We report a prospective controlled trial, comparing acupuncture with no treatment, in patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the knee awaiting total knee replacement. Knee function was assessed at the beginning of study and at the end of two months, using four parameters: HSS score, time to walk 50 metres, time to climb 20 steps, and degree of pain. Acupuncture was given at four local points ...

We examined how acupuncture affected the blood flow of muscle, kidney, stomach, small intestine, brain, lung, heart, spleen and liver. Wistar rats anesthetized with urethane (n = 27) were allocated into the control (n = 10), ST-7 (Hsia-Kuan, n = 10) and LI-4 (Hoku, n = 7) groups. To measure organ blood flow, colored microspheres (CMS) were injected through a catheter positioned in the left vent...

Acupuncture point application therapies, including San-Fu-Tie and San-Fu-Jiu, have been widely employed to treat diseases with attacks in winter during dog days in China. The therapies combine Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture points with the nature. However, the previous studies were reported to be unsystematic and incomplete. To develop a more comprehensive understanding of the effects ...

Acupuncture and acupressure are methods of traditional Chinese medicine that are used to balance a person?s life force, or qi (pronounced ?chee?). When a person?s qi is out of sync, it?s believed to cause illness or pain. While both acupuncture and acupressure are said to help increase flow through specific pathways in the body, there?s a pointed difference between these treatments. In acupunct...

STUDY DESIGN A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for the management of nonspecific low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of therapy, but little is known about the effectiveness of acupuncture for low back pain. METHODS Randomized controlled trials were done to a...

A 26-year-old top female athlete (height 157 cm), who took part in competitive sport similar to middle- and long-distance running, became amenorrhoeic in February 2009. In late May 2009, athletic amenorrhoea was diagnosed and a norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol combination (norgestrel 0.5 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg three times daily) was prescribed for 2 weeks. She experienced menstrual bleedi...

AIM Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder and many patients fail to find adequate relief from conventional therapies for their symptoms. This study tests the claim that acupuncture is effective for a majority of these patients. METHODS A prospective, blinded, sham acupuncture-controlled trial of traditional Chinese acupuncture was performed at a single postgraduate teaching hosp...

Background: The use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) for health care has been increasing including the use of acupuncture for the treatment of infertility. The aim of this study was to review existing scientific rationale and clinical data in the utilization of acupuncture in the treatment of female and male infertility. Materials and Methods: Medline, Science Direct computer search ...

National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) acupuncture is a simple, standardized, 1- to 5-point auricular needling protocol that originated as a grass-roots response to the opiate epidemic of the 1970s. NADA acupuncture is increasingly recognized as a universally useful intervention in the treatment of addictions specifically and in behavior health more generally. It is recognized a...

The Zulinqi acupuncture point (GB.41), on the dorsal surface of the foot, is reported traditionally to be effective for treating disorders that occur along the course of the Gall bladder channel. The authors describe its beneficial use in five, widely differing indications and give supporting case histories. The indications discussed are: metatarsal fracture, bruised finger, headache, pain in t...