Sham Acupuncture Study

Clinical Topics: ACOEM Pain, Suffering, and the Restoration of Function Chapter guidelines stress the importance of a time-limited treatment plan with clearly defined functional goals, with frequent assessment and modification of the treatment plan based upon the patient’s progress in meeting those goals, and monitoring from the treating physician is paramount. In addition, CA MTUS Acupuncture Medical Treatment Guidelines state that acupuncture can be used to reduce pain, reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, increase range of motion, decrease the side effect of medication-induced nausea, promote relaxation in an anxious patient, and reduce muscle spasm. Furthermore, guidelines state that time to produce functional improvement of 3 – 6 treatments. The patient has chronic neck pain. The latest progress report indicated that the pain is rated 9/10-scale level. Medications and PT have been tried and provided minimal improvement is her pain. The guidelines support 3 to 6 treatments of acupuncture to produce functional improvement. In addition, the latest progress report discussed about continued acupuncture 2X4. It is unclear if the patient has received acupuncture treatment for the cervical spine before. If yes; number of sessions completed to date, functional improvement and pain relief from the prior treatment should be documented. Additional information is required to certify the request. Recommend

I decided to become an osteopathic physician mainly because I want to learn more about osteopathic manipulation technique (OMT), which will provide me an invaluable tool to treat patients. As an alternative treatment option to drugs and surgeries, it often works quicker and has fewer side effects. During my shadowing with Dr. Truong, a graduate from VCOM, he demonstrated me OMT, such as muscle energy, counter-strain, high-velocity low-amplitude. He used OMM and acupuncture to help his patients relieve pain. I witnessed how he used acupuncture on patients and brought immediate relief to suffering patients during

The traditional Chinese treatment of acupuncture is an affective alternative medicine that has been around for thousands of years. Acupuncture is one of the most researched and documented alternative medicines around (Acupuncture). Although a vast majority of people believe Western medicine is the only cure to sickness, many people benefit from acupuncture everyday. Most people disregard the ancient art all together without giving it a chance because are scared of the needles it involves. Also, since no accurate scientific explanation of how and why it works has been found, people shy away from it. The healing powers of the body are taken to a whole different level with this alternative medicine.

Acupuncture can be used to treat osteoarthritis. It is based on an idea that there are channels throughout the body called “meridians” and that these allow the transport of an energy known as “Qi.” (NHS. 2012. Acupuncture.) Generally, acupuncture involves the insertion of needles at specific points along the body - these are known as “acupoints.” This insertion is thought to lead to the movement of Qi throughout the body, which causes biomedical changes that result in the “promotion of physical and emotional well-being” through the release of endorphins. (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) Inserting needles at specific acupoints to treat osteoarthritis sends a message to the brain that assists in the reduction of “sensitivity to pain and stress.” (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) This reduction in pain can allow for a better range of movement, thus function.

* Acupuncture is said to help relieve pain by either diverting or changing the painful sensations that are sent to the brain to then alert you to the pain within the body. (Arthritis Research UK)

Many people will experience many physical factors such as pain and mobility problems, some individuals may feel that it’s best to take orthodox medicines which are the best pain relief or option for them, this includes treatments such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. However, some people might have side effects from medicines, therefore they choose to have alternatives, such as, massage and acupuncture. This means that pain can be taken away without any side

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical treatment for multiple issues, and is characterized by needles being strategically inserted into pressure points on the body to relieve symptoms. This is believed to reset you qi or life force within your body. This practice is carried out by acupuncturists all over the world. In western medicine, while we don’t know the exact mechanism of action, it is thought to increase blood flow and raise natural painkiller levels in the body. This rise in natural painkillers and increased blood flow are the major benefits of acupuncture. The risks are very few, there is a very limited chance of organ damage, infection, or soreness after a treatment (Mayo Clinic 2012).

In this academic journal Melanie Brown reports the benefits and experiences of using alternative and conventional methods to treat muscular skeletal pain. In this study Brown explains the methods people use to indicate what is going wrong or what is causing them problems and the methods they use in order to treat said ailment. Brown explains the methods and treatments used to treat muscular skeletal treatment, but she also shows the methods she used to collect the information. Brown used questionnaires, interviews,

Sham-acupuncture has shown that the results for it and acupuncture are fairly similar. It is possible that the percentages of acupuncture and sham-acupuncture are similar because they were both the result of a placebo effect. The percentage for both acupuncture and sham-acupuncture were only 50% or less, showing that there is not a large majority of success in the reduction of pain. Since both acupuncture and sham-acupuncture were not effective on a larger scale, it gives more evidence to the possibility of the results being a placebo effect.

Low back pain has been a major activity limitation for many people below the age of 45 years in the United States (Andersson, 1999). According to a study conducted in the U.S. in 1997, there are 54 percent patients that report back pain and using complementary therapy (Wolsko et al., 2003). Another survey conducted in 2002 indicated that while back pain led to most frequent patient visits to acupuncturists across U.S (Cherkin et al., 2002). Western countries still experience many case of chronic low back pain which can be attributable to high medical expenses, decline in productivity, as well as disability. There still exists a variety of standard treatments although some have not been cleared as affective. Acupuncture is a contemporary as well as alternative treatment strategy for patients wilt low back pains although there are questions from previous systematic reviews that were inconclusive on the results of acupuncture treatment strategy for low back pain. These statistics indicate a high level of public concern hence strengthening the relevance for asking whether acupuncture gives positive results in the treatment of back pain. Therefore this research seeks to gain evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the positive results of acupuncture in treatment of low back pain.

Acupuncture is gaining popularity as numerous claims are being made to its validity and effectiveness. Although many studies and experiments regarding acupuncture have been done, the scientific basis of the principles of this alternative approach still remains unclear (http://www.health.org/pubs/acu-nih.htm).

Starting in China, this strategy for active recuperation uses the arrangement of needles that are embedded into the dermis to invigorate foreordained needle therapy focuses along specific channels of vitality of the body that can treat an assortment of infirmities including headaches, back torment, digestive issues and even weight reduction. The needle therapy channels are recommended for various regions of the body to help with nerves, respiratory, circulatory, solid, skeletal, organs including the skin or body parts, for example, the feet or legs. There are infirmities this treatment is more successful with than others so conventional restorative screenings and intercession are exhorted notwithstanding needle therapy. An acupuncturist can basically help numerous men and ladies to normally get their transitory or long haul condition under

Acupuncture is effective as a sports injury treatment because of its ability to increase range of motion,

177). Garcia-Escamilla, Rodriguez-Martin, and Martinez-Vizcaino (2016) found that "some recent evidences support the benefits of acupuncture integration into conventional medicine setting, particularly improvements in physical and emotional symptoms, increased quality of life levels and reduction of drug side effects" (p. 178). Acupuncture can easily be considered supplemental or complementary to Western medicine in that acupuncture provides a service that Western medicine does not offer (Garcia-Escamilla, Rodriguez-Martin, & Martinez-Vizcaino, 2016, p. 195). Offering or remaining open to alternative therapies may help improve relationships between provider and patient by providing the feeling that the physician is not giving up and is willing into look into a full breadth of treatment options (AAMA,

Acupuncture is the science of healing with needles through energy channels; it has a rich history and is now used around the world. The real question is, is acupuncture effective? How can we simply prove that sticking needles into a person’s body is actually taking away their pain or disease? How do we go from believing completely in Western Medicine to believing in Eastern Medicine? Although acupuncture is an Eastern form of healing, it has gained much credibility and respect in the West.