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Research Archive

Welcome to our Chinese medicine and acupuncture research news pages. We add to the content of these pages continuously as more research news comes in. Browse through the complete archive below or use the category links on the right.

Please note that the most twenty recent research archive items are free to view but access to the thousands of items in the archive require a journal subscription.

CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE BETTER THAN DRUGS FOR DYSMENORRHOEA

Categories: Gynaecology

The evidence supporting the use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for primary dysmenorrhoea is promising, but better quality research on the subject is still required. These are the conclusions of a systematic review by Australian researchers, which included 39 RCTs involving a total of 3475 women. CHM was found to result in significant improvements in pain relief, overall symptoms and use of addit ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR POLYCYSTIC OVARIES

Categories: Gynaecology

A review article has evaluated the use of acupuncture to prevent and reduce symptoms related with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Reporting on experimental observations in rat models of polycystic ovaries and clinical data from studies in women with PCOS, the Swedish authors suggest that acupuncture can affect PCOS via modulation of the neuroendocrine system (in particular the sympathetic nervou ...

ACUPUNCTURE COST-EFFECTIVE FOR DYSMENORRHOEA

Categories: Gynaecology

In another German study, the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with dysmenorrhoea was studied. In a randomised controlled trial plus non-randomised cohort, patients with dysmenorrhoea were randomised to 15 sessions of acupuncture over three months or to a control group (no acupuncture). All subjects were allowed to receive usual medical care. Of 649 women, 20 ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR PAINKILLER-RESISTANT PERIOD PAIN

Categories: Gynaecology

Italian scientists have evaluated the effect of acupuncture on dysmenorrhoea that is resistant to treatment by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Fifteen patients received eight weekly acupuncture treatments (at Taixi KID-3, Taichong LIV-3, Gongsun SP-4, Zusanli ST-36, Tianshu ST-25, Guilai ST-29, Qichong ST-30, Guanyuan REN-4, Qihai REN-6, Shenmai BL-62, Shenmen HT-7, Hegu LI-4, Neig ...

JAPANESE-STYLE ACUPUNCTURE FOR ADOLESCENT ENDOMETRIOSIS PAIN

Categories: Gynaecology

A US randomised, sham-controlled pilot study has assessed the use of Japanese-style acupuncture for reducing chronic pelvic pain and improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adolescents with endometriosis. Eighteen young women (13-22 years) with laparoscopically-diagnosed endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain were treated with either Japanese style acupuncture or sham acupuncture. P ...

ELECTRO-ACUPUNCTURE FOR PCOS

Categories: Gynaecology

Acupuncture can lower high sympathetic nerve activity, which may be a contributory factor in the aetiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A Swedish team, which has previously found that women with PCOS have significantly higher sympathetic nerve activity than controls, investigated the effect of low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) and physical exercise on the sympathetic activity of a musc ...

CHINESE HERBS COMPARABLE TO HORMONES FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS

Categories: Gynaecology

UK authors have carried out a systematic review of the use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for endometriosis-related pain and infertility. Database searches revealed 100 relevant studies, but only two Chinese RCTs were deemed of high enough quality for analysis. Meta-analysis of the pooled results involving a total of 158 women concluded that administration of CHM after laparoscopic surgery for e ...

ACUPUNCTURE DECREASES POST-CAESARIAN PAIN

Categories: Gynaecology

A Chinese study has shown that acupuncture at Sanyinjiao SP-6 can decrease the amount of analgesia required in the first 24 hours after caesarian section. Sixty women who had spinal anesthesia during caesarian section were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or electro-acupuncture at bilateral Sanyinjiao SP-6, or to a control group. Women in the acupuncture and electro-acupuncture grou ...

ACUPRESSURE DECREASES PAIN AND DURATION OF LABOUR

Categories: Gynaecology

Iranian clinicians have found that acupressure at Sanyinjiao SP-6 can decrease the duration and severity of pain in the active phase of labour, lower the requirement for oxytocin and reduce the need for caesarean section. One hundred and twenty nulliparous women at the beginning of the active phase of labour were randomised to receive either acupressure at Sanyinjiao SP-6 for 30 minutes during con ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR FEMALE GENITAL PAIN

Categories: Gynaecology

A Canadian pilot study has found that acupuncture has positive effects on provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a distressing genital pain condition affecting women. Eight women with PVD (mean age 30) underwent ten one-hour acupuncture sessions with needle placement according to an individual TCM diagnosis. Analysis of the results showed significant decreases in helplessness (a measure on the Pain Catast ...

MOXIBUSTION EFFECTIVE FOR BREECH PRESENTATION

Categories: Gynaecology

UK researchers exploring the effects of moxibustion on breech presentation have concluded that it creates a better chance of achieving vaginal delivery. In a prospective multicentre study, 76 pregnant women were taught how to apply moxibustion and instructed to continue it at home, twice a day, for seven days. If breech presentation persisted after treatment, external cephalic version (ECV) was ca ...

ACUPUNCTURE FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLUSHES

Categories: Gynaecology, Menopausal syndrome

A multicentre randomised clinical study of menopausal women has concluded that acupuncture carried out in addition to usual care is associated with marked clinical improvement in hot flushes and other menopause-related symptoms. One hundred and seventy five Korean women were randomised to receive 12 sessions of acupuncture over four weeks in addition to usual care, or to usual care alone. The mean ...

Acupuncture and fibromyalgia

Categories: Fibromyaigia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic painful musculoskeletal syndrome of unknown aetiology, characterised by generalised pains in the connective tissues of the body and specific area of knotted muscle fibre - called "trigger points" which are especially painful. It is generally treated with a combination of analgesics and vigorous massage. A recent review of the literature on the treatment of fibro ...

Acupuncture passes the fibromyalgia test

Categories: Fibromyaigia

Fibromyalgia patients treated with six sessions of acupuncture experienced significant symptomatic improvement compared to a group given sham acupuncture. 50 patients with moderate to severe, recalcitrant fibromyalgia, for whom other symptom-relief treatments were ineffective, were randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture (neither group knew which), administered in six sessions ...

Acupuncture effective for fibromyalgia

Categories: Fibromyaigia

Two studies have demonstrated benefit from acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia. In the first, published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 21 patients completed the study. All received 16 treatments over eight weeks, alternating points on the back with points on the front of the body. The Fibromyalgia Impact Scores (twenty questions designed to assess how fibromyalgia affect ...

Acupuncture for assisted reproduction

Categories: Infertility

A UK based systematic review has concluded that acupuncture does not improve in-vitro fertilisation outcome.

Acupuncture regulates hormones during IVF preparation

Categories: Infertility

American researchers have investigated the effects of acupuncture on serum cortisol and prolactin in IVF patients undergoing drug-induced ovarian hyperstimulation.

Acupuncture increases IVF success

Categories: Infertility

The beneficial effect of acupuncture on fertility treatment has once again been highlighted by the results of a major scientific study.

Acupuncture improves IVF success rate

Categories: Infertility

A meta-analysis of seven clinical trials in which acupuncture was used to support embryo transfer during IVF has concluded that it improves rates of pregnancy and live birth.

Acupuncture and IVF/4

Categories: Infertility

A literature review from the USA provides an overview of the use of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for in vitro fertilisation (IVF).