Readers of the blog know that I like “dose related” studies when it comes to acupuncture. They are more useful for the practitioner and help in mitigating the whole “sham” versus “real” quandary. What they found here is that
This article has very few specifics, but is a nice summary for those who are unfamiliar with acupuncture and a nice validation. I like this part “It creates minute traumas along the skin’s surface to bring a beneficial inflammatory
Again, I have no idea how to correlate moxibustion dosage in rats to humans, but I applaud the study design that compares different time variables or “dosages” of moxibustion (15,30,60, and 120 minutes) instead of just placebo control. They look
Super interesting study showing that “real” acupuncture in migraineurs, given weekly for 8 weeks, not only reduced the number of headache days and intensity, but also blunted the autonomic response to Valsalva challenge. Placebo acupuncture did not. This validates
These studies are interesting, but not sure how to apply them to clinical practice. How do you compare electroacupuncture in a tiny animal to humans? But, glad that the studies are being done, and maybe setting some directions for future
Nice study showing acupuncture and zolpidem have the same efficacy for insomnia. Asian J Psychiatr. 2012 Sep;5(3):231-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2011.12.003. A comparison between acupuncture versus zolpidem in the treatment of primary insomnia. Tu JH, Chung WC, Yang CY, Tzeng DS. To
I thought this was an interesting way to evaluate recent literature compiled by Mark C. Lee from the Mayo Clinic. Here is the 5 point scale the helpfulness of the acupuncture and the strength of the evidence Pain Management:
Their take on “How It Works.” 1) FMRI studies show that when subjects receive electroacupuncture, there is much less activity in four different pain-processing regions of the brain. The brain “notices” the pain less. A fifth region-the anterior insula,
The Time Magazine Alternative Medicine article discussed sham versus “verum” or real acupuncture in fair depth. This has been a difficult issue in acupuncture research since nonspecific needling can have enough effect that statistically it is no different than
This is a study published recently on what osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia patients want. A stunning 92% want a Primary Care Doctor with some knowledge of CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine), and 70% wanted a doctor who would
