Neurobiology Of Acupuncture

This book summarises the recent development in acupuncture research and in particular, the neurobiology of acupuncture. It provides a focus but a diverse range of subjects covering many body systems. The first a few chapters discuss the basic principles of acupuncture, then its modulatory effects on nervous system such as induction of neurotrophin and neurogenesis in the brain. Late chapters explore the clinical effects and potential mechanisms of acupuncture on different conditions ranging from neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and stroke, to psychiatric illnesses, insomnia, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases and drug addiction. We believe this will promote the understanding acupuncture treatment and enhance acupuncture research in the future. This volume of International Review of Neurobiology brings together cutting-edge research on the neurobiology of acupuncture It reviews current knowledge and understanding, provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners entering the field, and builds a platform for further research and discovery

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.

Neuropuncture is the clinical manual of a groundbreaking acupuncture system that incorporates neuroscience into its clinical applications for pain management, orthopaedic conditions and internal medicine. It shows acupuncturists how to apply research into the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture and electrical acupuncture to the traditional TCM model of healthcare. The book explains how acupuncture works using Western medical science and illustrates how to apply this knowledge to clinical cases with electrical acupuncture, creating evidence-based acupuncture protocols. These protocols are clinically proven and result in reproducible clinical outcomes.

This book systematically introduces the Brain in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its acupuncture treatments. It discusses the origin and development of the TCM Brain theory, and presents current research on brain and acupuncture, the unique brain related techniques such as scalp acupuncture and Dao-qi technique, the new developing acupuncture treatment methods for brain-related conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, autism, cerebral palsy and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder among others. This book is of interest to TCM and acupuncture practitioners in the West, as well as acupuncture researchers and lecturers. It gives a new understanding of the brain and treatments for brain-related conditions from a complementary medicine point of view.

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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.

This book introduces essential advances in acupuncture studies using multi-modality neuroimaging, which provides insights into how specific brain networks are involved in acupuncture effects in humans. Stimulating different acupoints to treat various clinical conditions is usually accompanied by multi-dimensional physiological as well as psychological responses, which are regulated by the central nervous system. The book addresses disease-specific neural correlates and acupuncture-targeted regulatory encoding in the brain, and explains the temporal-spatial encoding in brain networks to clarify the acupuncture mechanisms. By highlighting the targeting mechanisms of typical indications of acupuncture, this book provides a scientific explanation for acupuncture therapy.