Center for Health and Healing

<html><head> <title>The Center for Health & Healing</title> <link rel=stylesheet href="../chhstyle.css" type="text/css"> <meta name="keywords" content="acupuncture,review,pain,fibromyalgia,headache,nausea,TMJ"> <script language="JavaScript">  </script> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"> <base target="_top"> <a name="head"></a> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="98%"> <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="95%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="500" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="5%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="60" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="left" valign="top"><a name="top"></a><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="24" border="0" alt=""></td> <td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding:0px 0px 0px 5px"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#95a920" align="left" valign="top"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="274" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td align="right"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="123" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr>  <tr> <td bgcolor="#95a920" width="274" align="left" valign="top" class="title">Research & Guidelines</td> <td align="right">  <form name="form1" method="post" action=""> <select name="menu1" onChange="MM_jumpMenu('top',this,0)"> <option value="#" selected="selected">Select One</option> <option value='gen_clinical.asp'>General</option> <option value='accu_clinical.asp'>Acupuncture</option> <option value='acupress_clinical.asp'>Acupressure/Shiatsu</option> <option value='alexander_clinical.asp'>Alexander Technique</option> <option value='aroma_clinical.asp'>Aromatherapy</option> <option value='art_clinical.asp'>Art Therapy</option> <option value='bio_clinical.asp'>Biofeedback</option> <option value='chiro_clinical.asp'>Chiropractic</option> <option value='cog_clinical.asp'>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy</option> <option value='cranio_clinical.asp'>Cranial Therapy</option> <option value='dance_clinical.asp'>Dance Therapy</option> <option value='exercise_clinical.asp'>Exercise</option> <option value='feldenkrais_clinical.asp'>Feldenkrais Method</option> <option value='herbal_clinical.asp'>Herbal Medicine</option> <option value='homeo_clinical.asp'>Homeopathy</option> <option value='hypnosis_clinical.asp'>Hypnosis</option> <option value='imagery_clinical.asp'>Imagery</option> <option value='massage_clinical.asp'>Massage Therapy</option> <option value='meditation_clinical.asp'>Meditation/Relaxation</option> <option value='music_clinical.asp'>Music Therapy</option> <option value='nutrition_clinical.asp'>Nutrition/Supplementation</option> <option value='osteo_clinical.asp'>Osteopathy</option> <option value='prayer_clinical.asp'>Prayer</option> <option value='xigong_clinical.asp'>Qigong</option> <option value='reiki_clinical.asp'>Reiki</option> <option value='rolfing_clinical.asp'>Rolfing</option> <option value='taichi_clinical.asp'>Tai Chi</option> <option value='tens_clinical.asp'>TENS</option> <option value='therap_clinical.asp'>Therapeutic Touch</option> <option value='trager_clinical.asp'>Trager Approach</option> <option value='yoga_clinical.asp'>Yoga</option> </select> </form> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td> </td> </tr>  <tr> <td valign="top" width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table width="120" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;"> <tr> <td> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="accu_clinical.asp">Clinical Studies</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOn" href="accu_reviews.asp">Reviews of Clinical Studies</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="accu_resprog.asp">Research in Progress</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="accu_resissues2.asp">Research Issues</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="accu_recguide.asp">Recommendations & Guidelines</a></p> <p><a class="leftNavOff" href="accu_rescentr.asp">Research at the Center</a></p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">  <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td nowrap="nowrap" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px 0px;"> <p class="headline"><br> Acupuncture  Reviews of Clinical Studies</p> </td> <td width="100%"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td width="100%" bgcolor="ffffff" height="1"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="ffffff" colspan="2"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="10" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr> </table>  <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td class='content'> <p><b>Back Pain</b><br /> Manheimer E, White A, Berman B, et al. Meta-analysis: acupuncture for low back pain. <i>Annals of Internal Medicine</i>. 142(8):651-663, 2005.<br /> To assess acupunctures effectiveness for treating low back pain, randomized controlled trials were identified that compared needle acupuncture with sham acupuncture, other sham treatments, no additional treatment, or another active treatment for patients with low back pain. The 33 randomized trials included in this review were grouped according to acute or chronic pain, style of acupuncture and type of control group used. For the primary outcome measure of short-term chronic pain relief, the meta-analysis showed that acupuncture is significantly more effective than sham treatment and no additional treatment. Acupuncture effectively relieves chronic low back pain. No evidence suggests that acupuncture is more effective than other active therapies.</p> <p>Ernst E, White AR. Acupuncture for back pain: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. <i>Archives of Internal Medicine.</i> 158(20):2235-41, 1998.