Acupuncture

Acupuncture - information, guides

Acupuncture.com   - Rich in resources on Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, qigong, tuina, dietetics, diagnosis and theory, clinical point selections, acupuncturist referrals, news, college courses.

About.com Chi/Ki/Qi Applications - Articles on acupressure, acupuncture, external qi healing, qigong, Chinese massage, shiatsu.

Acupressure in First Aid - FAQs on using acupuncture/acupressure for first aid. Points described.

Acupuncture and Acupressure Internet Resources - Links to Internet sites.

Acupuncture Links - Extensive list of resources maintained by Vilberto C. Oliveira, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Acupuncturestart4all - Links to acupuncture-related sites.

AcupunctureToday.com - News, articles, links, online discussion forums. Huntington Beach, California.

AHealthyMe: Traditional Chinese Medicine - Describes TCM, how it works, and how to find a practitioner.

All That Korean Medicine (ATKM) - Korean Medicine newsletter and essays. Maintained by the English club at Kyunghee University Korean Medical School.

Alternative Therapies Gain New Respect in Cancer Treatment - Article by Elizabeth Cohen.

AustralianAcupuncture.com - Exploring acupucture, traditional Chinese medicine, transpersonal psychology, shamanisn, taoism, feng shui, Buddhism. Maintained by Michael Finn, Brisbane, Australia.

Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Canada - FAQs, articles, forum, chat room, list of practitioners in Canada.

Chinese Medicine and Assisted Reproductive Technology for the Modern Couple - Article by Roger C. Hirsh.

Chinese Medicine Articles - Articles and links about Chinese medicine and acupucture. Multilingual site maintained by Shmuel Halevi, practitioner in Western Galilee, Israel.

The Chinese Medicine Sampler - Public education site about Traditional Chinese Medicine. Maintained by the Lau Clinic.

Doc Misha's Chicken Soup Chinese Medicine - Tips for choosing a practitioner, FAQs. Maintained by Misha Ruth Cohen. Clinic in San Francisco, California.

Five Element Acupuncture - Five elements, meridians, acupuncture points, resource links. Maintained by Gye Bennets, Sydney, Australia.

HealingPeople.com Chinese Medicine - Resource for Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

Health Info: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Articles for practitioners and students. Reference database.

HealthPhone.com - Professional and consumer information on Chinese and alternative medicine. Multilingual site.

Holistic-online.com Acupuncture - Introduction to acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

International Podiatric Acupuncture Fellowship (IPAF) - A national organisation set up to maintain a register of UK State Registered Podiatrists who use acupucture to treat lower limb pathology.

Korea Infogate Alternative Medicine - Articles about acupuncture and Oriental medicinal herbs.

The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor - Huangdi Neijing translated by Zhu Ming.

Psychospiritual Aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Article by Francesca Diebschlag.

The Pulse of Oriental Medicine - Oriental Medicine (acupuncture and chinese herbs) is an ancient complementary form of alternative medicine. Information on these and other treatments for many diseases and conditions are available in this online alternative medicine magazine.

Sinoherb Health Tonic - Introduces knowledge about Chinese Traditional Medicine and Sinoherbal tonics. Also Lingzhi, a kind of sinoherb,and its functions on treating immune disorder and various cancers.

TCMcentral.com - Resources for students, practitioners and patients. Educational material, chat rooms, discussion boards. Maintained by John R. Wahnish.

TCMStudent - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine information for students and practitioners. Point tables, school listing, state laws, study tools, forums and suppliers.

Traditional Chinese Medicine - General introduction. Multilingual portal site.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Net - Resources and information on Chinese medicine. Multilingual site.

Traditional Medicine - World Health Organization fact sheet.

Trigram Software - Databases offer acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, case studies, and exam-like questions. Practice management tools available. Oakland, California.

USAcupuncturists.com - Information about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for practitioners, students and prospective patients. Houston, Texas.

WingChun.net - Links include resources on acupuncture, herbs, alternative health.

A World of Acupuncture - Information on acupuncture, traditional Chinese diagnosis, selecting a practitioner, acupressure, qigong and tai chi. Maintained by Essential Elements in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Yin Yang House - Oriental medicine information for students and practitioners of Japanese and Chinese acupuncture, auricular therapies, and Zen Shiatsu.

Abefit.org.yu - Describes a method of advanced homeostatic health and body energies fitting. A transcutaneous type of therapy considered a homeostatic upgrade of Chinese acupuncture.

Acufinder - Guide for the general public. Features an online database of acupuncture providers for people and animals, pictures, resources, and advice.

