American journal of acupuncture最新文献

Following the author's own experiences with chronic pain due to a motorcycle accident during medical school, and the pain's unresponsiveness to conventional medicine, he sought other solutions. His journey led him to a new understanding of health and illness. With these insights and through the use of acupuncture, bodywork and various breathing techniques, he began to see phenomena--emotional release, myoclonic shaking, and regression--and healing that could not be explained in terms of a rational or structural framework. He posits that such phenomena represent different forms of de-stressing which together serve to release "blocked feeling," which he suggests is the "energy block" described by acupuncture theory as "stagnant Qi." The third in a series, this installment explores the issue of "disempowerment" as one of the fundamental energetic imbalances of illness.

Drawing on his perspective as psychiatrist and longtime practitioner of Chinese medicine (CM), the author introduces his interpretation of the energy concepts of CM as they pertain to the psychology of man. This discussion focuses on the Water Element and Kidney energy system which are associated with supervision the genetic and intrauterine developmental phases of evolution. A faltering of these energies is associated with both pervasive and subtle neurological disorders and a predisposition to the most severe psychological disturbances. The manifestations and consequences are examined with case studies.

In Part II of this series, the author continues the discussion of a hypothesis based on acupuncture channel theory regarding the cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). A system of Yin-type Tuina, termed FSR (forceless spontaneous response) evolved from this theory; its clinical application has resulted in various degrees of relief from PD symptoms, (e.g., tremor, rigidity, decreased dyskinesia; improved balance, circulation) regardless of the stage of the disease, and in several cases enabled a reduction of conventional medication. This installment includes basic instruction in the technique, and a discussion of the dyskinesia which occurs during restoration of Qi to the Large Intestine and Stomach channels during treatment. A case study chronicles the weekly changes in symptoms typically experienced by patients during FSR therapy.

Based on previous experimental evidence suggesting improved healing of wounds treated with electrical stimulation, we conducted a clinical trial with patients seeking alternative medicine after unsuccessful conventional medical treatment. Electricity was delivered in two forms: (1) For wounds with extensive loss of tissue and/or those that had failed to heal spontaneously, electrical stimulation was delivered via subcutaneously inserted needles surrounding the wound edges and applying a dose charge of 0.6 coulombs/cm2/day; (2) in second degree burn injuries, lesions were covered with gauze soaked in a 10% (w/v) sterile saline solution and the same dose of electricity was applied as for (1). Forty-four patients were treated with electrical stimulation of the skin; 34 in group (1) and 10 in group (2). Following electrostimulation in all patients in both groups healing proceeded in a thoroughly organized manner, almost regardless of the severity of the type of wound or burn treated. Advantages and limitations of this technique are discussed.

Thirty years of active acupuncture research have failed to unequivocally demonstrate its clinical efficacy. Certain characteristics of acupuncture are difficult to fit into an experimental study. Many researchers mention selection of appropriate controls, single- or double-blind research design, and application of relevant outcome measures as areas causing most difficulties. Also cited are the variability of acupuncture techniques, difficulty of standardizing acupuncture treatments, inadequate population size, significant variability of response to treatments, the use of a distinctive terminology, and importance of practitioner's experience. Acupuncture and Chinese traditional medicine are based on a unique philosophical model, and the instruments of biomedical research may be inadequate and inappropriate. In contrast to the quantitative experimental method, introspective self-observation and qualitative observation are offered as a means of studying the effectiveness of acupuncture.

Chronically ill patients failing to obtain effective treatment with conventional medicine often self-prescribe multiple nutritional supplements. In some cases, supplements can exacerbate pathology or block therapeutic progress because of negative effects on gastrointestinal, immunological, neurotransmitter, and hormonal functions. Nutritional supplements may also contribute to the growth of bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens. Case studies involving evaluation of supplement energetics through acupoint biophoton coherence measurements at Pericardium-6 reflect the potential for harm from patient self medication.

In refining the design of single-blind acupuncture research trials, "sham acupuncture" has been proposed and used in trials as a useful "inactive" control, yet the degree of inactivity with sham acupuncture points remains largely undetermined. With neural and dermal effects occurring whenever a needle is inserted into the skin, regardless of depth or location, the estimated effect upon Qi when needling sham acupuncture points remains a matter of conjecture. This paper examines the statistical consequences of utilizing sham acupuncture as a control when its energetic and biomedical effects are unknown. It argues the need for a more careful consideration of "assumptions" in clinical research design.

This article reviews recent studies conducted in Europe which sought to evaluate the effectiveness of Peter Mandel's Esogetic Colorpuncture Therapy (ECT). These investigations addressed the use of specific ECT therapies for treating a variety of difficult health problems: migraines, childhood insomnia, bronchitis, ADD or learning disorders, and uterine fibroids. Limitations in research design and sample size necessitate that these studies be viewed as pilot or preliminary research. However, in all the studies, the findings showed dramatic improvement of symptoms after ECT treatments. This suggests that ECT may offer fast, economical, non-invasive and non-toxic methods for treating the selected health problems and that ECT continues to show promise as a powerful new method of wholistic healing.