Acupuncture Supplies

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Author:
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


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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Acupuncture... Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine There are over 50 Acupuncture Schools in the United States. Acupuncture laws differ from state to state, therefore, each acupuncture school entails its own philosophy and instruction outline. Acupuncture School education and training is approximately 3,000 credit hours. Because there are varying therories of Acupuncture, some schools teach the 5-Element style of acupuncture as opposed to the more familiar TCM style. While some acupuncture schools have mandatory herbal curriculum, other acupuncture schools list this course-study as an option. The main purpose of attending an acupuncture school is to be educated and trained to be healers in the art, to learn the science and philosophy of acupuncture, and to be instructed in herbal and Oriental medicine. Attaining a professional license as an acupuncturist is rewarding in many ways. One not only learns to heal others but also learns to heal himself - spiritually, mentally and physically. Fundamentally, all aspects of traditional Oriental medicine are introduced in the first year of academic instruction. This includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, anatomy, body therapy, biosciences and Tai Chi. This prepares the aspiring acupuncturist for clinical apprenticehsip. During the second year at an acupuncture school, classroom experience teaches in-depth philosophy of acupuncture practice, Oriental medicine and advance needling techniques. Apprenticeship begins with licensed acupuncturists in a clinical setting. During the third year of acupuncture school training, students begin practicing on their own patients as interns. Acupuncture school classroom instruction is mainly comprised of clinical case discussions; thus, deepening acupuncture therapy understanding. If you'd like to learn more about acupuncture...