Acupuncture Electro Therapeutics Research

This is the first book to set out a full range of research strategies for evaluating the clinical practice of acupuncture. Leading acupuncturists and researchers with international reputations share their expertise. They illustrate their descriptions with practical examples of what has worked and what has not. It outlines many of the key challenges in the field. These challenges relate to the nature of acupuncture and the gap between current research evidence and the actual experiences of acupuncturists in the field. By focusing the chapters on key research questions, rather than methods, the book has a user-friendly feel. Each chapter is easily accessible with brief explanations of research designs as well as vignettes of relevant past research. The book is based on a deep understanding of acupuncture, with its inherent complexity in practice, whether based on traditional principles or more modern concepts. By incorporating a more sophisticated understanding of the field, this book details a range of strategies aiming to develop the evidence base with the utmost rigour. It is the first book on acupuncture research to take this unique view, integrating the very best of evidence-based medicine with a genuine sensitivity to the discipline of acupuncture, from its traditional and holistic roots to its more modern interpretations.

Acupuncture therapy has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for more than two thousand years. Modern clinical research has confirmed the impressive therapeutic effect of acupuncture on numerous human ailments, such as controlling pain, nausea, and vomiting. However, the biological mechanisms of acupuncture are still under debate. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the mechanism of acupuncture therapy is explained by a meridian model. According to this model, acupuncture is believed to treat the diseased organs by modulating two conditions known as Yin and Yang, which represent all the opposite principles that people find in the universe, both inside and outside the human body. Yin and Yang complement each other, and are subjected to changes between each other. The balance of Yin and Yang is thought to be maintained by Qi, an energy substance flowing constantly through the meridian, a network connecting all the organs of the body. The illness, according to this theory, is the temporary dominance of one principle over the other, owing to the blockade of the Qi from flowing through the meridian under certain circumstance. The axiom of “No stagnation, No pain” in TCM summarizes this concept. Thus, the goal of acupuncture treatment is to restore the balance of Yin and Yang conditions in the diseased organ(s). This theory has been considered to be useful to guide this ancient therapy, such as carrying out diagnosis, deciding on the principle, and selecting the acupoints.

Written by over 60 scientists and clincicians from the United States, mainland China, Germany, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Portugal and Hong Kong, Current Research in Acupuncture discusses recent advances in acupuncture research in a modern scientific language. The first 5 chapters investigate the basic mechanisms of acupuncture. Later chapters explore topics including acupuncture treatment and potential mechanisms for epilepsy, Parkinson’s diseases, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment, aging, anxiety, polycystic ovary syndrome, pain, nerve root cervical spondylosis, stroke, imflamation, myocardial ischemia and other cardiovascular diseases. Following the translational and clinical discussions, 4 chapters present new prospects for acupuncture theories and applications. The final chapter comments on the pitfalls and problems of the previous studies and suggests direction for future research towards in-depth understanding of acupuncture, along with better application of acupuncture in modern medicine. Each chapter is written by one or more experts in the field. This unique book provides a broad perspective on the principles of acupuncture for acupuncture researchers and neuroscientists. The laboratory and clinical investigations of various acupoints and optimal conditions provide unique clues to acupuncturists for improved clinical efficacy. For a medical student, this book is a modern course in ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine, especially acupuncture. Ying Xia, the chief editor, is Professor and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas Medical School in Houston, Texas, USA. Guanghong Ding is Professor in the Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science at Fudan University and Director of Shanghai Research Center for Acupuncture and Meridians, Shanghai, China. Gen-Cheng Wu is Professor of Neurobiology; Chairman, Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology; Director, Institute of Acupuncture Research; and Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine, at Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

As techniques of physiotherapy have evolved and distinctions between methodologies have blurred, greater emphasis has been placed on Soft-Tissue Manipulation. Dr. Chaitow provides practitioners and students with up-to-date and complete information on the varieties of diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Revised and expanded, this is a complete and indispensable textbook for students and therapists of all schools.

Food and nutrients are the original medicine and the shoulders on which modern medicine stands. But in recent decades, food and medicine have taken divergent paths and the natural healing properties of food have been diminished in the wake of modern technical progress. With contributions from highly regarded experts who work on the frontlines of disease management, the bestselling first edition of Advancing Medicine with Food and Nutrients, Food and Nutrients in Disease Management effectively brought food back into the clinical arena, helping physicians put food and nutrients back on the prescription pad. Board-certified in General Preventive Medicine, Ingrid Kohlstadt, MD, MPH has been elected a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. Guided by Dr. Kohlstadt, this authoritative reference equips clinicians with the information they need to fully utilize nutritional medicine in their practice. New in the Second Edition Toxic exposures such as molds, microbial infections, xenoestrogens, heavy metals, and inert nanoparticles Food safety issues: precautions for patients with preexisting medical conditions, adequate labeling of food allergens such as gluten, potential adverse effects of artificial sweeteners, consequences of applying ionizing radiation to food, food-borne mycotoxins, critical food restrictions following bariatric surgery, precautions for preparing food in the home Consumer advocacy issues on navigating claims of medical foods and dietary supplements Physical forces on nutritional needs, such as ultraviolet light initiating vitamin D synthesis, non-ionizing radiation’s effects on brain glucose metabolism and excess body fat’s effects on inflammation and hydration Preventive medicine and how to preserve resiliency at the individual and public health levels Written by doctors for doctors, Advancing Medicine with Food and Nutrients, Second Edition reunites food and medicine. Buttressed with new evidence, leading physicians on the frontlines of disease management apply the latest scientific advances to the clinical practice of medicine. Each chapter offers adjuncts to standard care, fewer side effects, improved risk reduction, or added quality of life. An article by Ingrid Kohlstadt on education and nutrition appeared in TIME Magazine online on November 12, 2014.