Center for Devices and Radiological Health: An Overview of Acupuncture

摘要

After a brief description of the practice of acupuncture, the document provides an overview of acupuncture, including the following: (1) Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine (the Qi paradigm), which has no direct correlate in Western physiology. (2) Acupuncture is practiced by physicians and non-physicians; more than half the states accept and regulate non-physician acupuncturists. (3) Acupuncture needles are specialized devices, and must be labeled investigational. (4) Most experimental scientific research has focused on analgesia produced by needle stimulation of the nervous system (which increases endorphin and monoamine productions). (5) Conducting human clinical trials for evaluating efficacy is difficult, and such trials have not yielded compelling results. However, clinical trial data favors efficacy for control of pain of different etiologies and for reduction of alcohol recidivism. (6) The annual number of patient visits may be ten million, enough to support the practice of acupuncture at an estimated annual level of half billion dollars. (7) Part of the health care community has accepted acupuncture: (i) the American Osteopathic Association endorses acupuncture, (ii) many health insurance companies, including Medicaid in some states, cover acupuncture treatments, (iii) a few medical schools teach acupuncture, and (iv) the World Health Organization recognizes the utility of acupuncture. (8) The justice system uses acupuncture in the treatment of certain parolees.