Studies on the Efficacy of Acupuncture - The science behind

 A 2016 research study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine concluded that fertility awareness was increased in women who received a multiphasic fertility protocol for acupuncture. In addition, the study found women who received this acupuncture protocol also had an overall improved well-being. (6)

 In the treatment of insomnia, acupuncture has been shown to improve sleep efficiency and sleep disorders compared to those who do not receive acupuncture treatment. Long-term improvements in sleep were also seen from the acupuncture treatment according to clinical research from Henan  University of TCM, Zhengzhou. (7)

 Acupuncture can be a great form of treatment for individuals with fibromyalgia. In 2016,  The BMJ published a study concerning the effects of acupuncture on patients who have fibromyalgia. The study found acupuncture to be effective in the realm of managing pain experienced as a result of having fibromyalgia. In order to get the results real acupuncture treatment was compared with the likes of placebo sham acupuncture. The study even went on to strongly recommend those with fibromyalgia seek acupuncture treatment in order to help manage their pain. (8)

 A recent review concluded that acupuncture treatment may help women who are trying to conceive. A review of more than 300 papers on acupuncture found evidence of benefits for the reproductive function of women. The results supported acupuncture for menstrual irregularity, menstrual pain, ovulatory dysfunction, and infertility. (9)

 According to a study published by The BMJ, acupuncture has been found to produce significant results for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.  Participants in the study were subjected to different intervals of acupuncture treatment. Overall, patients were selected to receive random amounts of acupuncture up to as much as 10 weekly sessions. (10)

 The effects of laser acupuncture were tested in a study published by the Journal of  Affective Disorders. The study aimed to see if laser acupuncture had positive effects on those experiencing depression. The results from the study turned out to be very promising. Twelve laser acupuncture sessions were conducted in total, and the results yielded that the participants showed reduced symptoms of depression after getting laser acupuncture. (11)

 A recent meta-analysis published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative  Medicine found that acupuncture lowers blood pressure in patients who are taking medication for hypertension or high blood pressure. The trials included 386 patients with hypertension and found weekly acupuncture treatment for six to 10 weeks lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (13)

Findings  published in Integrative Cancer Therapies found that 90 percent of  participants at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, reported  pain had significantly decreased by the end of 10 acupuncture  treatments, 42 out of 52 participants who had pain related to cancer  rated the acupuncture study as “very useful.” (14)

  A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that traditional Chinese acupuncture as well as Yamamoto's new scalp acupuncture significantly decreased patients’ migraine frequency and severity. The study involved 80 patients who suffer from migraine  headaches and concluded that participants had improvement in their  ability to do daily activities after treatment. (15)

 A 2017 study recently published by The Journal of Alternative and Complementary  Medicine demonstrated acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating asthma.  Acupuncture was used in conjunction with normal asthmatic treatments in  order to see if there were increased relief effects. There was an increased quality of life shown in patients who received both forms of treatment at the same time. (17)

 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)

 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 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) 

 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)

 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)

 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)

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

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 fertilization when embryo implantation has failed: a prospective randomized 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 randomized 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 randomized 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 randomized 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.