Society for Acupuncture Research: 2007 Conference Report: “The Status and Future of Acupuncture Research: 10 Years Post–NIH Consensus Conference”

Schnyer, Rosa N.; Lao, Lixing; Hammerschlag, Richard; Wayne, Peter M.; Langevin, Hélène M.; Napadow, Vitaly; Harris, Richard E.; Park, Jong-Bae; Milley, Ryan J.; Cohen, Misha; MacPherson, Hugh

doi:10.1089/acm.2008.sar-2

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…In recent decades, the practice of acupuncture has become increasingly prevalent world-wide, including being administered in leading academic medical centers [2–4]. In spite of this, the credibility and specific therapeutic applications for acupuncture are still highly debated in the medical community [1, 5–8]. The quantity, quality, origin, and nature of existing acupuncture research evidence play a central role in informing this debate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed

Dong²,

et al. 2016

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ObjectiveAcupuncture has become popular and widely practiced in many countries around the world. Despite the large amount of acupuncture-related literature that has been published, broader trends in the prevalence and scope of acupuncture research remain underexplored. The current study quantitatively analyzes trends in acupuncture research publications in the past 20 years.MethodsA bibliometric approach was used to search PubMed for all acupuncture-related research articles including clinical and animal studies. Inclusion criteria were articles published between 1995 and 2014 with sufficient information for bibliometric analyses. Rates and patterns of acupuncture publication within the 20 year observational period were estimated, and compared with broader publication rates in biomedicine. Identified eligible publications were further analyzed with respect to study type/design, clinical condition addressed, country of origin, and journal impact factor.ResultsA total of 13,320 acupuncture-related publications were identified using our search strategy and eligibility criteria. Regression analyses indicated an exponential growth in publications over the past two decades, with a mean annual growth rate of 10.7%. This compares to a mean annual growth rate of 4.5% in biomedicine. A striking trend was an observed increase in the proportion of randomized clinical trials (RCTs), from 7.4% in 1995 to 20.3% in 2014, exceeding the 4.5% proportional growth of RCTs in biomedicine. Over the 20 year period, pain was consistently the most common focus of acupuncture research (37.9% of publications). Other top rankings with respect to medical focus were arthritis, neoplasms/cancer, pregnancy or labor, mood disorders, stroke, nausea/vomiting, sleep, and paralysis/palsy. Acupuncture research was conducted in 60 countries, with the top 3 contributors being China (47.4%), United States (17.5%), and United Kingdom (8.2%). Retrieved articles were published mostly in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals with impact factors ranging between 0.7 and 2.8 in the top 20 journals, followed by journals specializing in neuroscience, pain, anesthesia/analgesia, internal medicine and comprehensive fields.ConclusionAcupuncture research has grown markedly in the past two decades, with a 2-fold higher growth rate than for biomedical research overall. Both the increases in the proportion of RCTs and the impact factor of journals support that the quality of published research has improved. While pain was a consistently dominant research focus, other topics gained more attention during this time period. These findings provide a context for analyzing strengths and gaps in the current state of acupuncture research, and for informing a comprehensive strategy for further advancing the field.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed

Dong²,

et al. 2016

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“…Consistent with the 1997 NIH finding that evidence in support of medical applications of acupuncture was weak, at present, there is insufficient data to argue for the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of unprovoked vulvodynia, and no data on the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of provoked vulvodynia [24]. Therefore, it is understandable that American guidelines for the treatment of vulvodynia exclude acupuncture [5].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Vulvodynia Treated with Acupuncture or Electromyographic Biofeedback

Nwanodi¹,

Tidman²

2014

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First, second, and third line medical treatments of vulvodynia are of limited efficacy. Surgical resection, the fourth line treatment of vulvodynia, may have unforgiving sequela. Therefore, acupuncture and electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback could bridge between medical and surgical treatments of vulvodynia. Of note, EMG biofeedback is more frequently recommended in treatment algorithms for vulvodynia than is acupuncture. Trials of acupuncture for unprovoked vulvodynia demonstrate variable efficacy, whereas trials of EMG biofeedback for provoked vulvodynia demonstrate consistent efficacy. Trials of acupuncture for treatment of provoked and unprovoked vulvodynia using identical acupoints, a vulvar algesiometer for objective pain measurement, and standardized, validated, tools for outcome assessment are needed. Such trials may enable comparison of acupuncture to EMG biofeedback for the treatment of provoked and unprovoked vulvodynia. Similarly, trials of EMG biofeedback for treatment of unprovoked vulvodynia would increase the knowledge base of EMG biofeedback for treatment of vulvodynia.

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“…Further studies may perhaps reveal similarities and differences and help explain the complex mechanisms involved [4,5].…”

Section: Applying Biolitementioning

confidence: 99%

Biolite: A Patented Ultra-Low-Level Laser-Therapy Device for Treating Musculoskeletal Pain and Associated Impairments

Gallamini¹,

D’Angelo

Belloni³

2015

Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies

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After an excursus on state-of-the-art knowledge for low-level laser therapy (LLLT), Biolite, a patented ultra-low-level laser therapy device used to treat musculoskeletal pain and associated impairments, is presented. The application protocols include short stimulation of sequences of acupuncture points. The observed effects seem, however, to be far from those that might be expected after acupuncture. The primary effect seems more likely to be an extracellular soft-tissue matrix reaction. The development of the technique, the studies performed, and the evidence collected over > 10 years suggest that specifically modulated laser light can interact with human tissues at light fluences well under those previously considered as being capable of having any effect. Musculoskeletal pain very often becomes an autonomous dysfunction that is independent of the original injury and that can be effectively treated using specific peripheral acupuncture-like stimulation. Because such acupuncture is capable of reducing motor control "interferences" from noxious stimuli, it can improve motor control performance, thereby reducing the risk of falls in the elderly individuals. The proposal of acupuncture-derived protocols to be applied by Western physiotherapists using an ultra-low-level laser therapy device is a further "bridge" between two different, and sometimes very different, clinical worlds to better serve our patients.

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Society for Acupuncture Research: 2007 Conference Report: “The Status and Future of Acupuncture Research: 10 Years Post–NIH Consensus Conference”

Cited by 18 publications

References 1 publication

Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed

Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed

Vulvodynia Treated with Acupuncture or Electromyographic Biofeedback

Biolite: A Patented Ultra-Low-Level Laser-Therapy Device for Treating Musculoskeletal Pain and Associated Impairments

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