Acupuncture News and Research

Latest Acupuncture News and Research

Functional MRI reveals effectiveness of acupuncture in relieving pain

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have captured pictures of the brain while patients experienced a pain stimulus with and without acupuncture to determine acupuncture's effect on how the brain processes pain. Results of the study, which the researchers say suggest the effectiveness of acupuncture, were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2010

American Specialty Health wins Silver California Fit Business Award for fourth time

Health and wellness company American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) announced that it had received a Silver California Fit Business Award for the fourth time from the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness.

9 Nov 2010

Study confirms acupuncture as a viable tool for weight loss

Could a few pinpricks make someone thinner. Evidence weighs heavily in favor of that proposition, according to the results of a new study to be presented at the Pacific Symposium in San Diego this week. The groundbreaking study, "The Effects of Acupuncture on Weight-Loss in Over-Weight and Obese Adults Over 24 Years Old," reports that 95 percent of its subjects lost weight in a six-week period after receiving regular acupuncture treatments. Of those subjects, another 50 percent continued to lose weight after treatments stopped.

2 Nov 2010

AAAOM, NCCAOM respond to report on cause of deaths due to improper acupuncture treatments

The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) are collaborating to respond to a recent report by British professor Edzard Ernst, published in The Guardian, claiming improperly trained acupuncture treatments have been the cause of deaths over the past 45 years.

2 Nov 2010

American Psychological Association blocking therapists from learning effective treatments for PTSD

In the wake of enormous controversy about its role in the participation of psychologists in the use of torture to extract information from prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and in other parts of the world, an interview just carried by Truthout reveals a new round of criticism that has been directed toward the American Psychological Association (APA).

1 Nov 2010

More effective therapeutic exercises underutilized in treatment of chronic neck pain

Duke University and University of North Carolina (UNC) researchers report in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research that narcotics and diagnostic testing are overused in treating chronic neck pain. Their findings indicate clinicians may overlook more effective treatments for neck pain, such as therapeutic exercise. According to reviews cited in the study, evidence to support the effectiveness of therapeutic exercise in treating chronic neck pain is good, yet only 53% of subjects were prescribed such exercise.

28 Oct 2010

Annals of Internal Medicine raises concerns over placebo standard

Much of medicine is based on what is considered the strongest possible evidence: The placebo-controlled trial. A paper published in the October 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine - entitled "What's In Placebos: Who Knows" calls into question this foundation upon which much of medicine rests, by showing that there is no standard behind the standard no standard for the placebo.

19 Oct 2010

New approach to provide long lasting relief for headache

Most physicians are treating the symptom of headache using medication. Patients often receive temporary relief from the medication but it does not deal with the cause of the headache. The drug companies are sponsoring research programs to test their drugs in conjunction with most "Headache Facilities."

8 Oct 2010

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announces awards totaling $10.1M

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research announced awards totaling approximately $10.1 million for five new clinical studies and 14 pre-clinical therapeutic development projects. The funding includes $2.5 million to drive four new clinical trials under the Clinical Intervention Awards, one of the Foundation's Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research.

6 Oct 2010

Study finds acupuncture is not effective in stroke recovery

Acupuncture does not appear to aid in stroke recovery, according to a new study published in CMAJ. This study, perhaps the most comprehensive to date as it includes trials published in English language and Asian journals, was a systematic review conducted by researchers in South Korea and the United Kingdom.

28 Sep 2010

Yoga, Tai Chi effective in treating fibromyalgia

This syndrome is often accompanied by fatigue, bowel disturbances, and urinary difficulty. Fibromyalgia can affect your daily activity, your sleep, and even your thinking when you're worn out and experiencing "brain fog." That's a term used by Henri Roca, MD, Medical Director at Greenwich Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine in Cos Cob, Connecticut.

24 Sep 2010

Scientific update conference on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease is a growing threat in the U.S., with numbers that continue to rise despite increased awareness about the disease. "Little is being done to stop the spread of Lyme disease and to help those who are suffering from chronic Lyme," says Pat Smith, president of the all-volunteer national Lyme Disease Association, which funds research, educates the public, and provides scientific conferences for doctors.

20 Sep 2010

Laser acupuncture a plausible treatment for depression

Acupuncture produces significant changes in parts of the brain that regulate emotional states and is a biologically plausible treatment for depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders, Australian researchers have shown for the first time.

13 Sep 2010

Study finds non-hormonal therapies can relieve hot flashes in women with breast cancer

Many women enduring hot flashes experience the heat, sweat and reddened upper body as an uncomfortable inconvenience. However, hot flashes can greatly diminish a woman's quality of life, disrupting sleep at night or causing embarrassment as she goes about her daily business. Many women enduring hot flashes experience the heat, sweat and reddened upper body as an uncomfortable inconvenience. However, hot flashes can greatly diminish a woman's quality of life, disrupting sleep at night or causing embarrassment as she goes about her daily business.

8 Sep 2010

Morning sickness treatment still elusive: Review

According to experts we are nowhere near establishing safe and effective ways to treat morning sickness. Since the Thalidomide disaster in 1960’s that led to severe birth defects in the infants, this area of research is scary and less explored by many researchers. Despite its name, the vomiting and nausea of morning sickness can occur at any time of the day and affect about half of pregnant women. Between 70% and 85% of women will experience nausea during pregnancy, with about half suffering vomiting. Around 2% will experience it so badly they need to be hospitalised.

7 Sep 2010

Study finds acupuncture can control side effects of cancer treatment

Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can help control a number of symptoms and side effects such as pain, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting associated with a variety of cancers and their treatments.

3 Sep 2010

Acupuncture not superior to sham acupuncture in knee osteoarthritis

17 Aug 2010

Study finds sham acupuncture superior to traditional Chinese acupuncture in osteoarthritis treatment

Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center determined patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who are treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) do not experience any more benefit than those receiving sham acupuncture (placebo). The team did find that the communication style of the acupuncturist could have a significant effect on pain reduction and satisfaction in patients. Full findings are now online and will publish in the September print issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

17 Aug 2010

Ancient discovery holds key to joint tissue regeneration

Osteoarthritis is a crippling disease worldwide, with an estimated eight million sufferers in the UK alone. It has been described as like "wearing a suit of rusty armour," with unrelenting, razor-like pain.

17 Aug 2010

Dermatologist discusses treatment for acne and melasma

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the Asian-American population will total 40 million people by 2050. While as a whole this group is characterized by very dark hair and dark eyes, there is much diversity in Asian skin tones – from very light, pale skin to light or dark brown skin. One common thread is the pigmentation issues that Asian Americans often face as after-effects of other dermatologic problems that can be as troublesome as the original condition itself.

6 Aug 2010