Acupuncture for Addiction Treatment - This page contains resources for auricular acupuncture's use in chemical dependency detox and relapse prevention.

Acuxo - Acupucture resource, reference, and research. Point locations, images, databases.

AHealthyMe: Acupuncture - Answers to questions about acupuncture.

Alternative Medicine Therapies: Acupuncture - Overview of acupuncture.

American Acupuncture - Articles on the use of acupuncture. List of medical acupuncturists in the USA and Canada. Maintained by Dr. Carl J. Sarnacki, Livonia, Michigan.

AuKoShiMo Professional Training Program - CDs for NCCAOM, state acpuncture examination study. Koryo hand therapy, advanced auricular therapy CDs. Based in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Children May Benefit from Acupuncture - Article from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

5 Element Acupuncture - Information on the history and practice of 5 element acupuncture including the spiritual side. Maintained by Paul Adkins.

Famous Therapies - Acupunture - Explanation of the various modalities used.

The Fine Points of Acupuncture - UHealthy.com article.

Five Element Acupuncture - Spirit/emotional level style acupuncture described by Gye Bennetts.

HealthWorld Online Acupuncture - Information and resources.

History of Acupuncture in the West - Article by George T. Lewith excerpted from Acupuncture - Its Place in Western Medical Science.

Information about Acupuncture - Dr. Anthony Campbell's articles about acupuncture.

International Health News - News about acupuncture and yoga. Published by Hans R. Larsen, Victoria, BC, Canada.

James Roy Holliday III - An online guide to acupressure.

Medical Pain Education - Includes information about using acupuncture to treat pain. Maintained by Dr. Simon Strauss, Southport, Australia.

MedWebPlus: Acupuncture - Categorized list of acupuncture-related links. Maintained by y-DNA, Inc.

News Briefs - An article on the use of acupuncture to treat drug addiction.

Point Injection Dot Com - Point injection therapy utilizes the injection of liquid medicine into acupuncture points to prevent or treat diseases. It is the injection of herbal (or other) substances directly into acupuncture points using a hypodermic needle.

The Tole Acupuncture Institute - Courses offered are integrated to form a wholistic training programme. All modules are taught by Master Leong Hong Tole and his team of trained trainers. Malaysia.

WholeHealthMD: Acupuncture - General information on acupuncture.

Acupuncture schools

Academy for Five Element Acupuncture - Master's level program in classical Five Element Acupuncture. Hallandale, Florida.

Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences - Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine degree program. Oakland, California.

The Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences - Offers a four year full-time Diploma program in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.

Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin - Offers accredited Master of Science in Oriental Medicine, Oriental bodywork. Austin, Texas.

The Acupuncture Center - Links to educational resources.

Acupuncture Research Group - Research and education in acupuncture, TCM and low-level laser treatment. University of Innsbruck, Austria.

American College of Acupuncture - Acupuncture training for physicians, dentists and veterinarians. Training in New York, New York and China.

American College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Houston, Texas.

American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Specializes in Chinese herbal medicine. Four-year M.S. degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. San Francisco, California.

American Institute of Alternative Medicine - Professional Master's Level Acupuncture Program offered in Columbus, Ohio.

American International Acupuncture Institute - Provides training in Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Dr. Stanley L. S. Chang, founder. Brooklyn, New York.

Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Offers professional masters degrees in Acupuncture and Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Tucson, Arizona.

Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine - Master's Degree program in Traditional Chinese Medicine/Oriental Medicine. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Atlantic University of Chinese Medicine - Offers Master's Level Diploma in Oriental Medicine. Mars Hill (Asheville), North Carolina.

Bastyr University - Offers graduate program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Kenmore, Washington.

Beijing Herbal Medicine Acupuncture Institute - Offers International Correspondence Program of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Blue Poppy Seminars - Professional seminars and continuing education. On-site and distance learning. Division of Blue Poppy Enterprises, Boulder, Colorado.

British Medical Acupuncture Society - Training courses for medical doctors, dentists and veterinarians. 3-year program leads to accreditation and the Diploma of Medical Acupuncture. Cheshire, United Kingdom.

Bubishi.Com - Martial arts and Chinese medicine. Calendar, healing arts center, massage therapy and bulletin board. Information for Northwest Wisconsin School for Oriental Bodywork Therapy.

Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - 4-year, full-time course of study. Victoria, BC, Canada.

Cecilia Yankelevish de Caceres - Professor of Acupuncture - Offers courses in acupuncture for professionals.

Classical Five Element Acupuncture - Postgraduate courses for licensed medical professionals and advanced students. Khosrow Khalighi teaches in San Francisco, California.

