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OC Orthopedic and Sports Acupuncture

Orange County, CA

Modern Research & Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been employed as a health care modality for over 5,000 years. Modern science has begun to understand the secrets of this ancient medicine with the support of new studies conducted by leading scientists, hospitals and medical research facilities from all over the world. Today, acupuncture is receiving wide acceptance as a respected, valid and effective form of health care.

acupuncture modern research

In China, a February 2013 study conducted by the Clinical Journal of Pain concluded that low back pain, the most common musculoskeletal problem, can be relieved by acupuncture with little to no adverse side effects. 1

In a systematic review published by Spine Journal, acupuncture has been shown to have significantly favorable effects on chronic low back pain. In the systematic review, 32 different studies were compared, and 25 of those studies provided relevant data to come to this conclusion. Actual acupuncture treatments were compared with sham acupuncture treatments throughout the study in order to obtain the results.2

In addition to its effectiveness in pain control, acupuncture has a proven track record of treating a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions.

 

Acupuncture works as an effective alternative and adjunct treatment modality. It is a safe, effective and natural approach to help regain and maintain health and well-being.

 

CURRENT RESEARCH RELATING TO ACUPUNCTURE

 

Acupuncture & Wrist/Ankle Pain

A meta-analysis published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found acupuncture treatment was more effective in reducing wrist and ankle pain than Western medicine. The analysis looked at seven studies of wrist-ankle acupuncture that included 723 participants. The authors stated that wrist-ankle acupuncture is a safe therapy that has helped patients relieve pain.18

Acupuncture & Osteoarthritis (OA)

A recent review of 1,763 participants found that acupuncture treatment significantly reduced pain in patients compared to patients who did not receive the treatment. Patients with osteoarthritis who received acupuncture reported gains in mobility and a better quality of life. The trials found that longer treatment periods resulted in higher reductions in pain.19

 

Acupuncture is recognized by leading national and international health organizations to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. 

  • Foot and ankle pain:
    • achilles tendonitis, plantar fascitis, 1st MTP joint, lateral ankle sprain, morton’s neuroma.
  • Knee and lower leg pain:
    • osteoarthritis, patellar tendonitis, MCL/LCL ligament sprain, patella femoral dysfunction, pes anserine bursitis, IT-band syndrome, shin splints (anterior and medial)
  • Hip and thigh pain
    • Hip joint osteoarthritis, sacrotuberous ligament, hamstring strain, adductor strain
  • Low back pain
    • Quadratus lumborum, SI joint dysfunction
  • Shoulder pain
    • Rotator cuff tendonitis/strain, acromioclavicular (AC) joint, frozen shoulder, bicep tendontitis
  • Neck pain
    • Stiff neck (levator scapula)
  • Elbow and Wrist pain
    • Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), carpal tunnel syndrome, dequervian’s tenosynovitis,

 

Current theories on the mechanism of acupuncture

1) Neurotransmitter Theory

Acupuncture affects higher brain areas, stimulating the secretion of beta-endorphins and enkephalins in the brain and spinal cord. The release of neurotransmitters influences the immune system and the antinociceptive system.21, 22, 23 

2) Blood Chemistry Theory

Acupuncture affects the blood concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids, suggesting acupuncture can both raise and diminish peripheral blood components, thereby regulating the body toward homeostasis.23

3) Autonomic Nervous System Theory

Acupuncture stimulates the release of norepinephrine, acetylcholine and several types of opioids, affecting changes in their turnover rate, normalizing the autonomic nervous system and reducing pain.24, 25

4) Vascular-interstitial Theory

Acupuncture affects the electrical system of the body by creating or enhancing closed-circuit transport in tissues. This facilitates healing by allowing the transfer of material and electrical energy between normal and injured tissues.25

5) Gate Control Theory

Acupuncture activates non-nociceptive receptors that inhibit the transmission of nociceptive signals in the dorsal horn, “gating out” painful stimuli.26

 

Resources:

  1. “Acupuncture for Acute Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review,” The Clinical Journal of Pain, published February, 2013.
  2. “Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,”  Spine Journal,, 2013; Vol 38 (24).
  3. “Influence of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation when embryo implantation has failed: a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial,” British Medical Journal, published March 19. 2013.
  4. “Acupuncture As an Integrative Approach for the Treatment of Hot Flashes in Women With Breast Cancer: A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (AcCliMaT),” Journal of Clinical Oncology, published March 28, 2016.
  5. “Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine,” The Cochrane Review, published June 28, 2016.
  6. Suzanne Cochrane, Caroline A. Smith, Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, and Alan Bensoussan, “Prior to Conception: The Role of an Acupuncture Protocol in Improving Women’s Reproductive Functioning Assessed by a Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2016, Article ID 3587569, 11 pages, 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/3587569
  7. Source: Copyright © 2014 World Journal of Acupuncture-Moxibustion House. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
  8. Vas J, Santos-Rey K, Navarro-Pablo R, et al Acupuncture for fibromyalgia in primary care: a randomised controlled trial Acupuncture in Medicine Published Online First: 15 February 2016. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2015-010950
  9. Cochrane S, Smith CA, Possamai-Inesedy A, Bensoussan A. Int J Womens Health. March 2014; 6: 313–325
  10. MacPherson H, Tilbrook H, Agbedjro D, et al Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: 2-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial Acupuncture in Medicine 2017;35:17-23.
  11. Quah-Smith, Im, Caroline Smith, John D. Crawford, and Janice Russell. “Laser acupuncture for depression: A randomised double blind controlled trial using low intensity laser intervention.” Journal of Affective Disorders 148, no. 2-3 (2013): 179-87. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.11.058.
  12. J. Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003 Sept.; 23 (3): 201-202.
  13. Li D, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Ma Y, Li X, Yu J, Zhao Y, Zhai H, Lao L. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014 March, Epub
  14. Garcia MK, Driver L, Haddad R, Lee R, Palmer JL, Wei Q, Frenkel M, Cohen. Integr Cancer Ther. 2014 Mar;13(2):133-40. doi: 10.1177/1534735413510558. Epub 2013 Nov 25.
  15. Rezvani M, Yaraghi A, Mohseni M, Fathimoghadam F. J Altern Complement Med. 2014 May; 20(5):371-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/acm.2013.0120. Epub 2013 Dec 28.
  16. J. Rehab. Med., 2008 Jul.; 40 (7): 582-588.
  17. Brinkhaus Benno, Roll Stephanie, Jena Susanne, Icke Katja, Adam Daniela, Binting Sylvia, Lotz Fabian, Willich Stefan N., and Witt Claudia M.. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. April 2017, 23(4): 268-277. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2016.0357
  18. Zhu LB, Chan WC, Lo KC, Yum TP, Li L. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014 July 14, Epub http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4123534/
  19. Manyanga T, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, Shay BL. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Aug 23; 14(1): 312.
  20. Effect of acupuncture on house dust mite specific IgE, substance P, and symptoms in persistent allergic rhinitis
  21. McDonald, John Leslie et al.
  22. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology , Volume 116 , Issue 6 , 497 – 505
  23. Neuro-acupuncture, “Scientific evidence of acupuncture revealed”, Cho, ZH., et al., 2001.v
  24. Acupuncture – A scientific appraisal, Ernst, E., White, A., 1999, p. 74.
  25. Acupuncture Energetics, “A Clinical Approach for Physicians”, Helms, Dr. J., 1997, pgs 41-42, 66.
  26. Anatomy of Neuro-Anatomical Acupuncture, Volume 1, Wong, Dr. J., 1999, p. 34.
  27. National Institute of Health Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, “Acupuncture Activates Endogenous Systems of Analgesia.”, Han, J.S., 1997 (Bethesda, MD).
  28. Neuro-acupuncture, “Scientific Evidence of Acupuncture Revealed”, Cho, ZH., et al., p.116.
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