Research Archive

A UK-based study looking at acupuncture carried out in a busy GP practice by an experienced traditional acupuncturist, found that it resulted in clinically relevant improvements in patients

Electro-acupuncture (EA) has an effect equal to noradrenaline in reducing hypotension during anesthesia in patients undergoing liver transplantation, according to an Iranian research team.

American scientists have reported the identification of two substances in dried licorice root (Gan Cao, Radix Glycyrrhizae) that are capable of killing bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.

Chinese researchers have found that an extract of the Chinese herb Tu Jing Pi (Cortex Pseudolaricis) has potent antifungal activity and may be a potential therapeutic agent for oral candidiasis.

A flavonoid extracted from the Japanese raisin tree, Hovenia dulcis (Chi Chu Tzu), may counter the detrimental effects of alcohol consumption and offer a potential anti-hangover supplement, according to research from the USA.

Italian clinicians have published a novel case report on a severely immune suppressed HIV patient whose giant wart was completely healed following a long period of treatment with acupuncture.

Chinese herbal medicine can help alleviate disease symptoms and improve quality of life for patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), when added to standard drug therapy, according to Chinese researchers.

A Hong Kong study has found that electroacupuncture can reduce the discomfort of rectal distension, suggesting that it may be useful during colonoscopy procedures.

UK researchers have found acupuncture to have significant and sustained benefit for patients who frequently attend GP surgeries with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS).

Acupuncture shows potential for improving the quality of life of people with eating disorders, according to a pilot study carried out in Australia.

Auricular electroacupuncture (EA) can reduce the frequency and severity of Raynaud’s attacks, according to a team of researchers from Austria.

UK researchers have found acupuncture to have significant and sustained benefit for patients who frequently attend GP surgeries with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS).

Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomi Cortex [Rou Gui]) has a potential role in the prevention of many diseases, according to a review by American authors.

A single acupuncture treatment can increase isometric quadriceps strength, according to German authors. Thirty-three recreational athletes were randomised to receive acupuncture, sham acupuncture (needling at non-acupuncture points) and placebo laser acupuncture (deactivated laser device) in a double-blind crossover fashion, with one week between trials. The difference from baseline of the mean ch ...

Acupuncture can significantly reduce burning mouth syndrome, a chronic pathology of unknown aetiopathogenesis, probably due to its influence on oral microcirculation. In an observational study carried out by Italian investigators, thirty patients were treated with TCM acupuncture for three weeks. Oral microcirculation was observed using videocapillaroscopy at three times: in the absence of acupunc ...

A systematic review by Chinese authors has concluded that traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) seem to be effective for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Their meta-analysis showed that TCMs had a greater beneficial effect than interferon (IFN) and a slightly better effect than lamivudine (LAM) on normalisation of levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (the liver enzyme most commonly used as an indicat ...

Acupuncture for spinal cord injuries (SCI) can mobilise human stem cells, according to German research. Fourteen healthy volunteers were needled at acupuncture points used in the treatment of SCI, while control individuals received acupuncture at points not used for SCI. The number of CD133(+) haematopoetic stem cells in peripheral blood doubled 48 hours after acupuncture at SCI points, whereas co ...

Hepatitis E is endemic in developing countries and may occur as imported hepatitis in industrialised countries. A 46-year-old Japanese man developed immunoserologically diagnosed acute hepatitis E in Japan 4 months after he had made a trip to China. He had bought a Chinese herbal medicine there, taking it occasionally until approximately 6 weeks prior to the onset of acute hepatitis. The results o ...

In a study carried out by the US airforce, electrical stimulation of auricular acupuncture points using a Pointer Plus device was effective in treating jet lag. 5 USAF aircrew members suffering from circadian desynchronosis (jet lag) were treated at points Shenmen, Zero, Sleep Disorder I and 2, and Pineal Gland at a frequency of 10 Hz, a pulse width of 220 microseconds, and a pulse shape of an asy ...

Point specific acupuncture is effective in treating vocal disorders arising from benign pathological tissue changes according to a recent study. Twenty four subjects with dysphonia were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a placebo group. The experimental group received acupuncture on Renying ST-9, Lieque LU-7 and Zhaohai KID-6, which are all related to improving throat problems a ...