Research
Modern research of ancient and new natural health practices.
Is there evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, supplements, and good nutrition–some of the basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine? Yes. Here are some basic examples of that research, though you can find much, much more via a PubMed online search.
A comprehensive website for evidence-based acupuncture: www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org
How does acupuncture work?
- Mechanisms of acupuncture (i.e. how it works, as least as far as we know now)
- Acupuncture enhances generation of nitric oxide and increases local circulation
- Acupuncture alters brain stimuli
- CT scan reveals acupuncture points
- Connective tissue’s role in the benefits of acupuncture
- Acupuncture affects opioid receptors to relieve pain
- EEG Effects of Acupuncture
Effectiveness of Acupuncture for pain–chronic, injury, menstrual, headache
- Complementary Integrative Therapies That Work – A Review of the Evidence 2016 (Acupuncture gets and A grade for treating low back pain)
- Acupuncture for chronic pain ( JAMA Internal Medicine)
- Acupuncture to treat chronic migraines
- Brain scanning for activity during acupuncture for migraine treatment
- Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis of the Knee
- Meta-Analysis Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis
- Chronic neck pain: a comparison of acupuncture treatment and physiotherapy.
- Acupuncture for chronic headache in primary care: large, pragmatic, randomised trial
- Acupuncture for chronic tension headaches related to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
- Acupuncture for soft tissue injuries
- Acupuncture treats menstrual cramps
- Acupuncture to treat neuropathic pain: A meta-analysis
Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Allergies
Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs for Digestive Issues
Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Sleep
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Effects of acupuncture therapy on insomnia
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Acupuncture better than sleep drugs for insomnia: A systematic review
Over its 2500 years of development, a wealth of experience has accumulated in the practice of acupuncture, attesting to the wide range of diseases and conditions that can be effectively treated with this approach.
— World Health Organization (WHO)
[Note: This report has 293 references!]
People question whether acupuncture has a true therapeutic effect, or whether it works merely through the placebo effect, the power of suggestion, or the enthusiasm with which patients wish for a cure. There is therefore a need for scientific studies that evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture under controlled clinical conditions. Some of these studies have provided incontrovertible scientific evidence that acupuncture is more successful than placebo treatments in certain conditions.For example, the proportion of chronic pain relieved by acupuncture is generally in the range 55–85%, which compares favourably with that of potent drugs (morphine helps in 70% of cases) and far outweighs the placebo effect (30–35%). In addition, the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia have been studied extensively since the late 1970s, revealing the role of neural and humoral factors.