain, fatigue, and anxiety. [i]
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Acupuncture outperforms a popular topical medication for the treatment of melasma, . Researchers from Xiamen University Affiliated Hospital (Fujian, China) conclude that acupuncture is effective for the alleviation of melasma. In a randomized parallel study, the acupuncture treatment group achieved a total efficacy rate of 82.22% and the drug control group achieved an efficacy rate of 62.50%. Patients in the acupuncture treatment group received acupuncture needling on the Yangming meridians. Patients in the control group received oral administration of vitamin C and 3% hydroquinone topical cream. Hydroquinone is a cream used to lighten dark patches of skin. The researchers conclude that acupuncture significantly outperforms drug therapy for the treatment of melasma. The researchers highlight that “Acupoint selection at Yangming meridians for facial beauty enhancement has ancient historical roots, and acupuncture obtains satisfactory results for the treatment of melasma.” [1]
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Acupuncture benefits patients suffering from hemiplegia (unilateral paralysis) after a stroke. Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Baoji researchers compared daily exercise monotherapy with acupuncture plus daily exercises. Patient outcomes were consistently superior in the combined therapy group, demonstrating that the addition of acupuncture to the daily exercise treatment regimen improves clinical outcomes. The researchers conclude that acupuncture plus rehabilitation exercises improves motor function and cerebral blood flow, making it an effective intervention for post-stroke hemiplegia. [1]
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Researchers conclude that acupuncture increases the total effective rate of the drug paroxetine for the relief of mild to moderate depression. Researchers from the Affiliated Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine combined acupuncture with standard drug therapy. The researchers conclude that the addition of acupuncture to a paroxetine treatment regimen increases the effective rate of paroxetine for depression relief while mitigating its adverse effects. [1] Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant medication used for treating depression and anxiety disorders that is often known by the following brand names: Paxil, Pexeva, Brisdelle.
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Emory University and Atlanta VA Medical Center researchers find acupuncture effective for the alleviation of sleep disorders for veterans with PTSD and brain injuries. The research team concludes that acupuncture produces significant improvements in both subjective and objective sleep parameters for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), including veterans with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The team notes that “acupuncture provides meaningful relief for a particularly recalcitrant problem affecting large segments of the veteran population.” [1]
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Acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for Achilles tendon disorders. Two clinical case histories were published by Dr. Hawks demonstrating that acupuncture is “highly effective, with rapid results for both acute and chronic Achilles tendinopathy and was performed easily in an austere environment.” [1] Dr. Hawks works at the Mike O'Callaghan Military Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and the treatments were administered to personnel while deployed overseas.
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Acupuncture has been proven clinically effective for the treatment of Meniere’s disease, a disorder characterized by vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Researchers determined that acupuncture produces a 100% total effective rate. The results indicate that acupuncture is safe and effective for the treatment of Meniere’s disease. [1]
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Researchers demonstrate that acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for patients with herniated lumbar discs. [1] Jinan Number Three People’s Hospital researchers conducted a clinical trial with 90 herniated lumbar disc patients, each with lumbar, iliac, and sciatic region pain due to the condition. To test the effectiveness of warm needle acupuncture, the researchers randomly assigned patients to two groups. One group received postural adjustments with acupuncture and the other group received only postural adjustments. The two groups were statistically similar in terms of gender and age, and had all been suffering from discogenic pain for at least 7 months and up to 4 years.