The College of Chinese Medicine - The Acupuncture Society offers professional courses in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and acupressure. London and Middlesex, United Kingdom.

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine - Offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in acupuncture, alternative and Chinese medicine. Reading, United Kingdom.

Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Offers Master's degree program in Traditional Chinese Medicine, continuing education courses. Denver, Colorado.

Dallas Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Offers Masters in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture degree in Dallas, Texas.

Dao Fellowship - Intensive acupuncture courses in China for medical doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and acupuncturists. Promotes studies and safe use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Britain. Dr. Gilbert Shia, founder.

DistanceCE - Online continuing education courses for acupuncturists, nurses and other health professionals in English and Chinese.

DRU (Dongguk Royal University) - Graduate school of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Los Angeles, California.

East West College of Natural Medicine - Oriental Medicine Program. Sarasota, Florida.

East-West Center - Oriental health therapy seminars both local and travel-study. Iowa City, Iowa.

Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine - Offers masters degree in traditional Oriental medicine, massage certificate programs. Santa Monica, California.

Five Branches Institute - College and Clinic of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), offers training towards a career as a licensed acupuncturist.

FiveElementTraining.com - Five element acupuncture research and training for physicians. Based in La Jolla, California.

Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Training in acupuncture, herbology, and tui-na massage. St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida.

Indian Academy of Acupuncture Science - Courses in acupuncture for doctors, acupressure, cosmetic acupuncture. Founded by Dr. P.B. Lohiya in 1983 in Aurangabad, India.

Institute for Teaching Contemporary Acupuncture - Two-day intensive course for medical doctors offered by Dr. Sylvain Faust. Multilingual site. Belgium.

Institute for Traditional Medicine - Research, training, and therapy including Tibetan, Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Native American systems. Subhuti Dharmananda, director. Portland, Oregon.

Institute of Chinese Herbology - Home study program. Oakland, California.

Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture - Teaches the oral tradition of classical five element acupuncture. Located in Louisville (Boulder), Colorado.

Integrated Medicine Seminars - Auricular therapy seminars for medical professionals. Taught by Nader Soliman, M.D. and Bryan L. Frank, M.D. Supplies available. Richardson, Texas.

International Academy of Medical Acupuncture - Offers seminars in acupuncture for physicians and medical professionals. Carefree, Arizona.

International Acupuncuture Academy of Bhupendra Techniques - Training programs offered by Dr. B.K. Singh in partnership with Langara College, Vancouver, Canada.

International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine - 4-year Doctor of TCM Program. Victoria, BC, Canada.

International Institute of Chinese Medicine - Offers Master of Oriental Medicine degree program. Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

International Institute of Medical Qigong - Medical qigong instruction and certification. Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson, founder. Pacific Grove, California.

Isabell Gatto Method of Therapeutic Acupressure - Workshops offered in New Jersey.

Jadecampus.com - Online Chinese medicine classes and conferences. Multilingual site.

Japanese Acupuncture and Bodywork Institute - Continuing education in Japanese palpatory acupuncture for professionals and students. Sponsored by Robert Hayden, Chicago, Illinois.

Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine - Offers Master's Diploma in Acupuncture. Sugar Grove, North Carolina.

Kansas College of Chinese Medicine - Offers diploma and certificate programs in tuina (Oriental bodywork), acupuncture and herbal medicine. Wichita, Kansas.

Medboo - Traditional Chinese medicine correspondence courses.

Mercy College - Graduate Program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Dobbs Ferry, New York.

The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences - 4-year acupuncture program. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Midwest College of Oriental Medicine - Offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Racine, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois.

Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies - Offers master's degrees in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture. Bloomington, Minnesota.

Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Multilingual site. Nanjing, China.

National College of Naturopathic Medicine - Classical Chinese Medicine program offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Portland, Oregon.

National Research Institute of Medical Acupuncture - Offers classical Chinese acupuncture courses. Main campus at Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Affiliated with the Open International University for Complementary Medicine.

NaturalHealers.com Acupuncture School FAQs - Guide to acupuncture and Oriental medicine schools and careers.

New England School of Acupuncture - Offers master of acupuncture degree. Watertown, Massachusetts.

The New York College for Wholistic Health, Education and Research - Programs include acupuncture, Oriental medicine, Chinese herbal medicine and AMMA Therapy® Program (Oriental bodywork). Syosset, New York.

Northern College of Acupuncture - Offers degrees in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. York, UK.

Oregon College of Oriental Medicine - Offers Master's degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Portland, Oregon.

Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbology - Provides three, four, and five year academic programs in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Enrolling students three times per year in January, May and September. Located in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine - Offers Masters and Doctoral degree programs in Acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine, and Massage/Oriental Body Therapy certificate programs. Campuses in San Diego, Chicago, New York. Accredited. Financial aid available. Provides continuing education with Pacific Symposium.

Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture - Degree programs in Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture, and Chinese Herbology. Scottsdale, Arizona.

Research Institute of Medical Acupuncture - Courses in classical acupuncture in Kelantan, Malaysia.

RMIT Chinese Medicine - Master of Applied Science - Designed to provide specialist postgraduate study in research. Major research focus includes clinical trials on chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture.

Samra University of Oriental Medicine - Offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Los Angeles, California.

Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine - California school offers 3-year Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine - 3-year clinically-based education in acupuncture, Chinese herbs and Chinese medical language. Seattle, Washington.

South Baylo University School of Oriental Medicine Acupuncture - Offers courses in acupuncture, Oriental medicine, acupressure, tuina massage. Programs provided in English, Korean and Chinese. Anaheim, California.

South East Institute of Oriental Medicine (SEIOM) - School of oriental medicine, acupuncture and massage therapy in Miami, Florida. Specializes in physical medicine and oriental bodywork.

Southeast Institute of Oriental Medicine - Master's level diploma program. Admissions policy, programs, clinics, workshops, and newsletter. Located in Miami, Florida.

Southwest Acupuncture College - Offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Campuses in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico and Boulder, Colorado.

Swedish Institute - School of Acupuncture and School of Massage Therapy is located in New York City. Classical Chinese Acupuncture program retains Taoist roots, including philosophical, psychological and theological aspects of Oriental medicine.

Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine - In collaboration with the University of Western Sydney offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Courses and a clinic open to the public are available.

Tai Hsuan Foundation College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - Offers Masters Degree Program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Specializes in preserving an unbroken taoist lineage in the healing arts. Honolulu, Hawaii.

Tai Sophia Institute - Offers Master of Acupuncture degree. Columbia, Maryland.

ToDo Institute - Non-profit educational organization provides educational programs in Constructive Living, Morita therapy, Naikan, Meaningful Life therapy. Middlebury, Vermont.

Tole Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine - Learn, train and work as a professional in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Touro College - Graduate Program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in New York City.

Toyohari Medical Association - Eight-weekend program in Japanese acupuncture offered to licensed acupuncturists and third year acupuncture students. Class locations worldwide.

Traditional Chinese Medical College of Hawai'i - Offers Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. Kamuela, Hawaii.

Tsukuba College of Technology - Department of Acupuncture/Moxibustion offers 3-year program. Multilingual site. Japan.

UCLA School of Medicine - Office of Continuing Medical Education offers Medical Acupuncture for Physicians Program in Los Angeles, California.

University of Bridgeport - Offers Master of Science in Acupuncture. Bridgeport, Connecticut.

University of Technology, Sydney - Department of Health Sciences offers programs in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Sydney, Australia.

Vancouver Career College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Provides holistic health care training and includes on-site practicum. British Colubmia, Canada.

White Pine Healing Arts - Instruction in Chinese herbology and Integrative Mandala Acupuncture. Sharon Weizenbaum, founder. Amherst, Massachusetts.

Wu Hsing Tao School - Seattle-based organization provides acupuncture healthcare, therapy, and education based upon the 5000 year old Five Element system of medicine.

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Offers Master of Acupucture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Program. Los Angeles, California.

Acupuncture supplies

Acu-Free.com - Video courses for acupuncture re-certification. Offered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Acu-Market - Acupuncture supplies company based in Coral Springs, Florida.

Acuneeds Australia - Supplying acupuncture needles, dermal appliances, electrical stimulators, herbs and liniments, models and charts. Camberwell, Victoria, Australia.

Acupuncture Direct - Disposable acupuncture needles.

Acupuncture Energy Chart - Selling a color acupuncture chart. Available online or by mail from Leucadia, California.

Acupuncture Shop - Provides acupuncture needles, models, charts and books. Multiple languages. Varde, Denmark.

AcuTempo - Multilingual acupuncture software for calculating open points.

Buy-A-Mag Company - Acupuncture products. Encinitas, California.

Chrono Acupuncture Acupressure Point Chart - Chrono-biological acupuncture-acupressure points, acupoint charts by biological clock from circadian traditional Chinese medicine. Designed by Sean S. Wu and offered through Longherb Health Products in Fairfield, Iowa.

ClientTracker: Acupuncture Practice Management Software - Software package designed for professional acupuncturists. Based in Berkeley, California.

