NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Acupuncture

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle", and pungere, "prick") or in Standard Mandarin, zhe-n bia-n (a related word, zhe-n jiu, refers to acupuncture together with moxibustion)^[3] is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes.^[4] According to acupuncture theory, these acupuncture points lie along meridians along which qi, a kind of vital energy, is said to flow. There is no generally-accepted anatomical or histological basis for these concepts,^[5] and modern acupuncturists tend to view them in functional rather than structural terms, (viz. as a useful metaphor in guiding evaluation and care of patients).^[6]^[7] Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Different types of acupuncture (Classical Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Korean acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... For other uses, see Culture (disambiguation). ... Chinese culture has roots going back over five thousand years. ... For this articles equivalent regarding the East, see Eastern culture. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1604, 251 KB) Summary Hua Shou. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1604, 251 KB) Summary Hua Shou. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... Map of eastern China and Taiwan, showing the historic distribution of Mandarin Chinese in light brown. ... Moxibustion Moxibustion (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is an oriental medicine therapy utilizing moxa, or mugwort herb. ... Look up Pain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty Acupuncture (from Lat. ... Channel (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as meridian, in traditional Chinese medicine, is the common name of vessel (ç¶“è„ˆ, also known as channel) and collaterals (çµ¡è„ˆ). It is the path of running qi (æ°£) and blood (è¡€), connection zang-fu viscera (è‡Ÿè…‘), communication inside and outside, and run through top and bottom. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, [1] is a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life... Greek anatome, from ana-temnein, to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy (zootomy) and plant anatomy (phytonomy). ... A thin section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. ... Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ...

While acupuncture has been a subject of active scientific research since the late 20th century, its effects are not well-understood, and it remains controversial among researchers and clinicians.^[8] The body of evidence remains inconclusive but is active and growing, and a 2007 review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues finds that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions".^[9] Note: This article does not cite sources and displays bias. ...

The WHO, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have all studied and commented on the efficacy (or lack therof) of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles, and that further research is warranted.^[5]^[10]^[11] Look up who in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, a division of the National Institutes of Health within the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States federal government, was established in October, 1991, as the Office of Alternative Medicine, which was re-established as the NCCAM... National Institutes of Health Building 50 at NIH Clinical Center - Building 10 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Ministry of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. ... The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ...

History

Antiquity

In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the stone age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones. Stone acupuncture needles dating back to 3000 B.C. have been found by archeologists in Inner Mongolia. ^[12]^[13] Clearer evidence exists from the 1^st millennium BCE, and archeological evidence has been identified with the period of the Han dynasty (202 BC–220 AD). Forms of it are also described in the literature of traditional Korean medicine where it is called chimsul. It is also important in Kampo, the traditional medicine system of Japan. (Redirected from 1st millennium BCE) (2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium AD – other millennia) Events The Iron Age began in Western Egypt declined as a major power The Tanakh was written Buddhism was founded Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and created the Persian Empire (6th century BC) Sparta... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (206 BCâ€“9 AD) Luoyang (25 ADâ€“220 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History - Establishment 206 BC - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24 - Abdication... AD redirects here. ... AD redirects here. ... Traditional Korean medicine (Hangul: í•œì˜í•™, Hanja: éŸ“é†«å¸) developed with the influence of Chinese medical techniques and procedures. ... KampÅ (or KanpÅ, æ¼¢æ–¹) medicine is the Japanese study and adaptation of Traditional Chinese medicine. ...

Recent examinations of Ötzi, a 5,000-year-old mummy found in the Alps, have identified over 50 tattoos on his body, some of which are located on acupuncture points that would today be used to treat ailments Ötzi suffered from. Some scientists believe that this is evidence that practices similar to acupuncture were practiced elsewhere in Eurasia during the early bronze age. According to an article published in The Lancet by Dorfer et al., "We hypothesised that there might have been a medical system similar to acupuncture (Chinese Zhenjiu: needling and burning) that was practiced in Central Europe 5,200 years ago... A treatment modality similar to acupuncture thus appears to have been in use long before its previously known period of use in the medical tradition of ancient China. This raises the possibility of acupuncture having originated in the Eurasian continent at least 2000 years earlier than previously recognised."[1], [2]. Ã–tzi the Iceman (also spelled Oetzi and known also as Frozen Fritz) is the modern nickname of a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC, found in 1991 in a glacier of the Ã–tztaler Alps, near the border between Austria and Italy. ... For other uses, see Mummy (disambiguation). ... Alp redirects here. ... For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... The Lancet is one of the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, published weekly by Elsevier, part of Reed Elsevier. ...

Acupuncture's origins in China are uncertain. The earliest Chinese medical text that first describes acupuncture is the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (History of Acupuncture) Huangdi Neijing, which was compiled around 305–204 B.C. However, the Chinese medical texts (Ma-wang-tui graves, 68 BC) do not mention acupuncture. Some hieroglyphics have been found dating back to 1000 B.C. that may indicate an early use of acupuncture. Bian stones, sharp pointed rocks used to treat diseases in ancient times, have also been discovered in ruins; some scholars believe that the bloodletting for which these stones were likely used presages certain acupuncture techniques.[3] The Huangdi Neijing é»ƒå¸å…§ç¶“ ( Note, technically speaking, Thearch is more accurate than Emperor. ...

According to one legend,[4], acupuncture started in China when some soldiers who were wounded by arrows in battle experienced a relief of pain in other parts of the body, and consequently people started experimenting with arrows (and later needles) as therapy.

Middle history

Acupuncture spread from China to Japan, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere in East Asia. Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century were among the first to bring reports of acupuncture to the West.^[14] This article is about the Korean civilization. ...

Modern era

R.C. Crozier in the book Traditional medicine in modern China (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1968) says the early Chinese Communist Party expressed considerable antipathy towards classical forms of Chinese medicine, ridiculing it as superstitious, irrational and backward, and claiming that it conflicted with the Party’s dedication to science as the way of progress. Acupuncture was included in this criticism. Reversing this position, Communist Party Chairman Mao later said that "Chinese medicine and pharmacology are a great treasure house and efforts should be made to explore them and raise them to a higher level."[5] Mao redirects here. ...

Representatives were sent out across China to collect information about the theories and practices of Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the formalized system of Chinese medicine that was created out of this effort. TCM combines the use of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na, and other modalities. After the Cultural Revolution, TCM instruction was incorporated into university medical curricula under the "Three Roads" policy, wherein TCM, biomedicine, and a synthesis of the two would all be encouraged and permitted to develop. After this time, forms of classical Chinese medicine other than TCM were outlawed, and some practitioners left China. This article is about the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The first forms of acupuncture to reach the United States were brought by non-TCM practitioners -such as Chinese rail road workers- many employing styles that had been handed down in family lineages, or from master to apprentice (collectively known as "Classical Chinese Acupuncture").

In Vietnam, Dr. Van Nghi and colleagues used the classical Chinese medical texts and applied them in clinical conditions without reference to political screening. They rewrote the modern version: Trung E Hoc. Van Nghi was made the first President of the First World Congress of Chinese Medicine at Bejing in 1988 in recognition of his work.

In the 1970s, acupuncture became vogue in America after American visitors to China brought back firsthand reports of patients undergoing major surgery using acupuncture as their sole form of anesthesia. Since then, tens of thousands of treatments are now performed in this country each year for many types of conditions such as back pain, headaches, infertility, stress, and many other illnesses.

