Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as monotherapy and as an alternative therapy in treating depression-related insomnia. Data Source. Seven databases were searched starting from 1946 to March 30, 2016. Study Eligibility Criteria. Randomized-controlled trials of adult subjects (18-75 y) who had depression-related insomnia and had received acupuncture. Results. 18 randomized-...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy to standard care for the relief of pain and dysfunction in elderly patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS Seventy-three patients with symptomatic OA of the knee were randomly assigned to treatment (acupuncture) or standard care (control). Analysis was performed on last s...

In this paper biophysical bases and frontiers of the acupuncture-based complementary medicine are considered, and essential significance of its resonance microwave (MW)/ultralowfrequency (ULF) electromagnetic (EM)/ionic nature as well as the quantum-holographic "electrooptical" neural-network-like-function of the acupuncture system are pointed out, as supported by microwave resonance therapy (M...

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on a paradigm of the body different to that of modern biomedicine. Inherent characteristics of TCM necessitate an active and central role of acupuncturists in acupuncture treatment. The author looks at acupuncture in the practical context and analyzes the role of acupuncturists in diagnostic process and treatment delivery. Acupuncture as a complex non...

IntroductionThis is a study accounting the treatment of patients with medically diagnosed chronic migraine. After trying many different conventional modalities of treatment, often with limited therapeutic efficacy and adverse side effects, acupuncture is sought out by patients. Although there are fewer studies performed on acupuncture than those of drug therapy for the treatment of migraine, th...

As an ancient therapeutic method, acupuncture has been used to treat many diseases as an adjunctive therapy. However, its clinical efficacy remains controversial and the neural mechanisms have not been well understood. Accumulating studies have revealed that fMRI has made it possible to study brain responses to acupuncture. This review aims to provide scientific evidence to support the notion a...

Acupuncture is claimed to be an effective therapy for a broad range of medical problems with minimal side-effects. However, regardless of its efficacy, it can be associated with complications including bacterial infection. 2 We describe a case of unilateral foot oedema with negative culture as a complication of catgut embedding (a therapy related to acupuncture) which has not, as far as we know...

Randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials are recommended for evaluation of a treatment's efficacy with the goal of separating the specific effects (verum) from the non-specific ones (placebo). In order to be able to carry out placebo-controlled acupuncture trials, minimal/sham acupuncture procedures and a sham acupuncture needle has been used with the intention of being inert. However, cl...

OBJECTIVE The study sought to explore the possibility of using acupuncture and massage therapy for relieving neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN 30 individuals with SCI and neuropathic pain were assigned to treatment of either massage or acupuncture, with 15 individuals in each group. Both groups received treatment twice weekly for 6 weeks. Treatments were evaluated at...

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful neuropathic condition that is often resistant to conventional treatments. Case reports suggest that stimulation of acupuncture points may offer an alternative approach to treatment. Objective: To present 2 cases of treatment-resistant trigeminal neuralgia that responded dramatically to acupuncture therapy based on neuroanatomical point selection. De...