East West Herb Shop - Chinese herbal products, acupuncture accessories and natural skincare products. Based in London, UK.

EAV-Global - A brief introduction into EAV and electro-acupuncture. Offers downloadable periodic tables in PDF format. Multilingual site.

HaengLimSeoWon Corp. - General acupuncture supplier in Flushing, New York.

Health Body World Supply, Inc. - Acupuncture supplies and equipment. Based in California.

Health Point Products - Acupuncture supplies from New Hyde Park, New York.

Huaian Moxa Plant Product Company - Changsha, Hunan, China. Multilingual site.

KM Supplies - Acupuncture supplies, books. Los Angeles, California.

Laser Needle Systems GmbH - Acupuncture for dermatology. Multilingual site.

Lhasa Medical, Inc. - Acupuncture needles, electro-acupuncture, moxa, magnets, lasers, homeopathy. Accord, Massachusetts.

Meridian - Manufactures diagnostic equipment. Multilingual site. Seoul, Korea.

Meritest - Electro-acupuncture seminars, online help and training. Multilingual site. Aix-en-Provence Cedex, France.

MibiTech Tao - Electro-acupuncture device. Roskilde, Denmark.

Naturopathic Remedies Group - Natural medicines, health products and equipment for qualified natural health care professionals. Bald Hill, Queensland, Australia.

Needle King Group - Needles, herbal medicines and dietary supplements.

OMS Medical Supplies, Inc. - Supplies for acupuncture, moxibustion and heat therapy and electro-acupuncture. Braintree, Massachusetts, USA.

Qpuncture - Acupuncture reference guide CD-ROM.

Reimers and Janssen - Medical lasers. Multilingual site. Berlin and Winden, Germany.

Relaxing Natural Health - Acupuncture supplies. Watertown, Massachusetts, USA.

Seirin Corporation - Manufacturer of disposable and sterilized acupuncture needles. Multilingual site.

Siumarket - Chinese patent formulas and acupuncture supplies. Serving South-East United States, Central and South America.

Superdragon - Professional suppliers of acupuncture needles and Chinese herbs. Based in Leeds, UK.

Suzhou Acupuncture and Medical Instruments Co. Ltd. - Manufacture acupuncture products and instruments in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Wujiang City Cloud and Dragon Medical Device Co., Ltd. - Manufacture acupuncture needles and moxa products in China.

Zhangmen Acupuncture Software - Computer-aided acupuncture for diagnostics and therapy. Multilingual site. Groningen, The Netherlands.

Acupuncture - background

Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle" (noun), and pungere, "prick" (verb) or in Standard Mandarin, zhen jiu, is one of the main branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (others being herbal medicine and tui na). It is a therapeutic technique from that framework intended to restore health and well-being. The term acupuncture is often used by Westerners to refer to Chinese medicine generally. The technique involves the insertion of needles into "acupuncture points" on the body by trained practitioners. The needles most commonly used in present-day practice are made of stainless steel and are of approximately the same diameter as a medium thickness guitar string (from approximately .01" to .02"). Although the clinical efficacy of this practice is debated, the traditional theory underlying its mechanisms has no basis in modern scientific conceptions of physiology and is therefore considered by its critics to be a pseudoscience. While many of its practitioners and proponents promote it in a modern, clinical manner, acupuncture and related practices predate modern concepts of science.

In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the 1st millennium BC, and archeological evidence has been identified with the period of the Han dynasty (from 202 BC to 220 AD). The practice spread centuries ago into many parts of Asia; in modern times it is a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and 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.

Recent examinations of Ötzi, a 5000 year old mummy found in the Alps, have located over fifty tattoos on Ötzi's 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.

Medical law in the United States regarding acupuncture varies widely from state to state. Notably, states furthest to the west (Hawaii most particularly, California, etc.) have the most comprehensive and erudite laws and regulations regarding acupuncture. In many U.S. states - those furthest to the east - medical doctors (M.D.s) are permitted to practice acupuncture with no specific training in acupuncture. In some states, acupuncturists are required to work with an M.D. in a subservient relationship, even if the M.D. has no training in acupuncture. Contrastingly, Hawaii forbids M.D.s to practice acupuncture unless they have received specific training in it and have demonstrated related competency.

The consensus of Western-trained medical doctors and medical-research specialists on therapeutic efficacy is that:

* acupuncture is at least effective as a placebo in some situations;
* acupuncture is more effective than placebo acupuncture in relieving pain caused by osteoarthritis; and
* continued research on the possible value of acupuncture in various areas of medicine is worthwhile.

