Can Acupuncture Cure Me?
Jerry Hall
Acupuncture has been used by millions of American patients and
performed by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists,
and other practitioners for relief or prevention of pain and for
a variety of health conditions. After reviewing the existing
body of knowledge, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
recently removed acupuncture needles from the category of
"experimental medical devices" and now regulates them just as
it does other devices, such as surgical scalpels and hypodermic
syringes, under good manufacturing practices and single-use
standards of sterility.
Over the years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has
funded a variety of research projects on acupuncture, including
studies on the mechanisms by which acupuncture may produce its
effects, as well as clinical trials and other studies. There is
also a considerable body of international literature on the
risks and benefits of acupuncture, and the World Health
Organization lists a variety of medical conditions that may
benefit from the use of acupuncture or moxibustion. Such
applications include prevention and treatment of nausea and
vomiting; treatment of pain and addictions to alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs; treatment of pulmonary problems such as asthma
and bronchitis; and rehabilitation from neurological damage
such as that caused by stroke.
Efficacy of a treatment assesses the differential effect of a
treatment when compared with placebo or another treatment
modality using a double-blind controlled trial and a rigidly
defined protocol. Papers should describe enrollment procedures,
eligibility criteria, description of the clinical
characteristics of the subjects, methods for diagnosis, and a
description of the protocol (i.e., randomization method,
specific definition of treatment, and control conditions,
including length of treatment and number of acupuncture
sessions). Optimal trials should also use standardized outcomes
and appropriate statistical analyses. This assessment of
efficacy focuses on high-quality trials comparing acupuncture
with sham acupuncture or placebo.
There is clear evidence that needle acupuncture is efficacious
for adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting
and probably for the nausea of pregnancy.
Much of the research is on various pain problems. There is
evidence of efficacy for postoperative dental pain. There are
reasonable studies (although sometimes only single studies)
showing relief of pain with acupuncture on diverse pain
conditions such as menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, and
fibromyalgia. This suggests that acupuncture may have a more
general effect on pain. However, there are also studies that do
not find efficacy for acupuncture in pain.
There is evidence that acupuncture does not demonstrate
efficacy for cessation of smoking and may not be efficacious
for some other conditions.
Although many other conditions have received some attention in
the literature and, in fact, the research suggests some
exciting potential areas for the use of acupuncture, the
quality or quantity of the research evidence is not sufficient
to provide firm evidence of efficacy at this time.
About The Author: Acupuncture originated in China more than
2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly
used medical procedures in the world. Does it Really Work? Find
out at
http://AcupuncturePoint.smartreviewguide.com
Find More Free Natural Health Information
Back To:
Alternative Healing & Alternative Treatments
Choose Natural Health Site Map
