Mechanism Of Acupuncture Therapy And Clinical Case Studies

An informative and provocative text, this book describes the current status of knowledge and challenges scientists to better define acupuncture therapy. The first section covers the scientific basis and mechanism of acupuncture, particularly in relation to the cardiovascular system. The second section is devoted to clinical case studies, illustrating that scientific knowledge can be integrated with traditional concepts in Chinese medicine to provide effective treatments. It is a useful reference guide for advanced students and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, as well as scientists conducting physiological and pharmacological research.

Acupuncture is a medical procedure that primarily focuses on pain relief. The treatment involves undergoing a course of needles that are inserted to specific points. This therapy originated in traditional Chinese medicine. This book on acupuncture deals with the various therapies, ancient and modern, that have become popular among practitioners. Different remedies have different effects on the muscles according to the acuteness of the pain and the general condition of the patient have also been discussed. Case studies that reflect the varied ways in which acupuncture can be applied are elucidated in this book. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.

Acupuncture is rapidly moving out of the arena of "alternative" medicine, in large part because it is grounded more firmly than other alternative treatments in research. This book provides readers with the up-to-date information on the clinical bases of acupuncture.

Acupuncture in Manual Therapy is a comprehensive overview of manual therapy interventions combined with acupuncture management of musculoskeletal disorders covering all major joints of the body. The book is intended to offer physiotherapists and students of acupuncture a clinical reasoning model, whilst supporting suggested interventions with the relevant evidence base in order to alleviate pain, restore function and facilitate rehabilitation within musculoskeletal management. It places an emphasis on the neurophysiological processes of pain management stressing the importance of using the correct intervention for the relevant presenting pain mechanism. Each chapter discusses suggested manual intervention, acupuncture evidence and physiological processes underpinning this combined approach to musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction including meridian acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, electroacupuncture, tens and trigger point acupuncture as a means of addressing the varying pain patterns presented within musculoskeletal rehabilitation. This book provides knowledge from distinctive and prominent contributors from the world of manual therapy and acupuncture whilst this expertise is further supported by the provision of student case studies to offer support and enhance learning.

Acupuncture Treatment for Musculoskeletal Pain covers the basics of acupuncture theory and explains the precepts of Eastern medicine. The text is written for orthopaedic surgeons, anesthesiologists and rehabilitation medicine specialists, and will aid them in their diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal pain -- both acute and chronic -- as well as arthritis. Readers of the text will progress on a journey through healing that will serve as a useful adjunct to the procedures and medications currently in use. The author breaks the subject down into three sections: Basics of Acupuncture, Acupuncture Treatment of the Muscoloskeletal Acupuncture Points and Indications, and Special Techniques.

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.

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.