Alternative Medicine Goes Mainstream

Read the January 21st 2008 U.S. News and World Report article which discusses how top ten hospitals are now embracing acupuncture.

Acupuncture Helps Back Pain

From the Chicago Associated Press, September 2007, German researchers have found that almost half the patients treated with acupuncture needles felt relief that lasted months.  In contrast, only about a quarter of the patients receiving medications and other Western medical treatments felt better.

Studies Find Acupuncture Cuts Post-Surgical Pain

From researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina who analyzed the results of 15 clinical trials September 2007, they concluded that patients getting acupuncture before or during various types of operations had significantly less pain afterward than patients who did not get acupuncture.

Chinese Herbs Reduce Post-Chemo Nausea

From the Annals of Oncology, March 2007, researchers from Hong Kong, China and England's University of Birmingham evaluated the effects of Chinese herbal medicine on 120 patients with early-stage breast or colon cancer. It was found that mild to medium levels of nausea were found in 14.6% of patients treated with Chinese herbs, as opposed to 35.7% of the control group. It was noted that the use of Chinese herbal medicine may "have a significant impact on control of nausea."

Acupuncture-Massage Helps After Cancer Surgery

From the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, March 2007, a study conducted by the University of California San Francisco found that two days of acupuncture and massage, in addition to post-operative care, led to a steeper decline for patients with pain symptoms over three days of measurement, as compared to those who received standard post-op care alone.

Tai Chi Effective Addition to Immunity Against Shingles, New Study Finds

From the National Institutes of Health, April 2007, a study reports that tai chi appears to significantly increase the effectiveness of the varicella vaccine, as well , giving even greater immunity to those who receive the vaccine and participated in a tai chi program.

Tension Headaches Dramatically Reduced by Acupuncture

From the British Medical Journal, July 2005, a randomized trial in Germany found that acupuncture cut tension headache rates almost in half.  Researchers divided 270 patients who reported similar tension headaches into three groups. Over eight weeks, one group received traditional acupuncture, one received minimal acupuncture and one received sham acupuncture. The group receiving traditional acupuncture reported headache rates of nearly half that of those who received no treatments. The improvements lasted for months after the treatments had ended, rising slightly after time.