Traditional theory

Traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine is based on a pre-scientific paradigm of medicine that developed over several thousand years. Its theory holds the following explanation of acupuncture: Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ... Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ... For other uses, see Paradigm (disambiguation). ...

Health is a condition of balance of yin and yang within the body. Particularly important in acupuncture is the free flow of Qi, a difficult-to-translate concept that pervades Chinese philosophy and is commonly translated as "vital energy"). Qi is immaterial and hence yang; its yin, material counterpart is Blood (capitalized to distinguish it from physiological blood, and very roughly equivalent to it). Acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of Qi and Blood, tonifying where there is deficiency, draining where there is excess, and promoting free flow where there is stagnation. An axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain." Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quá»‘c ngá»¯: Chá»¯ nÃ´m: HÃ¡n tá»±: The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... Vitalism is the doctrine that vital forces are active in living organisms, so that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism. ... For other uses, see Blood (disambiguation). ...

Many patients claim to experience the sensations of stimulus known in Chinese as de qi ("obtaining the Qi" or "arrival of the Qi"). This kind of sensation was historically considered to be evidence of effectively locating the desired point. (There are some electronic devices now available which will make a noise when what they have been programmed to describe as the "correct" acupuncture point is pressed).

TCM treats the human body as a whole that involves several "systems of function" generally named after anatomical organs but not directly associated with them. The Chinese term for these systems is Zang Fu, where zang is translated as "viscera" or solid organs and fu is translated as "bowels" or hollow organs. In order to distinguish systems of function from physical organs, Zang Fu are capitalized in English, thus Lung, Heart, Kidney, etc. Disease is understood as a loss of balance of Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood (which bears some resemblance to homeostasis). Treatment of disease is attempted by modifying the activity of one or more systems of function through the activity of needles, pressure, heat, etc. on sensitive parts of the body of small volume traditionally called "acupuncture points" in English, or "xue" (穴, cavities) in Chinese. This is referred to in TCM as treating "patterns of disharmony." An organ is the following: In anatomy, an organ is a group of tissues which perform some function. ... To differentiate between western or eastern concepts of organs the first letter is capitalized (Liver, instead of liver, Spleen instead of spleen). ... Homeostasis (from Greek: á½…Î¼Î¿Ï‚, homos, equal; and Î¹ÏƒÏ„Î·Î¼Î¹, histemi, to stand lit. ...

Acupuncture points and meridians

Most of the main acupuncture points are found on the "twelve main meridians" and two of the "eight extra meridians" (Du Mai and Ren Mai) a total of "fourteen channels", which are described in classical and traditional Chinese medical texts, as pathways through which Qi and "Blood" flow. There also exist "extra points" not belonging to any channel. Other tender points (known as "ashi points") may also be needled as they are believed to be where stagnation has gathered. Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty Acupuncture (from Lat. ... Channel (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as meridian, in traditional Chinese medicine, is the common name of vessel (ç¶“è„ˆ, also known as channel) and collaterals (çµ¡è„ˆ). It is the path of running qi (æ°£) and blood (è¡€), connection zang-fu viscera (è‡Ÿè…‘), communication inside and outside, and run through top and bottom. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ...

Treatment of acupuncture points may be performed along several layers of pathways, most commonly the twelve primary channels, or mai, located throughout the body. The first twelve channels correspond to systems of function: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, San Jiao (an intangible, also known as Triple Burner), Gall Bladder, and Liver. Other pathways include the Eight Extraordinary Pathways (Qi Jing Ba Mai), the Luo Vessels, the Divergents and the Sinew Channels. Ashi (tender) points are generally used for treatment of local pain. Channel (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as meridian, in traditional Chinese medicine, is the common name of vessel (ç¶“è„ˆ, also known as channel) and collaterals (çµ¡è„ˆ). It is the path of running qi (æ°£) and blood (è¡€), connection zang-fu viscera (è‡Ÿè…‘), communication inside and outside, and run through top and bottom. ... The San Jiao (ä¸‰ç„¦) is a traditional Chinese medical (TCM) concept of a functional organ that is not found outside of TCM (see Zang Fu theory). ...

Of the eight extraordinary pathways, only two have acupuncture points of their own: the Ren Mai and Du Mai, which are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior aspects of the trunk and head respectively. The other six meridians are "activated" by using a master and couple point technique which involves needling the acupuncture points located on the twelve main meridians that correspond to the particular extraordinary pathway.

The twelve primary pathways run vertically, bilaterally, and symmetrically and every channel corresponds to and connects internally with one of the twelve Zang Fu ("organs"). This means that there are six yin and six yang channels. There are three yin and three yang channels on each arm, and three yin and three yang on each leg. To differentiate between western or eastern concepts of organs the first letter is capitalized (Liver, instead of liver, Spleen instead of spleen). ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quá»‘c ngá»¯: Chá»¯ nÃ´m: HÃ¡n tá»±: The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quá»‘c ngá»¯: Chá»¯ nÃ´m: HÃ¡n tá»±: The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena...

The movement of Qi through each of the twelve channels comprises an internal and an external pathway. The external pathway is what is normally shown on an acupuncture chart and is relatively superficial. All of the acupuncture points of a channel lie on its external pathway. The internal pathways are the deep course of the channel where it enters the body cavities and related Zang Fu organs. The superficial pathways of the twelve channels describe three complete circuits of the body, chest to hands, hands to head, head to feet, feet to chest, etc. The San Jiao (ä¸‰ç„¦) is a traditional Chinese medical (TCM) concept of a functional organ that is not found outside of TCM (see Zang Fu theory). ...

The distribution of Qi through the pathways is said to be as follows (the based on the demarcations in TCM's Chinese Clock): Lung channel of hand taiyin to Large Intestine channel of hand yangming to Stomach channel of foot yangming to Spleen channel of foot taiyin to Heart channel of hand shaoyin to Small Intestine channel of hand taiyang to Bladder channel of foot taiyang to Kidney channel of foot shaoyin to Pericardium channel of hand jueyin to San Jiao channel of hand shaoyang to Gallbladder channel of foot shaoyang to Liver channel of foot jueyin then back to the Lung channel of hand taiyin. According to the "Chinese clock", each channel occupies two hours, beginning with the Lung, 3AM-5AM, and coming full circle with the Liver 1AM-3AM.

Traditional diagnosis

The acupuncturist decides which points to treat by observing and questioning the patient in order to make a diagnosis according to the tradition which he or she utilizes. In TCM, there are four diagnostic methods: inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiring, and palpation (Cheng, 1987, ch. 12).

Other forms of acupuncture employ additional diagnosic techniques. In many forms of classical Chinese acupuncture, as well as Japanese acupuncture, palpation of the muscles and the hara (abdomen) are central to diagnosis. The menstrual cycle is the periodic change in a womans body that occurs every month between puberty and menopause and that relates to reproduction. ... Leukorrhea (US) or leukorrhoea (Commonwealth) is a medical term used to describe vaginal discharge during pregnancy. ...