Warming an acupuncture point, typically by moxibustion (the burning of mugwort), is a different treatment than acupuncture by itself and is often, but not exclusively, used as a supplementing treatment. The Chinese term zhen jiu, commoned used to refer to acupuncture, comes from zhen meaning "needle", and jiu meaning "moxibustion". Moxibustion is still used in the 21st century to varying degrees among the schools of traditional Chinese medicine. For example, one well known technique is to insert the needle at the desired acupuncture point, attach dried mugwort to the external end of an acupuncture needle, and then ignite the mugwort. The mugwort 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.

Most modern acupuncturists use disposable stainless steel needles of very fine diameter (approximately .015"), sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. The upper third of these needles is wound with a thicker wire (typically bronze) to stiffen the needle, provide a handle for the acupuncturist to grasp while inserting the needle, and also provide a surface to which dried mugwort will more easily adhere.

Acupuncture Theory

Acupuncture treats the human body as a whole that involves several "systems of function" that are in many cases associated with (but not identified on a one-to-one basis with) physical organs. Some systems of function, such as the "triple heater" (San Jiao, also called the "triple burner") have no corresponding physical organ. Disease is understood as a loss of homeostasis among the several systems of function, and 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" (?, cavities) in Chinese.

Treatment of acupuncture points may be performed along the twelve main or eight extra meridians, located throughout the body. Ten of the main meridians are named after organs of the body (Heart, Liver etc.) two after so called body functions (Heart Protector or Pericardium, and San Jiao). The two most important of the eight "extra" meridians are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior aspects of the trunk and head. The twelve primary meridians 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.

The three yin channels of the hand (Lung, Pericardium, and Heart) begin on the chest and travel along the inner surface (mostly the anterior portion) of the arm to the hand.

The three yang channels of the hand (Large intestine, San Jiao and Small intestine) begin on the hand and travel along the outer surface (mostly the posterior portion) of the arm to the head.

The three yang channels of the foot (Stomach, Gallbladder, and Bladder) begin on the face, in the region of the eye, and travels down the body and along the outer surface (mostly the anterior and lateral portion) of the leg to the foot.

The three yin channels of the foot (Spleen, Liver and Kidney) begin on the foot and travel along the inner surface (mostly posterior and medial portion) of the leg to the chest or flank.

The movement of qi through each of the twelve channels is comprised of an internal and an external pathway. The external pathway is what is normally shown on an acupuncture chart and it is relatively superficial. All 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.

The distribution of energy through the meridians is said to be as follows: 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

Traditional Chinese medical theory holds that acupuncture works by normalizing the balance of qi "vital energy" throughout the body. Pain or illnesses are treated by attempting to remedy local or systemic accumulations or deficiencies of qi. Pain is considered to indicate blockage or stagnation of the flow of qi, and an axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain".

Many patients claim to experience the sensations of stimulus known in Chinese as "deqi" ("obtaining 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.

The acupuncturist will decide which points to treat by thoroughly questioning the patient, and utilizing the diagnostic skills of traditional Chinese medicine which include observation of the left and right radial pulses at three levels of imposed pressure and analysis of the tongue coating, color and the absence or presence of teeth marks around the edge.

There are also theories being developed to explain effects observed for acupuncture by within the orthodox Western medical paradigm.

There are various schools of acupuncture theory, including

* the original TCM method
* Zang Fu theory
* medical acupuncture

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 gu hé points. The theory of acupuncture states that these points are associated with the digestive system (the large intestine), and that one is acting to relax some kind of hyperactive state in the gastro-intestinal system. Three kinds of sensation are associated with this treatment, sensations that are stronger than those that would be felt by a patient not suffering from a vascular headache: (1) Extreme sensitivity to pain at the points in the webs of the thumbs. (2) In bad headaches, a feeling of nausea that persists for roughly the same period as the stimulation being administered to the webs of the thumbs. (3) Simultaneous relief of the headache.

Benefits (proven and purported)

Although accepted as a medical treatment in Asia for millennia, acupuncture's arrival in the West has sparked much controversy. Acupuncture has eluded scientific explanation to some degree. However, in 1997, the NIH issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded that

there is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.

The NIH statement noted that

the data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies

and added that

the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same condition. For example, musculoskeletal conditions, such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and tennis elbow... are conditions for which acupuncture may be beneficial. These painful conditions are often treated with, among other things, anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) or with steroid injections. Both medical interventions have a potential for deleterious side effects but are still widely used and are considered acceptable treatments.

