Recent publication on Acupuncture studies
The information and knowledge regarding the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture are ever changing and evolving. As a practitioner, I’m excited to see new research data being published; and it is also our duty to keep up to date with the most recent development in the scientific community so that we can provide better care for our patients.
I have listed the titles and brief abstracts of the most recent publications on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating various illnesses below, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome, alcohol dependence, angina, cancer pain, and stress urinary incontinence. If you are interested in reading or learning more about these specific topics, feel free to do a little bit of research on your own. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I will be more than happy to discuss them with you. As always, take care!
Effect of Acupuncture in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Acupuncture may be more effective than polyethylene glycol 4000 or pinaverium bromide for the treatment of IBS, with effects lasting up to 12 week. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: 2020. In press
Manual Acupuncture Versus Sham Acupuncture and Usual Care for Prophylaxis of Episodic Migraine Without Aura: Multicentre, Randomised Clinical Trial
Twenty sessions of manual acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture and usual care for the prophylaxis of episodic migraine without aura. These results support the use of manual acupuncture in patients who are reluctant to use prophylactic drugs or when prophylactic drugs are ineffective, and it should be considered in future guidelines. BMJ, 2020 Mar 25;368.
Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy for Chronic Stable Angina: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Acupuncture significantly reduced the number of angina attacks; reduce the intensity of angina attacks. JAMA Intern Med; 2019 Jul 29;179(10).
Acupuncture attenuates alcohol dependence through activation of endorphinergic input to the nucleus accumbens from the arcuate nucleus
Acupuncture attenuated ethanol withdrawal tremor, anxiety-like behaviors, and ethanol self-administration in ethanol-dependent rats. Acupuncture reversed the decreased β-endorphin levels in the NAc and a reduction of neuronal activity in the ARC during ethanol withdrawal. Acupuncture may provide a novel, potential treatment strategy for alcohol use disorder by direct activation of the brain pathway; Science Advances 2019 Sep 4.
Clinical Evidence for Association of Acupuncture and Acupressure With Improved Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture and/or acupressure was significantly associated with reduced cancer pain and decreased use of analgesics, although the evidence level was moderate. This finding suggests that more rigorous trials are needed to identify the association of acupuncture and acupressure with specific types of cancer pain and to integrate such evidence into clinical care to reduce opioid use. JAMA Oncol 2019 Dec 19;6(2).
The Long-term Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Prophylaxis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Among patients with migraine without aura, true acupuncture may be associated with long-term reduction in migraine recurrence compared with sham acupuncture. JAMA Intern Med: 2017 Apr 1;177(4).
Effect of Electroacupuncture on Urinary Leakage Among Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Among women with stress urinary incontinence, treatment with electroacupuncture involving the lumbosacral region, compared with sham electroacupuncture, resulted in less urine leakage after 6 weeks. JAMA, 2017 Jun 27;317(24).