TCM perspective on treatment of disease

Although TCM is based on the treatment of "patterns of disharmony" rather than biomedical diagnoses, practitioners familiar with both systems have commented on relationships between the two. A given TCM pattern of disharmony may be reflected in a certain range of biomedical diagnoses: thus, the pattern called Deficiency of Spleen Qi could manifest as chronic fatigue, diarrhea or uterine prolapse. Likewise, a population of patients with a given biomedical diagnosis may have varying TCM patterns. These observations are encapsulated in the TCM aphorism "One disease, many patterns; one pattern, many diseases". (Kaptchuk, 1982)

Classically, in clinical practice, acupuncture treatment is typically highly individualized and based on philosophical constructs as well as subjective and intuitive impressions, and not on controlled scientific research.^[15]

Criticism of TCM theory

TCM theory predates use of the scientific method and has received various criticisms based on scientific reductionist thinking, since there is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians. Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ... Reductionism in philosophy describes a number of related, contentious theories that hold, very roughly, that the nature of complex things can always be reduced to (explained by) simpler or more fundamental things. ... Greek anatome, from ana-temnein, to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy (zootomy) and plant anatomy (phytonomy). ... A thin section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. ... Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty Acupuncture (from Lat. ... The concept of meridians (Chinese: jing-luo ç»ç»œ) arises from the techniques and doctrines of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, acupressure, and qigong. ...

Felix Mann, founder and past-president of the Medical Acupuncture Society (1959–1980), the first president of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (1980), and the author of the first comprehensive English language acupuncture textbook Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing' first published in 1962, has stated in his book Reinventing Acupuncture: A New Concept of Ancient Medicine: Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Philosopher Robert Todd Carroll deems acupuncture a pseudoscience because it "confuse(s) metaphysical claims with empirical claims".^[17] Carroll states that: Robert Todd Carroll (1945-), Ph. ... A typical 18th century phrenology chart. ...

A report for CSICOP on pseudoscience in China written by Wallace Sampson and Barry L. Beyerstein said: The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP, is an organization formed to encourage open minded, critical investigation of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims from a responsible, scientific point of view. ...

George A. Ulett, MD, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Missouri School of Medicine states: "Devoid of metaphysical thinking, acupuncture becomes a rather simple technique that can be useful as a nondrug method of pain control." He believes that the traditional Chinese variety is primarily a placebo treatment, but electrical stimulation of about 80 acupuncture points has been proven useful for pain control.^[20] Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quá»‘c ngá»¯: Chá»¯ nÃ´m: HÃ¡n tá»±: The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena...

Ted J. Kaptchuk, author of The Web That Has No Weaver, refers to acupuncture as "prescientific." Regarding TCM theory, Kaptchuk states:

According to the NIH consensus statement on acupuncture: NIH can refer to: National Institutes of Health Norwegian School of Sports Sciences: (Norges idrettshÃ¸gskole - NIH) Not Invented Here This is a disambiguation page â€” a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Clinical practice

Most modern acupuncturists use disposable stainless steel needles of fine diameter (0.007" to 0.020", 0.18 mm to 0.51 mm), sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. These needles are far smaller in diameter (and therefore less painful) than the needles used to give shots, since they do not have to be hollow for purposes of injection. The upper third of these needles is wound with a thicker wire (typically bronze), or covered in plastic, to stiffen the needle and provide a handle for the acupuncturist to grasp while inserting. The size and type of needle used, and the depth of insertion, depend on the acupuncture style being practised. The 630 foot (192 m) high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ... DIAMETER is a computer networking protocol for AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting). ... â€œOxiraneâ€ redirects here. ... Front loading autoclaves are common Stovetop autoclaves need to be monitored carefully and are the simplest of all autoclaves Multiple large autoclaves are used for processing substantial quantities of laboratory equipment prior to reuse, and infectious material prior to disposal. ...

Warming an acupuncture point, typically by moxibustion (the burning of a combination of herbs, primarily mugwort), is a different treatment than acupuncture itself and is often, but not exclusively, used as a supplemental treatment. The Chinese term zhēn jǐu (針灸), commonly used to refer to acupuncture, comes from zhen meaning "needle", and jiu meaning "moxibustion". Moxibustion is used to varying degrees among current schools of oriental medicine. For example, one well-known technique is to insert the needle at the desired acupuncture point, attach dried moxa to the external end of an acupuncture needle, and then ignite it. The moxa will then smolder for several minutes (depending on the amount adhered to the needle) and conduct heat through the needle to the tissue surrounding the needle in the patient's body. Another common technique is to hold a large glowing stick of moxa over the needles. Moxa is also sometimes burned at the skin surface, usually by applying an ointment to the skin to protect from burns, though burning of the skin is general practice in China. Moxibustion Moxibustion (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is an oriental medicine therapy utilizing moxa, or mugwort herb. ... Binomial name Artemisia vulgaris L. Mugwort or Common Wormwood (Artemisia vulgaris) is a species from the daisy family Asteraceae. ...

An example of acupuncture treatment

In Western medicine, vascular headaches (the kind that are accompanied by throbbing veins in the temples) are typically treated with analgesics such as aspirin and/or by the use of agents such as niacin that dilate the affected blood vessels in the scalp, but in acupuncture a common treatment for such headaches is to stimulate the sensitive points that are located roughly in the center of the webs between the thumbs and the palms of the patient, the hé gǔ points. These points are described by acupuncture theory as "targeting the face and head" and are considered to be the most important point when treating disorders affecting the face and head. The patient reclines, and the points on each hand are first sterilized with alcohol, and then thin, disposable needles are inserted to a depth of approximately 3-5 mm until a characteristic "twinge" is felt by the patient, often accompanied by a slight twitching of the area between the thumb and hand. Most patients report a pleasurable "tingling" sensation and feeling of relaxation while the needles are in place. The needles are retained for 15-20 minutes while the patient rests, and then are removed.

In the clinical practice of acupuncturists, patients frequently report one or more of certain kinds of sensation that are associated with this treatment, sensations that are stronger than those that would be felt by a patient not suffering from a vascular headache:

Indications according to acupuncturists in the West

According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (2004), acupuncture may be considered as a complementary therapy for the conditions in the list below.^[21] The conditions labeled with * are also included in the World Health Organization list of acupuncture indications.^[22]. These cases, however, are based on clinical experience, and not necessarily on controlled clinical research: furthermore, the inclusion of specific diseases are not meant to indicate the extent of acupuncture's efficacy in treating them.^[22] Medical acupuncture is a simplified version of traditional Chinese acupuncture which is learned by Western medical practitioners. ... Complementary medicine refers to a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines that exist largely outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided. ...

Scientific theories and mechanisms of action

Many hypotheses have been proposed to address the physiological mechanisms of action of acupuncture. To date, more than 10,000 scientific research studies have been published on acupuncture as cataloged by the National Library of Medicine database.^[26] Numerous scientific studies have been conducted concerning the principles underlying the mechanism of action and efficacy of acupuncture. ... The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), operated by the U.S. federal government, is the worlds largest medical research library. ...

Neurohormonal theory

Pain transmission can also be modulated at many other levels in the brain along the pain pathways, including the periaqueductal gray, thalamus, and the feedback pathways from the cerebral cortex back to the thalamus. Pain blockade at these brain locations is often mediated by neurohormones, especially those that bind to the opioid receptors (pain-blockade site). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1944 Ã— 2592 pixel, file size: 848 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Acupuncture ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1944 Ã— 2592 pixel, file size: 848 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Acupuncture ... Periaqueductal gray (PAG; also called the central gray) is the midbrain grey matter that is located around the cerebral aqueduct within the midbrain. ... The thalamus (from Greek Î¸Î¬Î»Î±Î¼Î¿Ï‚ = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ËˆÎ¸Ã¦lÉ™mÉ™s/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ... For other uses, see Cortex. ... A neurohormone is any hormone produced by neurosecretory cells, usually in the brain. ... An opioid is a chemical substance that has a morphine-like action in the body. ...