The NIH consensus statement noted that

there is clear evidence that needle acupuncture is efficacious for adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and probably for the nausea of pregnancy... There is reasonable evidence of efficacy for postoperative dental pain... reasonable studies (although sometimes only single studies) showing relief of pain with acupuncture on diverse pain conditions such as menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, and fibromyalgia...

However,

acupuncture does not demonstrate efficacy for cessation of smoking and may not be efficacious for some other conditions.

In 1999, clinical researchers reported that inserting the fine needles into specific body points triggers the production of endorphins.

Potential risks

Acupuncture is an invasive technique, and therefore not without risk. Hematoma may result from accidental puncture of any circulatory structure. Nerve injury can result from the accidental puncture of any nerve. Brain damage or stroke is possible with very deep needling at the base of skull. Also rare but possible is pneumothorax from deep needling into the lung, and kidney damage from deep needling in the low back. Needling over an occult sternal foramen (an undetectable hole in the breastbone which can occur in up to 10% of people) may result in a potentially fatal haemopericardium. There are clear warnings in responsible texts on acupuncture regarding both the depth to which needles may be inserted, and with regard to the angle at which needles may be inserted. Both these instructions are clearly intended to prevent acupuncture needles from penetrating the lungs, the abdominal cavity, etc.

Needles that are not properly sterilized can transfer diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. In the United Kingdom, British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) members observe the Code of Safe Practice which lays down stringent standards of hygiene and sterilisation for other equipment - members use single-use pre-sterilised disposable needles, which are permanently withdrawn from service after being used in treatment. Similar standards apply in most jurisdictions in the United States. Sometimes, when treating pain or using acupuncture as an anesthetic, a mild electrical current is applied to the needles. This stimulates the nerve cells in the area of the needles so that they become depleted of the chemicals needed to transmit signals (please note this is not an acupuncture effect!). Prolonged stimulation of nerve cells in this way can cause irreversible damage.

Severe injury from acupuncture is extremely rare, but not unheard of. Well-trained, licensed and experienced acupuncturists are less likely to injure a patient. However, in many countries anyone can call himself an acupuncturist, there are no legal requirements with regard to training and education, nor are licensing boards regulated in any way, making it very hard to assess the actual value of licenses and training of acupuncturists. The NIH consensus panel made the following statement about the risks associated with acupuncture: “Adverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and often lower than conventional treatments. In a UK study of almost 2000 practitioners covering over 34,000 treatments, there were no serious adverse events and only 43 minor adverse events.

In the USA the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine tests practitioners to ensure they are knowledgeable about Chinese medicine. Many states require this test for licensing, but each state has its own laws and requirements.

Most acupuncturists in the USA use sterile one-time-use needles. Some still use reusable needles and an autoclave but this practice is declining due to its cost, time and the possibility of failure in sterilizing the needles.

Controversy as to effectiveness

A private watchdog group, the National Council Against Health Fraud has stated:

* Acupuncture is an unproven modality of treatment.
* Its theory and practice are based on primitive and fanciful concepts of health and disease that bear no relationship to present scientific knowledge.
* Research during the past 20 years has not demonstrated that acupuncture is effective against any disease.
* Perceived effects of acupuncture are probably due to a combination of expectation, suggestion, counter-irritation, conditioning, the regressive fallacy and other psychological mechanisms.
* The use of acupuncture should be restricted to appropriate research settings.
* Insurance companies should not be required by law to cover acupuncture treatment.
* Licensure of lay acupuncturists should be phased out.
* Consumers who wish to try acupuncture should discuss their situation with a knowledgeable physician who has no commercial interest.

Reference: Sampson W and others. Acupuncture: The position paper of the National Council Against Health Fraud. Clinical Journal of Pain 7:162-166, 1991.

A Consensus Development Conference held in 1997, sponsored among others by the National Institutes of Health stated:

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.

In short, the treatment and diagnosis of acupuncturists are not based on concepts that blend well with those used by contemporary Western medical science.

Three Dutch epidemiologists have analyzed 51 controlled studies of acupuncture, in which acupuncture was used to treat chronic pain. Their conclusion was that

the quality of even the better studies proved to be mediocre. . . . The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain remains doubtful.

Reports of acupuncture used to treat various addictions (heroin, cigarettes, alcohol) were also analyzed. The conclusion was that

claims that acupuncture is effective as a therapy for these conditions are not supported by sound clinical research.

References: Ter Riet G, Kleijnen J, Knipschild P.: ‘Acupuncture and chronic pain: A criteria-based meta-analysis. Clinical Epidemiology 43:1191-1199, 1990’ and (from the same authors) ‘A meta-analysis of studies into the effect of acupuncture on addiction. British Journal of General Practice 40:379-382, 1990.’