<br /> The data from 9 studies were subjected to meta-analysis. Acupuncture was shown to be superior to various control interventions (the odds ratio of improvement with acupuncture vs. control was 2.30). There was not enough evidence to state that it is superior to placebo.</p> <p><b>Dental Pain</b><br /> Ernst E, Pittler MH. The effectiveness of acupuncture in treating acute dental pain: a systematic review. <i>British Dental Journal.</i> 184(9):443-7, 1998.<br /> In an analysis of 16 controlled trials, the majority of studies indicate that acupuncture is effective in dental analgesia. Future trials are recommended in order to identify the optimal acupuncture technique and its efficacy compared with conventional analgesic methods. </p> <p><b>Dentistry</b><br /> Rosted P. The use of acupuncture in dentistry: a systematic review. <i>Acupuncture Medicine. </i>16(1):43-8, 1998.<br /> Of 15 studies meeting 60-85% of identified inclusion criteria (reference group, randomization, blinding, appropriate statistics, adequate follow-up), 11 found standard acupuncture either more effective than sham acupuncture or producing better or similar results to an accepted treatment procedure. All studies in the excellent or good categories showed positive results for acupuncture. Acupuncture proved effective in 73% of reviewed papers for the treatment of temporomandibular dysfunction or as an analgesic. </p> <p><b>Fibromyalgia</b><br /> Berman BM, Ezzo J, Hadhazy V, Swyers JP. Is acupuncture effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia? <i>Journal of Family Practice.</i> 48(3):213-8, 1999. <br /> Seven studies were included, 3 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies. Only one was rated as a high quality study. This study suggests that real acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture for pain relief, increasing pain thresholds, improving global ratings and reducing morning stiffness. Some patients reported no benefit and a few reported worsening of fibromyalgia pain. Duration of benefit as well as the effect of follow up acupuncture sessions were not investigated. Lower quality studies reported similar findings. Further high quality studies are recommended. </p> <p><b>Headache</b><br /> Melchart D, Lide K, Rischer P, White A, Allais G, Vicker A, Berman B. Acupuncture for recurrent headaches: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. <i>Cephalgia. </i>19(9):779-786, 1999. <br /> Twenty-two trials were reviewed (15 for migraine, 6 for tension headache, 1 for various headaches) for a total of 1042 patients. The majority of the 14 trials comparing true and sham acupuncture showed at least a trend in favor of true acupuncture. The 8 trials comparing acupuncture and other forms of treatment revealed contradictory findings. The authors concluded that the existing evidence suggests that acupuncture has a role in the treatment of recurrent headaches, but that further high quality, large-scale trials are needed to more definitively assess efficacy. </p> <p><b>Nausea and Vomiting</b><br /> Vickers, AJ. Can acupuncture have specific effects on health? A systematic review of acupuncture antiemesis trials. <i>Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.</i> 89(6):303-11, 1996. <br /> Thirty-three controlled trials using P6 acupuncture point for the treatment of nausea and/or vomiting associated with chemotherapy, pregnancy or surgery showed acupuncture statistically superior to control in 27 of 29 trials, and equal or inferior to control in four trials in which it was administered under anesthesia. In twelve high quality randomized control trials where acupuncture was not administered under anesthesia, eleven of the trials involving almost 2000 patients showed a positive effect of P6, suggesting it to be an effective antiemetic technique. </p> <p><b>Neck Pain</b><br /> White AR, Ernst E. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for neck pain. <i>Rheumatology</i>. 38(2):143-47, 1999.<br /> Fourteen randomized controlled trials comparing needle or laser acupuncture with a control were equally divided between positive and negative. Acupuncture was either equal to or superior to physiotherapy in three studies but not superior to sham control in four out of five studies. Five of the eight high quality trials were negative. Further well-designed controlled clinical trials are called for. </p> <p><b>Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting</b><br /> Lee A, Done ML. The use of nonpharmacologic techniques to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis. <i>Anesthesia & Analgesia.</i> 88(6):1362-9, 1999.<br /> This systematic review looked at the results of 19 randomized trials utilizing acupuncture, electroacupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acupoint stimulation and acupressure. Nonpharmacologic techniques were equal to antiemetic drugs in preventing early vomiting and late vomiting in adults, and were better than placebo for early nausea and early vomiting. No benefit was found in children. </p> <p><b>Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction</b><br /> Ernst, E, White, AR. Acupuncture as a treatment for temporomandibular joint dysfunction: a systematic review of randomized trials. <i>Archives of Otolaryngology  Head & Neck Surgery.</i> 125(3):269-72, 1999. <br /> A review of randomized controlled trials testing acupuncture vs. sham acupuncture, standard therapy or no treatment at all showed acupunctures effectiveness for temporomandibular joint dysfunction, but did not control for a placebo effect. </p> <a href='#head' target='_self' class='disclaimer'>Top</a> <p class="timestamp">Content last modified on Jul 1, 2005</p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/bg_curve.gif" width="60" height="300" align="right" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="200" border="0" alt=""></td> </tr>  <tr> <td width="149" bgcolor="ffffff"> </td> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="ffffff"> <p> </p> <p class="copyright">©2002 Center for Health and Healing</p> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>