Some studies suggest that the analgesic (pain-killing) action of acupuncture is associated with the release of natural endorphins in the brain. This effect can be inferred by blocking the action of endorphins (or morphine) using a drug called naloxone. When naloxone is administered to the patient, the analgesic effects of morphine can be reversed, causing the patient to feel pain again. When naloxone is administered to an acupunctured patient, the analgesic effect of acupuncture can also be reversed, causing the patient to report an increased level of pain.^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30] It should be noted, however, that studies using similar procedures, including the administration of naloxone, have suggested a role of endogenous opioids in the placebo response, demonstrating that this response is not unique to acupuncture.^[31] An analgesic (colloquially known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). ... Naloxone is a drug used to counter the effects of opioid overdose, for example heroin and morphine overdose. ...

One study performed on monkeys by recording the neural activity directly in the thalamus of the brain indicated that acupuncture's analgesic effect lasted more than an hour.^[32] Furthermore, there is a large overlap between the nervous system and acupuncture trigger points (points of maximum tenderness) in myofascial pain syndrome.^[33] The thalamus (from Greek Î¸Î¬Î»Î±Î¼Î¿Ï‚ = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ËˆÎ¸Ã¦lÉ™mÉ™s/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ...

Evidence suggests that the sites of action of analgesia associated with acupuncture include the thalamus using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)^[34] and PET (positron emission tomography)^[35] brain imaging techniques,^[36] and via the feedback pathway from the cerebral cortex using electrophysiological recording of the nerve impulses of neurons directly in the cortex, which shows inhibitory action when acupuncture stimulus is applied.^[37] Similar effects have been observed in association with the placebo response. One study using fMRI found that placebo analgesia was associated with decreased activity in the thalamus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex.^[38] For other uses of painkiller, see painkiller (disambiguation) An analgesic (colloquially known as painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain. ... The thalamus (from Greek Î¸Î¬Î»Î±Î¼Î¿Ï‚ = bedroom, chamber, IPA= /ËˆÎ¸Ã¦lÉ™mÉ™s/) is a pair and symmetric part of the brain. ... Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the use of MRI to measure the haemodynamic response related to neural activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans or other animals. ... Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or map of functional processes in the body. ... Brain imaging is a fairly recent discipline within medicine and neuroscience. ... For other uses, see Cortex. ...

Recently, acupuncture has been shown to increase the nitric oxide levels in treated regions, resulting in increased local blood circulation.^[39]^[40] Effects on local inflammation and ischemia have also been reported.^[41] R-phrases , , , , S-phrases , , , Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Nitric oxide or Nitrogen monoxide is a chemical compound with chemical formula NO. This gas is an important signaling molecule in the body of...

Histological studies

In the 1960s, Bonghan Kim (medical scientist, North Korea) proposed that meridians and acupuncture points exist in the form of distinctive anatomical structures in his Bonghan Theory.^[42]^[43]^[44] The concept of meridians (Chinese: jing-luo ç»ç»œ) arises from the techniques and doctrines of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, acupressure, and qigong. ... Acupuncture chart from the Ming dynasty Acupuncture (from Lat. ... Greek anatome, from ana-temnein, to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy (zootomy) and plant anatomy (phytonomy). ...

Issues in study design

One of the major challenges in acupuncture research is in the design of an appropriate placebo control group.^[45] In trials of new drugs, double blinding is the accepted standard, but since acupuncture is a procedure rather than a pill, it is difficult to design studies in which both the acupuncturist and patient are blinded as to the treatment being given. The same problem arises in double-blinding procedures used in biomedicine, including virtually all surgical procedures, dentistry, physical therapy, etc. For other uses, see Placebo (disambiguation). ... From Latin ex- + -periri (akin to periculum attempt). ... The double blind method is an important part of the scientific method, used to prevent research outcomes from being influenced by either the placebo effect or the observer bias. ...

Blinding of the practitioner in acupuncture remains challenging. One proposed solution to blinding patients has been the development of "sham acupuncture", i.e., needling performed superficially or at non-acupuncture sites. Controversy remains over whether, and under what conditions, sham acupuncture may function as a true placebo, particularly in studies on pain, in which insertion of needles anywhere near painful regions may elicit a beneficial response.^[46]^[5] A review in 2007 noted several issues confounding sham acupuncture: Look up Pain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

A study by Ted Kaptchuk et. al. showed that sham acupuncture exerted a stronger effect on pain than an inert pill did, and concluded: "Placebo effects seem to be malleable and depend on the behaviours embedded in medical rituals."^[48]

Scientific research into efficacy

Evidence-based medicine

There is scientific agreement that an evidence-based medicine (EBM) framework should be used to assess health outcomes and that systematic reviews with strict protocols are essential. Organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier publish such reviews. In practice, EBM is "about integrating individual clinical expertise and the best external evidence" and thus does not demand that doctors ignore research outside its "top-tier" criteria ^[49]. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) or scientific medicine is an attempt to apply more uniformly the standards of evidence gained from the scientific method to certain aspects of medical practice. ... The Cochrane Collaboration developed in response to Archie Cochranes call for systematic, up-to-date reviews (currently known as systematic reviews) of all relevant randomized clinical trials of health care. ... Bandolier is an independent online electronic journal about evidence-based healthcare, written by Oxford scientists. ...

The development of the evidence base for acupuncture was summarized in a review by researcher Edzard Ernst and colleagues in 2007. They compared systematic reviews conducted (with similar methodology) in 2000 and 2005: Note: This article does not cite sources and displays bias. ...

For low back pain, a Cochrane review (2005) stated: See also back pain Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder which affects the lumbar segment of the spine. ...

A 2008 study suggest that combining acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments such as IVF greatly improves the success rates of such medical interventions.^[51] There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

A review by Manheimer et al. in Annals of Internal Medicine (2005) reached conclusions similar to Cochrane's review on low back pain.^[52] A review for the American Pain Society/American College of Physicians found fair evidence that acupuncture is effective for chronic low back pain.^[53]

For nausea^[54] and vomiting: The Cochrane review (Lee and Done, 2006) on the use of the P6 acupoint for the reduction of post-operative nausea and vomiting concluded that the use of P6 acupoint stimulation can reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting with minimal side effects, albeit with efficacy less than or equal to prophylactic (i.e., preventative) treatment with antiemetic drugs.^[55]^[56] Cochrane also stated: "Electroacupuncture is effective for first day vomiting after chemotherapy, but trials considering modern antivomiting drugs are needed."^[57] For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation). ... Heaving redirects here. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. ...

A 2007 Cochrane Review for the use of acupuncture for neck pain stated: For other uses, see Neck (disambiguation). ...

For headache, Cochrane concluded (2006) that "(o)verall, the existing evidence supports the value of acupuncture for the treatment of idiopathic headaches. However, the quality and amount of evidence are not fully convincing. There is an urgent need for well-planned, large-scale studies to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture under real-life conditions." ^[59]. A headache (cephalgia in medical terminology) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Idiopathic means arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause. ...

