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Acupuncture.Com accepts article contributions. Email
submissions to | Home > Newsletters > August 2003 > | |
Recent Research |
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Auricular Laser Stimulation Not Necessarily Effective For Alcohol Withdrawal |
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| TCM vs. Endangered Animals | |
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Tamura, B.M., et al 2003. Botulinum toxin: application into acupuncture points for migraine. Dermatologic surgery 29(7):749-54. The authors performed studies based on acupuncture principles in order to develop new botulinum toxin application sites for treating migraines. These additional sites are helpful when patients expect results for both their illness and their wrinkles; whereas some patients will show improvement with the classic treatment for wrinkles, additional sites may be required. The authors injected ten patients suffering from migraines with botulinum toxin at easily recognizable acupuncture points. The patients’ migraines improved significantly. Alternative Medicine in a Mainstream World Barrett, B. 2003. Alternative, complementary, and conventional medicine: is integration upon us? Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 9(3):417-27. In attempts to improve their health and/or combat illness, approximately 4 in 10 Americans will use a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy this year. CAM therapies vary widely, with acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine and homeopathy among the more prominent modalities. CAM therapies are used in addition to and/or instead of the more conventional forms of medical care available in U.S. hospitals or licensed physicians' offices. A rapidly increasing interest in CAM has led to a nascent movement aimed at integrating various CAM therapies with the conventional health care system. In Washington State, for example, health insurance coverage for CAM therapies has been mandated, and a number of "integrated" delivery systems have been born. Although the political and economic forces leading to adoption and integration of CAM therapies vary widely by geographic locale, it is likely that some degree of integration will occur throughout much of the United States. Similar processes are occurring in Canada, Europe and Australia and within middle and upper level socioeconomic strata worldwide. This paper identifies potential barriers and facilitators to potential integration, of medical disciplines and argues for an accessible, multidisciplinary and evidence-based, yet humanistic and patient-oriented approach. Auricular Laser Stimulation Not Necessarily Effective For Alcohol Withdrawal Trumpler, F. et al. 2003. Acupuncture for alcohol withdrawal: A randomized controlled trial. Alcohol and Alcoholism 38(4):369-375. Researchers compared auricular laser and needle acupuncture with sham laser stimulation in reducing the duration of alcohol withdrawal. Patients randomized to laser and sham laser had identical withdrawal symptom durations (median four days). Patients randomized to needle stimulation had a shorter duration of withdrawal symptoms (median three days), and tended to have a shorter duration of sedative use, but these differences diminished after adjusting for baseline differences. The data from this pilot trial do not suggest a relevant benefit of auricular laser acupuncture for alcohol withdrawal. A larger trial including adequate sham interventions is needed, however, to reliably determine the effectiveness of any type of auricular acupuncture in this condition. Still, J. 2003. Use of animal products in traditional Chinese medicine: environmental impact and health hazards. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 11(2):118-22. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been increasingly popular in many countries of the world. Some recent textbooks of TCM still recommend formulas containing various animal tissues such as tiger bones, antelope, buffalo or rhino horns, deer antlers, testicles and or penis of the dog, bear or snake bile. Usually animal tissues are combined with medical herbs. In most of the cases, the medical use of the preparations is justified in terms of the rules of TCM. So far, little research has been done to prove the claimed clinical efficacy of TCM animal products. This paper discusses some related ecological, ethico-legal and health concerns such as hunting, breeding and trade with endangered species, quality of the products and alternatives to preparations from endangered species. |
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