Clinical Acupuncture: Scientific Basis / Edition 1

by Gabriel Stux, B.M. Berman, Richard Hammerschlag, S. Birch, C.M. Cassidy

Overview

In 1988, when "Scientific Bases of Acupuncture" was published, its edi­ tors noted that 12 years had passed since the acupuncture endorphin hypothesis was first postulated, an event that marked the start of serious basic research on acupuncture. The editors also suggested that more was known about the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia than many pro­ cedures of conventional medicine and, in consequence, it was time to stop referring to acupuncture as an "experimental procedure. " Now another 12 years have passed. Acupuncture research, both basic and clinical, has greatly expanded. Modern biomedical techniques, including those of molecular biology and medical imaging, have revealed increasingly detailed physiological correlates of acupuncture action. Clinical researchers from Europe, North America, and Asia have devised a variety of prools to test acupuncture efficacy according to generally accepted standards for randomized controlled trials. A critical review of acupuncture research by the United States Food and Drug Administra­ tion resulted in the label "experimental" being legally removed from the packaging of acupuncture needles in 1996, just as the editors of "Scientific Bases of Acupuncture" had proposed. A year later, again in large part a result of increased and improved acupuncture research, a consen­ sus conference on acupuncture convened by the U. S. National Institutes of Health concluded its panel report with the endorsement " . . . 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" (JAMA 280:1518-24).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783540640547
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	05/02/2001
Edition description:	2001
Pages:	227
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.01(d)

About the Author

Stux, Gabriel, MD; Hammerschlag, Richard, PhD (Oregon Coll of Oriental Medicine)

Table of Contents

1 Acupuncture Analgesia - Basic Research.- 2 Mechanisms of Acupuncture Analgesia Produced by-Low Frequency Electrical Stimulation of Acupuncture Points.- 3 Opioid and Antiopioid Peptides: A Model of Yin-Yang Balance in Acupuncture Mechanisms of Pain Modulation.- 4 The Past, Present, and Future of Meridian System Research.- 5 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain in the Investigation of Acupuncture.- 6 Neurophysiological Basis of Auricular Acupuncture.- 7 Assessing Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture: What Has Been Learned from Systematic Reviews of Acupuncture?.- 8 An Overview of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Stroke, Addiction, and Other Health Problems.- 9 Beyond Numbers: Qualitative Research Methods for Oriental Medicine.- 10 Proposed Standards of Acupuncture Treatment for Clinical Studies.- 11 Assessing Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture: Considerations for Designing Future Acupuncture Trials.- 12 Future Directions for Research on the Physiology of Acupuncture.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Martha J. Greenberg, PhD, RN (Pace University)
Description: This introduction to acupuncture may become a classic in the field. Devoted to research evidence and outcomes of acupuncture clinical trials, this book offers concise reviews of acupuncture analgesia, the use of MRI in health research on acupuncture, and the efficacy of acupuncture in a wide variety of health problems.
Purpose: This book offers up-to-date evidence on acupuncture, providing lay persons and clinicians with information to aid in consideration/evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture.
Audience: The editors write for clinicians, students, and researchers, but suggest the text is suitable for patients as well. It is not really appropriate for the lay public, even a highly educated one. The lead editor is an international expert representing a variety of acupuncture specialties.
Features: Particularly interesting is the research focus on design of quality acupuncture clinical trials. The chapter on MRI imaging is striking, particularly since the images add clarity to the text
Assessment: This excellent, up-to-date text offers scientific evidence for clinicians and researchers. It proposes standards for clinical studies, and is a necessary addition to an acupuncture researcher's library.

Doody's Review Service

If you have any interest in how effective your acupuncture may be, in carrying out research, or in supporting the ever-growing momentum of the acupuncture research movement, this book is an essential vade-mecum. Do read it. David F. Mayor, Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Practitioners of Chinese medicine, teachers, students, researchers, and health policy makers alike will benefit form reading this stimulating collection of essays. Highly recommended! Velia Wortman, Anglo-Dutch Institute for Oriental Medicine, Duinlust, Overveen, the Netherlands

From the Publisher

5 Stars! from Doody

This introduction to acupuncture may become a classic in the field. Devoted to research evidence and outcomes of acupuncture clinical trials, this book offers concise reviews of acupuncture analgesia, the use of MRI in health research on acupuncture, and the efficacy of acupuncture in a wide variety of health problems. This book offers up-to-date evidence on acupuncture, providing lay persons and clinicians with information to aid in consideration/evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture. The editors write for clinicians, students, and researchers, but suggest the text is suitable for patients as well. It is not really appropriate for the lay public, even a highly educated one. The lead editor is an international expert representing a variety of acupuncture specialties. Particularly interesting is the research focus on design of quality acupuncture clinical trials. The chapter on MRI imaging is striking, particularly since the images add clarity to the text This excellent, up-to-date text offers scientific evidence for clinicians and researchers. It proposes standards for clinical studies, and is a necessary addition to an acupuncture researcher's library.

Martha Greenberg