For osteoarthritis, reviews since 2006 show acupuncture to be more effective than no treatment at all, but approximately as effective as sham acupuncture (wherein needles are inserted in points that, according to acupuncture theory, should not be effective).^[60]^[47] Osteoarthritis (OA, also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease), is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints, caused by abnormal wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts as a cushion inside joints and destruction or decrease of synovial fluid that lubricates those... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For fibromyalgia, a systematic review of the best 5 randomized controlled trials available found mixed results.^[61] Three positive studies, all using electro-acupuncture, found short term benefits. The methodological quality of the 5 trials was mixed and frequently low. Fibromyalgia (FM) is stated to be a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and tactile allodynia. ... A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a form of clinical trial, or scientific procedure used in the testing of the efficacy of medicine, used because of its record of reliability. ...

For the following conditions, the Cochrane Collaboration has concluded there is insufficient evidence to determine whether acupuncture is beneficial, often because of the paucity and poor quality of the research, and that further research is needed: The Cochrane Collaboration developed in response to Archie Cochranes call for systematic, up-to-date reviews (currently known as systematic reviews) of all relevant randomized clinical trials of health care. ...

Positive results from some studies on the efficacy of acupuncture may be as a result of poorly designed studies or publication bias.^[80]^[81] Bells palsy (or facial palsy) is characterised by facial drooping on the affected half, due to malfunction of the facial nerve (VII cranial nerve), which controls the muscles of the face. ... Cocaine dependence (or addiction) is physical and psychological dependency on the regular use of cocaine. ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ... Dysmenorrhea (or dysmenorrhoea), cramps or painful menstruation, involves menstrual periods that are accompanied by either sharp, intermittent pain or dull, aching pain, usually in the pelvis or lower abdomen. ... This article is about the sleeping disorder. ... labor may refer to: Work of any kind Wage labor, in which a worker sells their labor and the employer buys it Manual labor, physical work done by people Childbirth, especially from the start of uterine contractions to delivery Labor (economics), one of the three main factors of production Labor... Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. ... Each year, shoulder problems account for about 1. ... A No Smoking sign Smoking cessation (commonly known as quitting, or kicking the habit) is the effort to stop smoking tobacco products. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... Stroke rehabilitation is the process by which patients with disabling strokes undergo treatment to help them return to normal life as much as possible by regaining and relearning the skills of everyday living. ... Tennis elbow is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender, usually as a result of a specific strain or overuse. ... Multi-infarct dementia, also known as vascular dementia, is a form of dementia resulting from brain damage caused by stroke or transient ischemic attacks (also known as mini-strokes). ...

Evidence from neuroimaging studies

Acupuncture appears to have effects on cortical activity, as demonstrated by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography). Researchers from the University of Southampton, UK and Purpan Hospital of Toulouse, France, summarize the literature: MRI redirects here. ... Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or map of functional processes in the body. ...

NIH consensus statement

In 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded that National Institutes of Health Building 50 at NIH Clinical Center - Building 10 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Ministry of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. ... Medical consensus is a public statement on a particular aspect of medical knowledge available at the time it was written, and that is generally agreed upon as the evidence-based, state-of-the-art (or state-of-science) knowledge by a representative group of experts in that area. ...

The statement was not a policy statement of the NIH but is the considered assessment of a panel convened by the NIH.

The NIH consensus statement summarized and made a prediction: Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells, specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer. ...

The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine continues to abide by the recommendations of the NIH Consensus Statement, stating that: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine or NCCAM, is a United States government agency. ...

American Medical Association statement

In 1997, the following statement was adopted as policy of the American Medical Association (AMA), an association of medical doctors and medical students, after a report on a number of alternative therapies including acupuncture:^[83] The American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest association of medical doctors in the United States. ...

German study

A German study published in the September 2007 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine found that nearly half of patients treated with acupuncture or a sham treatment felt relief from chronic low back pain over a period of months compared to just nearly a quarter of those receiving a variety of more conventional treatments (drugs, heat, massage, etc.)^[84]^[85] The greater benefit of the real and sham treatments were not significantly different. The Archives of Internal Medicine is a bi-monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association. ... See also back pain Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder which affects the lumbar segment of the spine. ...

Nonacupuncture points

A controlled study of 300 migraine patients found that both sham and real acupuncture resulted in improvements compared with patients on a waiting list, with no significant difference in benefit between the sham and active treatment groups. The sham treatment involved actual needles piercing the skin, but at nonacupuncture points.^[86]

Some researchers have questioned the use of sham acupuncture as a control in this study^[87] and others, arguing that sham acupuncture may be too similar to real acupuncture to be a valid control, thereby skewing results toward showing a relative lack of efficacy.

Safety and risks

Because acupuncture needles penetrate the skin, many forms of acupuncture are invasive procedures, and therefore not without risk. Injuries are rare among patients treated by trained practitioners.^[88]^[89] In most jurisdictions, needles are required by law to be sterile, disposable and used only once; in some places, needles may be reused if they are first resterilized, e.g. in an autoclave. The term invasive in Medicine has two meanings: A medical procedure which penetrates or breaks the skin or a body cavity, i. ... Sterility is the quality or state of being unable to reproduce. ... Front loading autoclaves are common Stovetop autoclaves need to be monitored carefully and are the simplest of all autoclaves Multiple large autoclaves are used for processing substantial quantities of laboratory equipment prior to reuse, and infectious material prior to disposal. ...

Several styles of Japanese acupuncture use non-inserted needling, making for an entirely non-invasive procedure. In non-inserted needling the needle is brought to the skin, but never penetrates it, and various other acupuncture tools are used to tap or stroke along the meridians. Notable examples of these styles are Tōyōhari and the pediatric acupuncture style Shōnishin. The term non-invasive in medicine has two meanings: A medical procedure which does not penetrate or break the skin or a body cavity, i. ...

Common, minor adverse events

A survey by Ernst et al. of over 400 patients receiving over 3500 acupuncture treatments found that the most common adverse effects from acupuncture were:^[11]

The survey concluded: "Acupuncture has adverse effects, like any therapeutic approach. If it is used according to established safety rules and carefully at appropriate anatomic regions, it is a safe treatment method."^[11] For other uses, see Bleeding (disambiguation). ... Hematoma on thigh, 6 days after a fall down stairs, 150ml of blood drained a few days later A hematoma, or haematoma, is a collection of blood, generally the result of hemorrhage, or, more specifically, internal bleeding. ... Many different terms are often used to describe what is collectively known as dizziness. ...

Other injury

The chance of these is very small, and the risk can be further reduced through proper training of acupuncturists. Graduates of medical schools and (in the US) accredited acupuncture schools receive thorough instruction in proper technique so as to avoid these events. (Cf. Cheng, 1987) For other uses, see Nerve (disambiguation). ... Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... â€œCollapsed lungâ€ redirects here. ... For the village in Tibet, see Lung, Tibet. ... The kidneys are the organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. ... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or corticotropin) is a polypeptide hormone secreted from corticotropes in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland in response to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released by the hypothalamus. ... Oxytocin (Greek: quick birth) is a mammalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. ...

Risks from omitting orthodox medical care

Receiving any form of alternative medical care without also receiving orthodox Western medical care can be inherently risky, since undiagnosed disease may go untreated and could worsen. For this reason many acupuncturists and doctors prefer to consider acupuncture a complementary therapy rather than an alternative therapy. Alternative medicine has been described as any of various systems of healing or treating disease (as chiropractic, homeopathy, or faith healing) not included in the traditional medical curricula taught in the United States and Britain.[1] Alternative medicine practices are often based in belief systems not derived from modern science. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... Complementary medicine refers to a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines that exist largely outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided. ...

