Research Archive

Acupuncture points are large fields

Categories: Acupuncture research

A study by German and US authors has revealed a high degree of variation in the localisation of acupuncture points, and suggests that the term 'acupuncture field' may in fact be more appropriate.

Patients' experience of acupuncture for low back pain

Categories: Acupuncture research

A group of UK authors has used a qualitative approach to examine in detail how participants in an RCT, conducted in the USA, conceptualised placebos.

Effect of expectancy on acupuncture outcomes

Categories: Acupuncture research

A systematic review has investigated the effect of patient expectancy on treatment responses to acupuncture.

Non-specific effects of treatment benefit patients and should be optimised

Categories: Acupuncture research

A systematic review has concluded that the non-specific effects of sham acupuncture are likely to bring tangible benefits to patients, compared with no treatment.

Overview of acupuncture fMRI studies

Categories: Acupuncture research

An international team of authors has conducted a systematic overview of studies that have used fMRI to investigate brain responses to acupuncture, concluding that it can affect a broad network of regions involving somatosensory, affective and cogniti ...

Needling Taixi KID-3 increases activity in memory networks of impaired brains

Categories: Acupuncture research

Acupuncture at Taixi KID-3 can enhance activity in brain areas associated with memory in patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Acupuncture at REN-4 and REN-12 affects brain's emotion and pain networks

Categories: Acupuncture research

A Chinese fMRI study has found that stimulation of the acupuncture points Guanyuan REN-4 and Zhongwan REN-12 has an effect on functional brain networks associated with emotional and cognitive regulation.

Acupuncture at Zusanli ST-36 and Neiguan P-6 affects gastric motility

Categories: Acupuncture research

Manual stimulation of the acupoints Zusanli ST-36 and Neiguan P-6 can influence gastric myoelectrical and cardiac activities in healthy volunteers.

Acupuncture at Hegu L.I.-4 decreases pain sensitivity of jaw

Categories: Acupuncture research

Electro-acupuncture at Hegu L.I.-4 can specifically decrease the pain sensitivity of the mandibular area, according to Japanese researchers.

Dermal spread of breast cancer following acupuncture

Categories: Cancer, Acupuncture research

A case report from Taiwan warns that direct puncture of a metastatic lymph node by an acupuncture needle has led to cutaneous spread of the tumour.

Proof that acupuncture works for chronic pain

Categories: Miscellaneous, Acupuncture research

An international collaboration, involving some of the UK's top acupuncture researchers, has provided definitive evidence that acupuncture is effective for chronic pain.

Malaria becoming resistant to artemisinin

Categories: Herb research, Fever/infectious diseases

Evidence is emerging that the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is becoming resistant to the drug artemisinin.

Herbal medicines are activated by gut microbes

Categories: Herb research

A Nature Outlook supplement focusing on traditional Asian medicine includes a number of interesting articles, including one on how Chinese herbal medicines interact synergistically with microbes in the human gut.

Classical herb combinations prove more effective

Categories: Herb research

Chinese herbal medicine theory holds that herbs in a prescription potentise each other and that the doses described in classical prescriptions are crucial to their effect.

Herbs help prevent restenosis after coronary stenting

Categories: Heart / Cardiac

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) may help to prevent restenosis (the recurrence of narrowing of the blood vessel) following coronary stent placement, thus reducing cardiac mortalit

Herbal medicines benefit allergic rhinitis patients

Categories: Respiratory disorders, Nose and mouth, Allergies

A systematic review has concluded that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) interventions appear to have beneficial effects in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR)