Integration Of Acupuncture Research Articles

Economic evaluation of acupuncture in treating patients with pain and mental health concerns: the results of the Alberta Complementary Health Integration Project.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact have heightened the risk of mental health and pain-related issues. The integration of acupuncture with conventional medicine shows promise in improving treatment outcomes for these conditions. The Alberta Complementary Health Integration Project (ABCHIP) aimed to provide acupuncture to youth (aged 24 and under) and seniors (aged 55 and above) experiencing chronic pain, pain management issues, mental health issues, and/or related conditions. The program aimed to promote integrative care, assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these therapies, and deliver patient-centered care. ABCHIP provided acupuncture to address pain, mental health, and addiction issues at no cost to two vulnerable populations in Alberta: youth and the older adult. A total of 606 patients aged 14-65 received 5,424 acupuncture treatments. Outcome measures included pain interference, pain severity, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, fatigue, anger, and quality of life. Short-term outcomes were assessed through questionnaires completed at the beginning and completion of the treatments, while long-term benefits were estimated using these outcome indicators and existing literature on the economic cost of illnesses. The cost-effectiveness analysis revealed the following ratios per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY): CND12,171 for the overall sample, CND10,766 for patients with pain, CND9,331 for individuals with depression, and CND9,030 for those with anxiety. The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated annual cost savings ranging from CND1,487 to CND5,255, with an average of CND3,371. The study findings indicate that ABCHIP's treatment for pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep issues is cost-effective, leading to substantial cost savings and improved quality of life for patients. The program's cost per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) is significantly lower than benchmarks used in other countries, demonstrating high cost-effectiveness and value. Patients receiving 12 treatments experienced significant improvements across all measures, with estimated economic benefits surpassing treatment costs. In summary, ABCHIP offers a cost-effective and economically efficient therapy choice for individuals dealing with pain and mental health issues.

Heat and Acupuncture to Manage Osteoarthritis of the Knee (HARMOKnee): Protocol for an Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Randomized Controlled Trial.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of most prevalent and fastest-growing causes of pain, impaired mobility, and poor quality of life in the rapidly aging population worldwide. There is a lack of high-quality evidence on the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), particularly acupuncture, and a lack of KOA practice guidelines that are tailored to unique population demographics and tropical climates. Our HARMOKnee (Heat and Acupuncture to Manage Osteoarthritis of the Knee) trial aims to address these gaps by evaluating the short- and medium-term clinical and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture with heat therapy in addition to standard care, compared to standard care alone. Through a robust process and economic evaluation, we aim to inform evidence-based practice for patients with KOA to facilitate the large-scale implementation of a comprehensive and holistic model of care that harmonizes elements of Western medicine and TCM. We hypothesize that acupuncture with heat therapy as an adjunct to standard care is clinically more effective than standard care alone. A multicenter, pragmatic, parallel-arm, single-blinded, effectiveness-implementation hybrid randomized controlled trial will be conducted. We intend to recruit 100 patients with KOA randomized to either the control arm (standard care only) or intervention arm (acupuncture with heat therapy, in addition to standard care). The inclusion criteria are being a community ambulator and having primary KOA, excluding patients with secondary arthritis or previous knee replacements. The primary outcome measure is the Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score at 6 weeks. Secondary outcome measures include psychological, physical, quality of life, satisfaction, and global outcome measures at 6, 12, and 26 weeks. A mixed method approach through an embedded process evaluation will facilitate large-scale implementation. An economic evaluation will be performed to assess financial sustainability. Patient enrollment has been ongoing since August 2022. The recruitment process is anticipated to conclude by July 2024, and the findings will be analyzed and publicized as they are obtained. As of November 6, 2023, our patient enrollment stands at 65 individuals. The findings of our HARMOKnee study will contribute substantial evidence to the current body of literature regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for KOA. Additionally, we aim to facilitate the creation of standardized national guidelines for evidence-based practice that are specifically tailored to our unique population demographics. Furthermore, we seek to promote the adoption and integration of acupuncture and heat therapy into existing treatment models. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05507619; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05507619. DERR1-10.2196/54352.

Perceptions of Australian Palliative Medicine Specialists Toward Acupuncture for Palliative Care.

Background: With increasing multidisciplinary care strategies, palliative medicine practitioner perceptions toward acupuncture integration are significant. Objective: To evaluate acupuncture availability and acceptability in Australian palliative care. Outcomes: (1) Domains of the survey included participant characteristics, (2) workplace availability, (3) personal attitudes, and (4) recommendation likelihood. Design: An online REDCap survey of Australian palliative medicine practitioners was administered. Results: Acupuncture was mostly not available/permitted at workplaces (45.2%) due to cost/funding (57.1%) and limited evidence (57.1%). When available by workplace (24.2%) or affiliated service (4.8%), doctors mostly administered acupuncture (66.7%). Respondents were not up to date with current research (71.4%). Referral likelihood increased with confidence in provider (80.0%), workplace availability (77.1%), and patient prior/current use (77.1%). Patient acupuncture discussions were rare (62.9%) with barriers of effectiveness uncertainty (71.4%) and limited knowledge of availability (57.1%). Conclusion: Despite available integrative services and acceptability by Australian palliative medicine practitioners, utilization is low. Further research into acupuncture effectiveness for palliative symptoms, feasibility, and patient acceptability is required.

Integration of Acupuncture into UK Healthcare - A NICE Perspective: Why is Acupuncture Now Recommended for Chronic Pain but not for Back Pain or Osteoarthritis

In April 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a guideline on chronic pain (NG193) with a recommendation to consider a single course of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic primary pain. This positive recommendation came after the NICE guideline on low back pain and sciatica (NG59) announced in November 2016, that acupuncture treatment did not work for back pain, having previously recommended it in 2009 (CG88). This article attempts to explain this apparent contradiction in recommendations by tracing the history of acupuncture debates in the NICE guidelines over the last 2 decades.

Comparison of acupuncture education, policies and regulations in South Africa and mainland China

This review compares the landscape of acupuncture higher education in South Africa and mainland China, addressing the question of whether South African acupuncture programs meet international standards, particularly in comparison to their Chinese counterparts. The study explores critical aspects such as the position of acupuncture in the national higher education system, board examinations, core curricula, degree awards, and the integration of acupuncture into national healthcare systems. Divergences are noted in board examinations and continuing professional development, with China requiring comprehensive assessments for registration and imposing annual continuing education credits. The study reveals differences in the scope of practice, influenced by regulatory frameworks and curricula structures. While South Africa faces challenges in establishing acupuncture as a mainstream profession, China has a well-established system with widespread recognition, research funding, and integration into the national healthcare system. The review concludes with recommendations for international collaboration, increased research funding, quality assurance, integration into public healthcare, ongoing professional development, diversification of programs, advocacy for recognition, collaborative conferences, public awareness campaigns, and long-term planning to further elevate acupuncture education in both South Africa and the broader global context.

Acupuncture and physical therapy for spinal cord injury: Case report

BackgroundSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a major problem worldwide, which can result in partial or complete loss of sensory function and motor control. Injured people are 2–5 times more likely to suffer premature death than their uninjured counterparts. Case InformationThis case reports the injuries sustained by a 41-year-old woman who jumped from a building being bombed in Kyiv, Ukraine, and her subsequent treatment and recovery.The patient suffered a complete spinal cord injury (SCI), lower distal paraplegia, and dysfunction of pelvic organs, with orthopedist reporting she would likely never walk again. She substantially recuperated after the integration of acupuncture and physical therapy (PT) in her rehabilitation. Utilizing electrical, manual, and scalp acupuncture along with PT, the patient regained full bowel control, improved bladder function, and gained ability to support orthostatic position. ConclusionsAcupuncture is cost effective and easy to perform in hospital settings. It has an important role to play in the rehabilitation of injuries. The integration of acupuncture and PT may significantly improve motor and neurological functions for SCI patients.

Manual Acupuncture or Combination of Rehabilitation Therapy to Treat Poststroke Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Backgroundand Objective. Poststroke dysphagia is one of the most common stroke complications with high morbidity and long course, while acupuncture treatment is easily accepted by patients due to its reliability, feasibility, simple operation, low price, and quick effect. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of manual acupuncture in poststroke dysphagia patients. Methods. Databases including Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, EMBASE, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WanFang (WanFang Database), and VIP (Chongqing VIP) were searched from inception until Aug 19, 2022. Data were analyzed using Revman 5.3, Stata 14.0, and TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta software. Evidence quality evaluation was performed by using GRADE profiler 3.6. Results. A total of 33 randomized control trials (RCTs) enrolled 2680 patients. Meta-analysis results revealed that compared to rehabilitation, acupuncture decreased water swallow test (WST) and standard swallowing assessment (SSA) scores. Meanwhile, in contrast to rehabilitation alone, integration of acupuncture with rehabilitation effectively decreased WST and SSA scores; improved swallowing scores of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), swallowing scores of Fujishima Ichiro, Barthel index (BI), and swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL); reduced the aspiration rates as well as aspiration pneumonia; and shortened the duration of empty swallowing and the duration of 5 mL water swallowing. Pooled analysis did not reveal any significant differences in dysphagia outcome severity scores (DOSS) (p=0.15 > 0.05p) between the acupuncture group combined with rehabilitation group and the rehabilitation group alone. After the risk-of-bias assessment, these studies were not of low quality, except in terms of allocation concealment and blindness. Evidence quality evaluation showed that allocation concealment and blindness led to a downgrade and primary outcomes' evaluation of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation were ranked as moderate-quality evidence while acupuncture alone was ranked as low-quality. Conclusion. This meta-analysis provided positive pieces of evidences that acupuncture and acupuncture combined with rehabilitation were better than using rehabilitation alone in the treatment of poststroke dysphagia.

Perioperative Acupuncture Optimizes Surgical Outcomes: Theory, Clinical Practice and Future Perspectives.

A growing body of evidence supports the use of perioperative acupuncture as part of an enhanced postsurgical recovery protocol. Data from both clinical trials and animal studies has shown that the integration of acupuncture into perioperative patient care leads to a reduction of perioperative complications such as preoperative anxiety, intraoperative hemodynamic instability, postoperative pain, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and postoperative nausea and vomiting in surgical patients. Despite these favorable outcomes, perioperative acupuncture has yet to be widely adopted in current anesthesia practice. This review summarized data from clinical perioperative acupuncture studies and cites recent discoveries regarding the anatomical location and characteristics of acupoint(s), acupuncture stimulation techniques, and treatment practice protocols, as well as identified the areas of deficiency in perioperative acupuncture applications. To facilitate acupuncture integration in perioperative care practice, the authors propose to establish a perioperative acupuncture registry which can be used for data mining as well as a resource for studying the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture. Through this acupuncture registry, clinical guidelines and research protocols can be established, additional large/multi-center clinical and pragmatic trials can be easily performed to determine if the integration and expansion of perioperative acupuncture practice is cost-effective.

Physician Acupuncture Integration Network (PAIN): Battlefield Acupuncture Instead of Opioids for Abscess Drainage in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Background: Opioid overdose deaths are an epidemic in the United States. The Joint Commission has mandated that non-pharmacologic therapies, for example acupuncture, be offered first to patients for pain. Traditional Acupuncture has been used to treat pain in China for thousands of years and has gained popularity globally. Acupuncture is recognized by the NIH as safe and effective for pain, and its usage in the Veterans Administration has helped to decrease opioid dosages. Auricular Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is a protocol widely used in the …

Acupuncture strategies for long COVID: focusing on anosmia, ageusia and insomnia

Among lots of long Covid symptoms, we focus upon 3 key problems including loss of smell, loss of taste, sleep disturbance which are very potential upon acupuncture. By integration of acupuncture into current health care, patients suffered from long Covid can be expected to have a better life in the future.

Explaining acupuncture in family medicine: patients’ and physicians’ use of metaphor

ABSTRACTBackground: Metaphorical language has long been used by patients and providers to explain health experiences. Still, some studies indicate that metaphors can be counterproductive and inhibit patients’ willingness to try new treatments, especially those that are unfamiliar, complex, or stigmatized. This is particularly complex in integrative settings where conventional medicine providers (family medicine physicians) offer patients complementary and alternative therapies, like acupuncture. To fully determine the potential translational value of metaphor, scholars argue that we must ‘prepare, test, and practice’ metaphors that represent both patients’ and providers’ preferences.Method: We conducted a thematic analysis, informed by metaphor theory, of 32 interview transcripts from physicians (N = 15) and patients (N = 17) in which they described patient-provider communication experiences for a study on acupuncture integration. We separated thematic analyses by group, keeping in mind that providers and patients may gravitate toward different metaphorical language.Results: Patients and providers used metaphor to explain (1) why they accept acupuncture as a treatment (by validating acupuncture as a viable treatment option); (2) why the body needs acupuncture (by illustrating an unhealthy state of the body); and (3) how acupuncture affects the body (by highlighting the healthier state of the body as a result of acupuncture).Conclusions: This study provides both physician- and patient-generated metaphorical explanations of acupuncture treatment, thereby illustrating how conventional medicine physicians and patients make sense of a traditionally Eastern medical practice by using concepts familiar to them. The results could be used to develop interventions or translational tools.

Photoacoustic molecular imaging using combined acupuncture and gold nanorods as a composite contrast agent

In this study, we developed a novel photoacoustic imaging technique based on poly (ethyleneglycol)-coated (PEGylated) gold nanorods (PEG-GNRs) (as the contrast agent) combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture (as the auxiliary method) for quantitatively monitoring contrast enhancement in the vasculature of a mouse brain in vivo. This study takes advantage of the strong near-infrared absorption (peak at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm) of GNRs and the ability to adjust the hemodynamics of acupuncture. Experimental results show that photoacoustic tomography (PAT) successfully reveals the optical absorption variation of the vasculature of the mouse brain in response to intravenous administration of GNRs and acupuncture at the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) both individually and combined. The quantitative measurement of contrast enhancement indicates that the composite contrast agents (integration of acupuncture and GNRs) would greatly enhance the photoacoustic imaging contrast. The quantitative results also have the potential to estimate the local concentration of GNRs and even the real-time effects of acupuncture.

Integration of Acupuncture into a Primary Care Children Hospital for Inpatients and Outpatients

Integration of Acupuncture into a Primary Care Children Hospital for Inpatients and Outpatients

Integration of Acupuncture and Osteopathy in the Treatment of the Lateral Knee Pain

Integration of Acupuncture and Osteopathy in the Treatment of the Lateral Knee Pain

Mechanisms of acupuncture

A lack of scientific studies to prove or disprove the claimed effects of acupuncture has led to its rejection by many of the western scientific community. Now that many effects of acupuncture can be explained in terms of endogenous physiological mechanisms, and that these effects are reported as similar or sometimes superior to established treatments with a very low incidence of side effects, the integration of acupuncture with conventional medicine may be possible. Some of these aspects will be presented in this condensed overview.

Toward a definition of the standards for research in acupuncture: The Bologna International Symposium

Though each European country has a different regulatory status for acupuncture and also varies in the level of integrative provision, the available data on acupuncture prevalence across Europe suggests that it is widely used within both public and private health facilities. This may represent an important opportunity for healthcare systems’ to develop and promote person-centered medicine, as advocated by the WHO. However, there remain some criticisms within the scientific communities over acupuncture integration into the healthcare systems, mainly deriving from the lack of high quality studies that can prevent definitive conclusions on the effectiveness of acupuncture. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to debate some of the specific methodological issues in order to improve the acquisition of evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments and to improve the standards of research in acupuncture with particular reference to: understanding mechanisms of action for guaranteeing specificity of care; designing RCTs based on clinical questions, comparing acupuncture with usual care and not sham; conducting rigorous meta-analysis based on clinical issues rather than mixed low quality studies. Besides research methodology issues, any discussion on the integration acupuncture into healthcare systems should take into consideration its potential role and benefits in terms of cost-effectiveness, and tackle the crucial issues of regulation and qualifications for professional training.All these issues will be debated during the International Symposium on Research in Acupuncture that will be held in Bologna on October 3, 2015 with the final aim of drafting a position paper to be proposed to the scientific committee for defining the standards for research in acupuncture, which is a necessary condition for its integration into the healthcare systems.

Integration of Acupuncture into the Oncology Clinic: A Serviceable Strategy

Medical AcupunctureVol. 27, No. 3 Special Issue on OncologyEditorialIntegration of Acupuncture into the Oncology Clinic: A Serviceable StrategyRichard C. NiemtzowRichard C. NiemtzowSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:17 Jun 2015https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2015.28999.rcnAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article"Integration of Acupuncture into the Oncology Clinic: A Serviceable Strategy." Medical Acupuncture, 27(3), pp. 133–134FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 27Issue 3Jun 2015 InformationCopyright 2015, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Richard C. Niemtzow.Integration of Acupuncture into the Oncology Clinic: A Serviceable Strategy.Medical Acupuncture.Jun 2015.133-134.http://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2015.28999.rcnPublished in Volume: 27 Issue 3: June 17, 2015Online Ahead of Print:June 4, 2015PDF download

Acupuncture in Uganda: a research letter on the integration of acupuncture with conventional biomedical treatments.

The PanAfrican Acupuncture Project (PAAP) was created in 2001 and is a volunteer-based not-for-profit training organization. It encourages community empowerment and wellness through training local healthcare providers how to use simple, effective acupuncture protocols to treat the symptoms of HIV/ AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other chronic conditions. A manual explains the theory of acupuncture and the techniques associated with it in clear and simple terms with specific acupuncture protocols associated with the signs and symptoms of illnesses commonly seen in Uganda. PAAP maintains contact with the trainees to provide ongoing support through: (1) three week-long meetings per year, (2) ongoing contact with the PAAP local coordinator, and (3) electronic communications including email, text messaging, and Facebook communication. A primary focus is to help integrate acupuncture into the local context and current public-health system. This is accomplished by working with local governmental and nongovernmental agencies and healthcare facilities to improve access to and effectiveness of care through collaboration with Western and traditional healthcare modalities. The integration of acupuncture and other traditional complementary and alternative medicines (TCAMs) in the international public health sector at the level of local health workers can increase access to treatment in a sustainable manner while also building the confidence and self-worth of the public health-care practitioners.

The Validity of Acupuncture in Veterinary Medicine

Acupuncture is becoming an increasingly popular treatment in veterinary medicine. Scientific validation of the effects and benefits of acupuncture is essential for acceptance by colleagues and clients and integration of acupuncture into conventional veterinary medicine. An ever-expanding body of evidence-based research supports acupuncture as a clinically useful modality and over 10,000 references to acupuncture can be found in the United States Library of Medicine search through PubMed. Prestigious organizations such as the World Health Organization have concluded that acupuncture is valuable in treating many human diseases. Imaging studies now validate acupuncture theories, and clinical studies demonstrate that acupuncture is an effective, safe treatment for many animal diseases. Acupuncture is currently taught at seven AVMA-accredited veterinary schools, with others planning to add it to their curriculum and many more employing clinical staff with certification or interest in acupuncture. The annual AVMA Convention and other national and international meetings frequently include lectures on acupuncture. The Recovery Act of 2009 provided $31 million to complementary medicine research, including acupuncture, showing the importance of acupuncture research to the National Institutes of Health. Veterinary acupuncture training is restricted to veterinarians, involving over 130 classroom hours and rigorous examinations to become a certified veterinary acupuncturist. The American Journal of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine was launched in 2006 to publish scientific, evidence-based research on acupuncture. Although further research is needed for some disorders, the scientifically-proven efficacy for other disorders, low incidence of adverse effects and comparatively low cost combine to validate its place in current veterinary practice.

Slaves, Revolutions, Embargoes, and Needles: The Political Economy of Acupuncture in Cuba

AbstractMedical systems have travelled and influenced one another for as long as there has been trade between differing groups. The medical systems of China have been a particularly frequent traveller, facilitated by Chinese migration and trade throughout history. The transfer and subsequent integration of acupuncture into the Cuban health care system can be best understood in terms of various political and economic forces from the mid-nineteenth to the end of the twentieth century. This paper will demonstrate that how acupuncture was transferred to Cuba; why it was integrated into the national health care system of Cuba; and how acupuncture is currently understood and practised in the Cuban context can be best understood as a result of specific political and economic factors.