Critics also express concern that unethical or naive practitioners may induce patients to exhaust financial resources by pursuing ineffective treatment.[6][7] Some public health departments regulate acupuncture.[8][9][10]

Safety compared with other treatments

Commenting on the relative safety of acupuncture compared with other treatments, the NIH consensus panel stated that "(a)dverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and often lower than conventional treatments." They also stated:

In a Japanese survey of 55,291 acupuncture treatments given over five years by 73 acupuncturists, 99.8% of them were performed with no significant minor adverse effects and zero major adverse incidents (Hitoshi Yamashita, Bac, Hiroshi Tsukayama, BA, Yasuo Tanno, MD, PhD. Kazushi Nishijo, PhD, JAMA). Two combined studies in the UK of 66,229 acupuncture treatments yielded only 134 minor adverse events. (British Medical Journal 2001 Sep 1). The total of 121,520 treatments with acupuncture therapy were given with no major adverse incidents (for comparison, a single such event would have indicated a 0.0008% incidence). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The human musculoskeletal system is the musculoskeletal system that gives us the ability to move. ... Fibromyalgia (FM) is stated to be a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and tactile allodynia. ... CambridgeBayWeather 02:48, 23 September 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Tennis elbow is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender, usually as a result of a specific strain or overuse. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the chemical family of steroids. ...

Legal and political status

Acupuncturists may also practice herbal medicine or tui na, or may be medical acupuncturists, who, as well as being qualified physicians, also practice acupuncture in a simplified form. License is regulated by the state or province in many countries, and often requires passage of a board exam. The term Herbalism refers to folk and traditional medicinal practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. ... Tui na (æŽ¨æ‹ or æŽ¨æ‹¿, both pronounced tÅ«i nÃ¡), is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbalism and qigong. ... In some federations, a province (subnational entity) is called a state. ... A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ... In India, board examinations refer to the pivotal examinations that occur at the end of the 9th to 10th grade education (SSC), or at the end of the 11th to 12th grade education (HSC). ...

In the US, acupuncture is practiced by a variety of healthcare providers. Those who specialize in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are usually referred to as "licensed acupuncturists", or L.Ac.'s. The abbreviation "Dipl. Ac." stands for "Diplomate of Acupuncture" and signifies that the holder is board-certified by the NCCAOM^[92]. Professional degrees are usually at the level of a Master's degree. A masters degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded after the completion of an academic program of one to six years in duration. ...

A poll of American doctors in 2005 showed that 59% believe acupuncture was at least somewhat effective.^[93] In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration changed the status of acupuncture needles from Class III to Class II medical devices, meaning that needles are regarded as safe and effective when used appropriately by licensed practitioners.^[94]^[95] FDA redirects here. ... // European Definition COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices defines a â€˜medical deviceâ€™ as: any instrument, apparatus, appliance, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software necessary for its proper application intended by the manufacturer to be used for human... // European Definition COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices defines a â€˜medical deviceâ€™ as: any instrument, apparatus, appliance, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software necessary for its proper application intended by the manufacturer to be used for human... // COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices defines a â€˜medical deviceâ€™ as: any instrument, apparatus, appliance, material or other article, whether used alone or in combination, including the software necessary for its proper application intended by the manufacturer to be used for human beings for...

Canadian acupuncturists have been licensed in British Columbia since 2003. In Ontario, the practice of acupuncture is now regulated by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006, S.o. 2006, chapter 27.^[96] The government is in the process of establishing a College whose mandate will be to oversee the implementation of policies and regulations relating to the profession. Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area Ranked 5th Total 944... This article is about the Canadian province. ...

In Australia, the legalities of practicing acupuncture also vary by state. Victoria is the only state of Australia with an operational registration board.^[97] Currently acupuncturists in New South Wales are bound by the guidelines in the Public Health (Skin Penetration) Regulation 2000,^[98] which is enforced at local council level. Other states of Australia have their own skin penetration acts.

See also

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... Acupoint Therapy is an extension of Willy Penzels APM system (Akupunkt Massage), and it involves the stimulation of acupuncture points or meridians with a therapy stick. ... Acupressure (a portmanteau of acupuncture and pressure) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique based on the same ideas as acupuncture. ... Acupuncture is widely used as an adjunct treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. ... Auriculotherapy - not to be confused with auricular therapy using needles (ear acupuncture) - is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a microsystem, meaning that the entire body is represented on the auricle (or auricula, or pinna - the outer portion of the ear) in a... Chin Na or Qinna (æ“’æ‹¿, pinyin: qÃn nÃ¡, Wade-Giles: chin2 na2) is a Chinese term describing joint-manipulation techniques for self defense used in the Chinese martial arts. ... Chiropractic, also known as chiropractic care, is a world-wide health discipline that seeks to prevent and treat health problems utilizing spinal adjustments in order to correct subluxations. ... Kung fu redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Alternative medicine. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture in which acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses, generating a small electric current that flows between pairs of needles. ... Medical acupuncture is a simplified version of traditional Chinese acupuncture which is learned by Western medical practitioners. ... Naturopathic medicine (also known as naturopathy) is a school of medical philosophy and practice that seeks to improve health and treat disease chiefly by assisting the bodys innate capacity to recover from illness and injury. ... Pressure points are points on the body that produce a known reaction (reflex) by either hitting, touching, or rubbing them. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... For the artist, see Qigong (artist). ... Seitai or Sei Tai is a Japanese method of manipulative therapy based on theories similar to Chinese Acupuncture and bone-setting. ... In Malayan culture, susuks, or charm needles, are needles made of gold or other precious metals, which are inserted in the soft tissues of the face to act as talismans. ... Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan (Chinese: 太極拳; pinyin: ; literally supreme ultimate fist), commonly known as Tai Chi, Tai Chi, or Taiji, is a nei chia (internal) Chinese martial art which is known for the claims of health and longevity benefits made by its practitioners and in some... Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ... Trigger points are described as hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. ...

Bibliography

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Footnotes

^ Whole Medical Systems: An Overview [NCCAM Backgrounder]
^ Energy Medicine: An Overview [NCCAM Backgrounder]
^ ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary edited by John DeFrancis, as used in Wenlin version 3.4.1
^ Acupuncture: the Chinese practice of piercing specific areas of the body along peripheral nerves with fine needles to relieve pain, induce surgical anesthesia, and for therapeutic purposes. Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary, 25th ed. W. B. Saunders Co., 1995. ISBN 0-7216-5738-9
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e NIH Consensus Development Program (November 3-5, 1997). Acupuncture --Consensus Development Conference Statement. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
^ Kaptchuk, The Web That Has No Weaver, 1983, pp. 34-35
^ "Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the "acupuncture points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture."NIH Consensus Development Program (November 3-5, 1997). Acupuncture --Consensus Development Conference Statement. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved on 2007-07-17.
^ Ernst, Edzard (2006-02). "Acupuncture - a critical analysis". Journal of Internal Medicine 259 (2): 125-137. PMID 16420542. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
^ ^a ^b Ernst E, Pittler MH, Wider B, Boddy K. (2007). "Acupuncture: its evidence-base is changing". Am J Chin Med. 35 (1): 21-5. PMID 17265547.
^ ^a ^b Get the Facts, Acupuncture. National Institute of Health (2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-02.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ernst G, Strzyz H, Hagmeister H (2003). "Incidence of adverse effects during acupuncture therapy-a multicentre survey". Complementary therapies in medicine 11 (2): 93-7. PMID 12801494.
^ MoonDragon's Health & Wellness Therapy: Acupuncture
^ Acupuncture
^ Unschuld, Paul. Chinese Medicine, p. 94. 1998, Paradigm Publications
^ Medical Acupuncture - Spring / Summer 2000- Volume 12 / Number 1
^ Felix Mann, quoted by Matthew Bauer in Chinese Medicine Times, vol 1 issue 4, Aug. 2006, "The Final Days of Traditional Beliefs? - Part One"
^ Skeptic's Dictionary on pseudoscience.
^ Skeptic's Dictionary on acupuncture.
^ Sampson, Wallace Sampson; Barry L. Beyerstein (September/October 1996). "Traditional Medicine and Pseudoscience in China: A Report of the Second CSICOP Delegation (Part 2)". Skeptical Inquirer 20 (5). Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
^ Ulett GA, Acupuncture update 1984, Southern Medical Journal 78:233234, 1985. Comment found at NCBI - Traditional and evidence-based acupuncture: history, mechanisms, and present status. Ulett GA, Han J, Han S.
^ Braverman S (2004). "Medical Acupuncture Review: Safety, Efficacy, And Treatment Practices". Medical Acupuncture 15 (3).
^ ^a ^b The World Health Organization Viewpoint On Acupuncture
^ Proctor ML, Smith CA, Farquhar CM, Stones RW (2002). "Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea". Cochrane Database Syst Rev (1): CD002123. PMID 11869624.
^ Gooneratne NS (2008). "Complementary and alternative medicine for sleep disturbances in older adults". Clin. Geriatr. Med. 24 (1): 121–38, viii. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2007.08.002. PMID 18035236.
^ The Acupuncture Weight Loss Solution
^ MedlinePlus: Acupuncture
^ Pomeranz B, Chiu D (1976). "Naloxone blockade of acupuncture analgesia: endorphin implicated". Life Sci. 19 (11): 1757-62. PMID 187888.
^ Mayer DJ, Price DD, Rafii A (1977). "Antagonism of acupuncture analgesia in man by the narcotic antagonist naloxone". Brain Res. 121 (2): 368-72. PMID 832169.
^ Eriksson SV, Lundeberg T, Lundeberg S (1991). "Interaction of diazepam and naloxone on acupuncture induced pain relief". Am. J. Chin. Med. 19 (1): 1-7. PMID 1654741.
^ Bishop B. - Pain: its physiology and rationale for management. Part III. Consequences of current concepts of pain mechanisms related to pain management. Phys Ther. 1980, 60:24-37.
^ Amanzio, M., Pollo, A., Maggi, G., Benedetti, F. (2001). "Response Variability to Analgesics: a Role for Non-specific Activation of Endogenous Opioids". Pain 90 (3): 205-215.
^ Sandrew BB, Yang RC, Wang SC (1978). "Electro-acupuncture analgesia in monkeys: a behavioral and neurophysiological assessment". Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de thérapie 231 (2): 274-84. PMID 417686.
^ Melzack R, Stillwell DM, Fox EJ (1977). "Trigger points and acupuncture points for pain: correlations and implications". Pain 3 (1): 3-23. PMID 69288.
^ Li K, Shan B, Xu J, et al. (2006). "Changes in FMRI in the human brain related to different durations of manual acupuncture needling". Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 12 (7): 615-23. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.12.615. PMID 16970531.
^ Pariente J, White P, Frackowiak RS, Lewith G (2005). "Expectancy and belief modulate the neuronal substrates of pain treated by acupuncture". Neuroimage 25 (4): 1161-7. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.01.016. PMID 15850733.
^ Shen J (2001). "Research on the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture: review of selected studies and methodological issues". Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 7 Suppl 1: S121-7. doi:10.1089/107555301753393896. PMID 11822627.
^ Liu JL, Han XW, Su SN (1990). "The role of frontal neurons in pain and acupuncture analgesia". Sci. China, Ser. B, Chem. Life Sci. Earth Sci. 33 (8): 938-45. PMID 2242217.
^ Wagner, T.D., Rilling, J.K., Smith, E.E., Sokolik, A., Casey, K.L. et al. (2007). "Placebo-Induced Changes in fMRI in the Anticipation and Experience of Pain". Science 303 (5661): 1162-1167..
^ Tsuchiya M, Sato EF, Inoue M, Asada A (2007). "Acupuncture enhances generation of nitric oxide and increases local circulation". Anesth. Analg. 104 (2): 301-7. doi:10.1213/01.ane.0000230622.16367.fb. PMID 17242084.
^ Blom M, Lundeberg T, Dawidson I, Angmar-Månsson B (1993). "Effects on local blood flux of acupuncture stimulation used to treat xerostomia in patients suffering from Sjögren's syndrome". Journal of oral rehabilitation 20 (5): 541-8. PMID 10412476.
^ Lundeberg T (1993). "Peripheral effects of sensory nerve stimulation (acupuncture) in inflammation and ischemia". Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine. Supplement 29: 61-86. PMID 8122077.
^ Okmedi.net: The Bonghan Theory by Kim, Bong-Han
^ HS Shin, HM Johng, BC Lee, S Cho, KS Soh, KY Baik, JS Yoo, KS Soh, Feulgen reaction study of novel threadlike structures (Bonghan ducts) on the surfaces of mammalian organs, Anatomical record. Part B New anatomist, 284(1), pp. 35-40, 2005. (Feature article)
^ Biomedical Physics Laboratory for Korean Medicine, School of Physics, Seoul National University, South Korea. This lab. studies on the Bonghan system.
^ White AR, Filshie J, Cummings TM (2001). "Clinical trials of acupuncture: consensus recommendations for optimal treatment, sham controls and blinding". Complement Ther Med. 9 (4): 237-245. PMID 12184353.
^ Johnson MI (2006). "The clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for pain relief--you can be certain of uncertainty.". Acupunct Med. 24 (2): 71-9. PMID 16783282.
^ ^a ^b Meta-analysis: acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee. Eric Manheimer, Klaus Linde, Lixing Lao, Lex M Bouter, Brian M Berman. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jun 19;146 (12):868-77. Full text (PDF)
^ Kaptchuk et. al., BMJ 2006;332:391-397
^ [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=32159 Message to complementary and alternative medicine: evidence is a better friend than power. Andrew J Vickers]
^ Furlan AD, van Tulder MW, Cherkin DC, et al. (2005). "Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (1): CD001351. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001351.pub2. PMID 15674876.
^ Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, Bouter LM (2008). "Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis". BMJ 336 (7643): 545-9. PMID 18258932.
^ Manheimer E, White A, Berman B, Forys K, Ernst E (2005). "Meta-analysis: acupuncture for low back pain" (PDF). Ann. Intern. Med. 142 (8): 651-63. PMID 15838072.
^ Chou R, Huffman LH (2007). "Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline". Ann Intern Med. 147 (7): 492-504. PMID 17909210.
^ Dibble SL, Luce J, Cooper BA, Israel J, Cohen M, Nussey B, Rugo H (2007). "Acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized clinical trial". Oncol Nurs Forum 34 (4): 813–20. doi:10.1188/07.ONF.xxx-xxx. PMID 17723973.
^ Lee A, Done ML (2004). "Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point P6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (3): CD003281. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003281.pub2. PMID 15266478.
