Currency

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.

Excellent news for UK practitioners of herbal medicine

Categories: Herbal medicine, Comment

At first glance, this appears to be the decision we have been hoping for. A written Ministerial Statement from the Department of Health issued today reads as follows: Practitioners of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine: The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Andrew Lansley): The issue of whether or not practitioners of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese ...

Acupuncture effective for bedwetting

Categories: Babies & children / paediatrics

A systematic review has evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture for nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children. A standardised data extraction form was used to evaluate outcome measures and scrutinise the quality of 13 clinical trials, which were judged to have adequately reported on treatment parameters and outcome measures. All but one study reported the efficacy rate of acupuncture as part of a TCM pack ...

Acupuncture reduces androgen levels in PCOS

Categories: Gynaecology

Low-frequency electro-acupuncture (EA) can improve hyperandrogenism and menstrual frequency in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a Swedish study. Eighty-four women with PCOS were randomised to 16 weeks of low-frequency EA, physical exercise or no intervention. After 16 weeks of treatment, levels of circulating androgens were found to have decreased significantly in the EA g ...

Leafy greens protect against diabetes

Categories: Diet research

A systematic review by British authors has concluded that eating a diet rich in green leafy vegetables may lower the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Combining the results of six studies (a total of more than 220,000 participants), the authors found that eating more fruit and vegetables did not significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, although there was a general trend in that direction. Howe ...

Acupuncture improves symptoms of ADHD

Categories: Psychological / emotional

Combining electro-acupuncture with behavioral therapy has a positive effect on reducing the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pre-school children, according to a Chinese study. One hundred and eighty pre-school children with ADHD were randomly recruited into an experimental group, which received electro-acupuncture and behavioral therapy, or a control group, which rece ...

Acupuncture effective for premature ejaculation

Categories: Male disorders

Results from a high-quality Turkish study suggest that acupuncture is an effective non-pharmocological method for treating premature ejaculation (PE). Ninety patients with PE were randomly assigned to either acupuncture or sham acupuncture (twice per week) or medication (paroxetine 20mg/d), for four weeks. For verum acupuncture, needles were inserted bilaterally at four acupuncture points, Zusanli ...

Tai chi helps with COPD

Categories: Respiratory disorders, Tai chi

A US pilot study of tai chi for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggests that it may be an effective treatment. Ten patients with moderate to severe COPD were randomised to 12 weeks of tai chi plus usual care or usual care alone. Tai chi training consisted of a twice-weekly one-hour class, which emphasised gentle movement, relaxation, meditation and breathing techniques. ...

Huang Qin Tang eases side-effects of cancer treatments

Categories: Cancer, Herb research

The Chinese herbal formula Huang Qin Tang (Scutellaria Decoction) reduces the intestinal side-effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients by stimulating gut cell division and reducing inflammation. The four-herb formula (consisting of Scutellariae Radix [Huang Qin], Jujubae Fructus [Da Zao], Paeoniae Radix alba [Bai Shao] and Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata [Zhi Gan Cao]) is traditionally used to trea ...

Acupuncture effective for endometriosis pain

Categories: Gynaecology, Gynaecological

Austrian researchers have examined whether acupuncture is an effective additional pain treatment for endometriosis. In a cross-over design, 101 women were randomised into two groups, each receiving two units of 10 acupuncture treatments twice a week over a period of five weeks. Group 1 received verum-acupuncture during the first treatment unit, while Group 2 received non-specific acupuncture. Afte ...

Tai chi relieves arthritis pain and aids fibromyalgia

Categories: Fibromyaigia, Miscellaneous, Tai chi

A randomised controlled trial carried out in the USA has evaluated the effectiveness of a six-week tai chi course in reducing symptoms, increasing function and improving psychosocial status in arthritis patients. In the largest study to date carried out under the Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi program, 332 participants were randomly assigned to treatment or a waiting list control. The tai chi interv ...

Acupuncture improves autistic symptoms

Categories: Babies & children / paediatrics, Psychological / emotional, Autism

A short course of electro-acupuncture (EA) can improve specific functions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially language comprehension and self-care ability. Fifty-five children with ASD were randomly assigned to an EA group or a sham electro-acupuncture (SEA) group. The EA group received electro-acupuncture at eight acupoints: Sishencong (M-HN-1), Yintang (M-HN-3), Neiguan P ...

Acupuncture better than steroids for carpal tunnel syndrome

Categories: Hand & wrist

A group from Taiwan has demonstrated that short-term acupuncture treatment can result in long-term improvement in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and that acupuncture produces significantly better results than oral steroid treatment. Seventy-seven patients with mild-to-moderate idiopathic CTS were randomised to either four weeks of either oral prednisolone or twice-weekly acupuncture sessions. The pa ...

Ear acupressure improves children's visual health

Categories: Babies & children / paediatrics, Eye disorders

A small Taiwanese pilot study has found that ear acupressure may facilitate improved visual health for children

Acupuncture better than standard treatment for lazy eye

Categories: Babies & children / paediatrics, Eye disorders

A randomised controlled trial carried out in Hong Kong has shown that acupuncture to be effective in treating anisometropic amblyopia (lazy eye)

Acustimulation reduces paediatric post-operative nausea & vomiting

Categories: Babies & children / paediatrics

Stimulation of the Neiguan P-6 acupuncture point is an effective adjunctive treatment for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in children undergoing adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial carried out in Norway enrolled 154 children who were undergoing day-surgery. The intervention group received acupuncture at Neiguan P-6 bilaterally for a median of 21 minute ...

Acu-Tens on Dingchuan improves COPD

Categories: Respiratory disorders

Four weeks of Acu-TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on acupoints) treatment has been shown to improve physical and psychosocial function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), probably due to bronchodilation induced by elevation in beta-endorphin levels. In a Hong Kong study, twenty-eight COPD patients were randomly allocated to receive four weeks of 45 minu ...

Acupuncture improves symptoms after cancer therapy

Categories: Cancer, Nose and mouth

Three recent pieces of research on the benefits of acupuncture to support conventional medicine in the treatment of cancer.

Acupuncture more effective than drugs for gastric emptying

Categories: Digestive & Bowel disorders

A German study has demonstrated that acupuncture is more effective than drug therapy for the treatment of delayed gastric emptying in critically ill patients who are being fed by nasogastric tube.

Acupuncture reduces androgen levels in PCOS

Categories: Gynaecology, Infertility

Low-frequency electro-acupuncture (EA) can improve hyperandrogenism and menstrual frequency in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to

Edzard Ernst holds forth again

Categories: General discussion, Comment

A single injury - let alone a fatality - caused by acupuncture is one too many, but we have to wonder why Dr. Edzard Ernst, Chair in Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, keeps emphasising the risks of acupuncture.