The University of Heidelberg has developed a “fake needle” to use as placebo-needle. It is a needle with a blunt tip that can slide into the handle, giving the illusion that it penetrates the skin. In tests, volunteers did not notice that the needle did not actually penetrate their skin (Reference: Streitberger K, Kleinhenz J. Introducing a placebo needle into acupuncture research. Lancet 352:364-365, 1998). They used this needle in 2004 in a study of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women who underwent breast or gynecologic surgery. The group consisted of 220 women. Acupuncture was applied on the acupuncture point “Pericardium 6 (P6),” which is on the inside of the forearm. Part of the group was treated with real needles, the other part (the control group) with the fake needles. They reported: 'We could not prove our hypothesis that acupuncture is more effective than placebo acupuncture in the prevention of PONV.' (or to put it more plainly) 'There was almost no difference in the occurrence of PONV between acupuncture (38.7%) and placebo (40.3%) in the subgroup of patients having breast surgery. ' (Reference: Streitberger K and others: Acupuncture compared to placebo-acupuncture for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis: A randomised placebo-controlled patient and observer blind trial. Anesthesia 59:142-149, 2004.)

What is less often remarked upon is that the Heidelberg study above went on to comment:

PONV was reduced by acupuncture about 18.5% (from 67.4% to 48.9%) in the subgroup of patients with gynaecological surgery, which was close to our expectation of a reduction of 20%. Therefore, our study might suggest that acupuncture is effective for PONV prophylaxis in patients having gynaecological surgery but not in those having breast surgery. However, our study had insufficient power for this question because it was not designed to prove this new hypothesis.

They noted that previous studies found that acupuncture worked particularly well on gynaecological surgery. They also pointed out that

A statistically significant result was achieved in the secondary outcome criteria of vomiting within 24 h after surgery.

but that, again, this result had to be viewed with caution as

Positive results in secondary endpoints or subgroup analysis might be due to multiple testing.

A more recent 2004 meta-analysis of the effects the same (P6) acupoint on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) stated that

Twenty-six trials (n = 3347) were included, none of which reported adequate allocation concealment

(Allocation concealment prevents researchers from (unconsciously or otherwise) influencing which participants are assigned to a given intervention group.)

There were significant reductions in the risks of nausea (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.89), vomiting (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.91) and the need for rescue antiemetics (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.00) in the P6 acupoint stimulation group compared with the sham treatment, although many of the trials were heterogeneous. There was no evidence of difference in the risk of nausea and vomiting in the P6 acupoint stimulation group versus individual antiemetic groups. However, when different antiemetics were pooled, there was significant reduction in the risk of nausea but not vomiting in the P6 acupoint stimulation group compared with the antiemetic group (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.98; RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.29 respectively). The side effects associated with P6 acupoint stimulation were minor.

The reviewers concluded:

This systematic review supports the use of P6 acupoint stimulation in patients without antiemetic prophylaxis. Compared with antiemetic prophylaxis, P6 acupoint stimulation seems to reduce the risk of nausea but not vomiting.

Of course, this meta-analysis has been criticised for the lack of allocation concealment in any of the trials.

In a recent study it was discovered that genuine acupuncture needles created objective changes in brain states as measured by positron emission tomography (PET), as opposed to the use of sham needles, especially in brain areas related to pain reduction. But random placement of the needles (placebo acupuncture) also had that effect. The authors of the study state: 'These results suggest that real acupuncture has a specific physiological effect'

According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture:

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. While there have been many studies of its potential usefulness, many of these studies provide equivocal results because of design, sample size, and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebos and sham acupuncture groups. However, promising results have emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful.

Another Cochrane meta-analysis probably sums up the status quo best:

Overall, 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.

The British Medical Journal reports ( DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38512.405440.8F ) that in a study of 270 tension headache sufferers in Munich, needles inserted at random points on the body were just as effective as needles inserted at traditional acupuncture points. This would suggest that any observed effect is due to the body's response to the needles, rather than the interaction with the claimed "energy flows".

Proponents continue to claim that the scientific jury is still out on the effectiveness of acupuncture, with existing evidence slightly favouring the proposition that it can be effective in some cases for some conditions. However, almost all the research on the effectiveness of acupuncture is of poor quality and can be criticised on various grounds. The validity of acupuncture is discounted by a great majority of the mainstream medical and scientific community and much more research (of a much higher quality) would need to be done before the effectiveness of acupuncture could be accepted within the medical community.

See: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/

Attribition: This informational article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Acupuncture.