EVIDENCE-BASED ACUPUNCTURE

by Ping-chung Leung, Tang-yi Liu

Overview

Acupuncture has been an important branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 3000 years and is the most popular practice among non-Chinese practitioners outside of China. In 1998, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a consensus conference and endorsed the practice of acupuncture as an effective pain control agent — since then acupuncture has become even more popular.Clinical practice is always an inviting form of research. In the field of acupuncture, research concentrates on the neurological pathways of the meridians and acupoints, the neurological functional changes within the central nervous system, and innovative devices being invented, etc. It appears that there will be a long way before firm explanations can be acquired for the explanation of the physiological effects of acupuncture.The technique of acupuncture is easily acquired although the evidence of efficacy remains subjective. Before the evidence can be sorted out through scientific explorations, confidence on efficacy can rely only on literature search and sharing of expert experiences.This is a user-friendly book for all professionals practicing acupuncture. The contents consist of all the popular areas of clinical application viz. pain control and neuromuscular training. Each chapter is composed of two parts: clinical evidences as previously recorded in literature and personal experiences of the author. Acupuncture practice requires a thorough knowledge of the treatment choices relevant to particular conditions, as well as their modifications. This book offers quick references for this purpose.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789814483858
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/29/2012
Series:	ANNALS OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE , #5
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	4 MB

Table of Contents

Preface to Series xiii

Preface to Volume 5 xv

Abbreviations xix

Section I Physiological Basis 1

Chapter 1 Acupuncture for Pain Control 3

1.1 The Central Nervous System 3

1.2 The Function of Cerebral Limbic System in Acupuncture Analgesia 6

1.3 Function of Diencephalon in Acupuncture Analgesia 7

1.4 The Function of Brain Stem Structure in Acupuncture Analgesia 8

1.5 The Spinal Cord in Acupuncture Analgesia 10

1.6 The Relationship between EA Function and Stimulation Parameter 22

1.7 Conclusion 24

References 25

Chapter 2 Acupuncture for Neurological Deficits 29

2.1 Influence of Acupuncture on Cerebral Function 29

2.2 Influence of Acupuncture on Spinal Cord Function 35

2.3 Acupuncture and Central Neurotransmitters 36

2.4 Acupuncture and the Peripheral Nervous System 36

2.5 Summary and Discussion 38

References 39

Chapter 3 Acupuncture for Immunomodulation 41

3.1 Acupuncture and Cellular Immune Function 41

3.2 Acupuncture and Body Fluid Immune Function 45

3.3 Acupuncture and Tumour Immunology 46

3.4 Acupuncture and Non-specific Immunity 47

3.5 Summary and Discussion 47

References 49

Chapter 4 Acupuncture for Endocrine Function 51

4.1 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Endocrine System 51

4.2 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenals (HPA) Endocrine Axis 52

4.3 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) Endocrine Axis 53

4.4 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Thyroid-Pituitary Axis 56

4.5 Summary and Discussion 57

References 57

Section II Common Practices 59

Chapter 5 A Practical Approach to Acupuncture 61

5.1 Introduction 61

5.2 Some Accepted Theories on the Course of Events of Acupuncture 62

5.3 Auricular Acupuncture - What is Its Mechanism 66

5.4 Clinical Trials on Acupuncture 67

5.5 Complications and Adverse Events in Acupuncture 69

5.6 Difficulties with Acupuncture Research 72

5.7 Conclusions 73

References 73

Chapter 6 Technique of Manual Puncturing 77

6.1 Description of Acuesthesia in Classic Medical Document 77

6.2 Clinical Meaning of Acuesthesia 78

6.3 Method of Attaining Acuesthesia 79

6.4 Studies on the Mechanism of Acuesthesia 79

6.5 Conclusions 83

References 84

Chapter 7 Acupuncture for Headache 85

7.1 Acupuncture Method 85

7.2 Moxibustion 87

7.3 Electro-Acupuncture (EA) Treatment 88

7.4 Tap Acupuncture 88

7.5 Using Three-Edged Needles 89

7.6 Acupoint Injection 90

7.7 Summary and Discussion 90

7.8 Additional Views 91

References 93

Chapter 8 Acupuncture for Stroke 95

8.1 Use of Acupuncture During the Acute Stage of Stroke 95

8.2 Use of Acupuncture for Stroke Convalescence 101

8.3 The Application of Acupuncture Treatment in the Late Period after Stroke 109

8.4 Other Observations 111

8.5 Summary 111

References 115

Chapter 9 Acupuncture for Asthma 117

9.1 Treating Asthma with Acupuncture 117

9.2 Treating Asthma with Natural Moxibustion 119

9.3 Treating Asthma with Suppurative Moxibustion 120

9.4 Treating Asthma with a Combination of Acupuncture and Cupping Method 122

9.5 Summary and Discussion 123

9.6 Additional Views 124

References 126

Chapter 10 Acupuncture for Joint Pain 127

10.1 Simple Acupuncture as a Treatment Method 127

10.2 Moxibustion Treatment Method 128

10.3 Temperature Acupuncture 129

10.4 Electro-Acupuncture (EA) Method 130

10.5 "Fire Needling" 131

10.6 Discussion 131

References 133

Chapter 11 Acupuncture for Bladder Control - Treatment for Urethral Syndrome in the Women 135

11.1 Needling and Moxibustion Used Together 135

11.2 Comparison between Electro-Acupuncture (EA) and Hand Needling 136

11.3 Comparison of the Treatment Effects of Different EA Parameters 137

11.4 Treatment Effect of Single Acupoints and Special Points 138

11.5 Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture and Moxibustion on the Modulation of Bladder Function 138

11.6 Clinical Studies 139

11.7 The Central Neurological Influence of Acupuncture on Modulation of Bladder Function 140

11.8 Additional Views 141

References 142

Chapter 12 Acupuncture for Quitting Smoking 145

12.1 Quitting Smoking with Acupuncture 145

12.2 The Effective Rate of Acupuncture on Quitting Smoking 146

12.3 Psychological Problems Related to Smoking and Efforts to Quit 147

12.4 Comparison between Acupuncture Treatment and Other Treatment Methods 148

12.5 Additional Views 149

References 150

Chapter 13 Acupuncture for Other Conditions - Obesity, Skin Conditions, Hyperthyroidism and Ulcerative Colitis 153

13.1 Acupuncture and Obesity 154

13.2 Additional Views 154

13.3 Acupuncture for Skin Conditions 157

13.4 Acupuncture for Hyperthyroidism 160

13.5 Acupuncture and Ulcerative Colitis 163

References 165

Chapter 14 Discovery of Novel Acupuncture Points 169

14.1 Research on Surface Electrical Characteristics of Acupuncture Points 169

14.2 Detection of Surface Electrical Characteristics 171

14.3 The Development of Transmission Needle 172

14.4 The Existing Issues on Acupuncture Point Characteristics 172

References 173

Chapter 15 Electrical Acupuncture 175

15.1 Clinical Application of Electrical Acupuncture (EA) and Related Issues 175

15.2 Factors Affecting Effects of Electrical Acupuncture (EA) 177

15.3 Parameters of Electrical Acupuncture (EA) 178

15.4 Acupoint Characteristics and Their Relationship with the Design and Effect of Electrical Acupuncture (EA) 179

References 179

Index 181