^ For nausea, acupuncture at first appeared to be more effective than antiemetic drugs, per Lee and Done (2006); however, the authors later retracted this conclusion, finding that publication bias (in Asian countries) had skewed their results, and that acupuncture's efficacy in treating nausea did not exceed (but approximately equalled) that of antiemetic prophylaxis. Lee A, Copas JB, Henmi M, Gin T, Chung RC (2006). "Publication bias affected the estimate of postoperative nausea in an acupoint stimulation systematic review". J Clin Epidemiol. 59 (9): 980-3. PMID 16895822.
^ Ezzo JM, Richardson MA, Vickers A, et al. (2006). "Acupuncture-point stimulation for chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting". Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online) (2): CD002285. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002285.pub2. PMID 16625560.
^ Trinh K, Graham N, Gross A, Goldsmith C, Wang E, Cameron I, Kay T (2007). "Acupuncture for neck disorders". Spine 32 (2): 236-43. PMID 17224820. Cochrane review of Acupuncture for neck disorders
^ Acupuncture for idiopathic headache
^ Acupuncture for osteoarthritis
^ Mayhew E, Ernst E (2007). "Acupuncture for fibromyalgia--a systematic review of randomized clinical trials". Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 46 (5): 801-4. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kel406. PMID 17189243.
^ McCarney, RW; B Brinkhaus, TJ Lasserson, K Linde (2003). "Acupuncture for chronic asthma". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003 (3): CD000008. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000008.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ He, L; D Zhou MK, Zhou, B Wu, N Li, SY Kong, DP Zhang, QF Li, J Yang, X Zhang (2004). "Acupuncture for Bell's palsy". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 (4): CD002914. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002914.pub3. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Gates, S; LA Smith, DR Foxcroft (2006). "Auricular acupuncture for cocaine dependence". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (1): CD005192. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005192.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Smith, CA; PPJ Hay (2004-03-17). "Acupuncture for depression". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004 (3): CD004046. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004046.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Proctor, ML; CA Smith, CM Farquhar, RW Stones (2002). "Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002 (1): CD002123. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002123. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Cheuk, DKL; V Wong (2006). "Acupuncture for epilepsy". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (2): CD005062. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005062.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Law, SK; T Li (2007). "Acupuncture for glaucoma". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 (4): CD006030. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006030.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Cheuk, DKL; WF Yeung, KF Chung, V Wong (2007). "Acupuncture for insomnia". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 (3): CD005472. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005472.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
^ Lim, B; Manheimer E, Lao L, Ziea E, Wisniewski J, Liu J, Berman B (2006). "Acupuncture for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (4): CD005111. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005111.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Smith, CA; Crowther CA (2004). "Acupuncture for induction of labour". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004 (1): CD002962. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002962.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Casimiro, L; Barnsley L, Brosseau L, Milne S, Robinson VA, Tugwell P, Wells G (2005). "Acupuncture and electroacupuncture for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (4): CD003788. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003788.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Green, S; Buchbinder R, Hetrick S (2005). "Acupuncture for shoulder pain". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (2): CD005319. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005319. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Rathbone, J; Xia J (2005). "Acupuncture for schizophrenia". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (4): CD005475. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005475. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ White, AR; Rampes H, Campbell JL (2006). "Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (1): CD000009. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000009.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Zhang, SH; Liu M, Asplund K, Li L (2005). "Acupuncture for acute stroke". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 (2): CD003317. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003317.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Wu, HM; JL Tang, XP Lin, J Lau, PC Leung, J Woo, YP Li (2006). "Acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (3): CD004131. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004131.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Green, S; Buchbinder R, Barnsley L, Hall S, White M, Smidt N, Assendelft W. (2002). "Acupuncture for lateral elbow pain". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002 (1): CD003527. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003527. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Peng, WN; Zhao H, Liu ZS, Wang S (2008). "Acupuncture for vascular dementia". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007 (2): CD004987. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004987.pub2. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
^ Tang JL, Zhan SY, Ernst E (July 1999). "Review of randomised controlled trials of traditional Chinese medicine". BMJ 319 (7203): 160–1. PMID 10406751. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
^ Vickers A, Goyal N, Harland R, Rees R (April 1998). "Do certain countries produce only positive results? A systematic review of controlled trials". Control Clin Trials 19 (2): 159–66. PMID 9551280.
^ Lewith GT, White PJ, Pariente J (Sep 2005). "Investigating acupuncture using brain imaging techniques: the current state of play". Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM 2 (3): 315-9. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh110. PMID 16136210. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
^ Report 12 of the Council on Scientific Affairs (A-97) -- Alternative Medicine. American Medical Association (1997).
^ Haake M, Müller HH, Schade-Brittinger C, et al. (2007). "German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for Chronic Low Back Pain: Randomized, Multicenter, Blinded, Parallel-Group Trial With 3 Groups". Arch. Intern. Med. 167 (17): 1892–8. doi:10.1001/archinte.167.17.1892. PMID 17893311.
^ BBC NEWS, Acupuncture 'best for back pain'
^ Linde K, Streng A, Jürgens S, Hoppe A, Brinkhaus B, Witt C, Wagenpfeil S, Pfaffenrath V, Hammes MG, Weidenhammer W, Willich SN, Melchart D (2005). "Acupuncture for patients with migraine: a randomized controlled trial". JAMA 293 (17): 2118-25. PMID 15870415.
^ Ann Intern Med - Rapid Responses for Scharf et al., 145 (1) 12-20
^ Lao L, Hamilton GR, Fu J, Berman BM (2003). "Is acupuncture safe? A systematic review of case reports". Alternative therapies in health and medicine 9 (1): 72-83. PMID 12564354.
^ Norheim AJ (1996). "Adverse effects of acupuncture: a study of the literature for the years 1981-1994". Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 2 (2): 291-7. PMID 9395661.
^ Leow TK (2001). "Pneumothorax Using Bladder 14". Medical Acupuncture 16 (2).
^ Yekeler, Ensar; Mehtap Tunaci, Atadan Tunaci, et al.. "Frequency of Sternal Variations and Anomalies Evaluated by MDCT". American Journal of Roentgenology. doi:10.2214. Retrieved on 2007-11-24.
^ NCCAOM
^ "More than half of the physicians (59%) believed that acupuncture can be effective to some extent." Physicians Divided on Impact of CAM on U.S. Health Care; Aromatherapy Fares Poorly; Acupuncture Touted. HCD Research, 9 Sept. 2005. convenience link: Business Wire, 2005. Link to internet archive version: Cumulative Report
^ Updates-June 1996 FDA Consumer
^ US FDA/CDRH: Premarket Approvals
^ Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 27
^ Welcome to the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria
^ Health NSW.

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. ... Publication bias, also called the positive outcome bias, is typically the tendency for researchers to publish experimental results that have a positive result (found something), while consequently not publishing findings which have a negative result (found that something did not happen). ... An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. ... Prophylaxis refers to any medical or public health procedure whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure, disease. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Internet Archive headquarters is in the Presidio, a former US military base in San Francisco. ...

Contents