EEG, 5-HTP-metabolism and acupuncture

Acupuncture for the treatment of obesity: a review of the evidence

Although acupuncture is being utilized to treat a variety of important health problems, its usefulness in obesity management has not yet been fully evaluated. The aim of this review paper was to survey and critically evaluate the descriptive and controlled trials of acupuncture for enhancing weight loss. The underlying principles of acupoint stimulation are described, with an emphasis on auricular (ear) acupuncture, the method most often chosen for obesity studies. The difficulties of selecting suitable placebo controls are highlighted. To date, most trials have been descriptive in nature, of short duration (< or = 12 weeks), and designed using nonstandard treatment protocols. Despite the unique challenges involved, further careful study of acupuncture's potential usefulness as an adjunct in weight management is recommended. An agenda for future research in this area is provided.

What is being stimulated in acupuncture: evaluation of the existence of a specific substrate

This review surveys the available publications from within and without China on the question of "What is being stimulated in acupuncture?" Although a definite answer is not yet forthcoming, indirect evidence is available to afford a few speculations. By far, the most convincing results indicate that expression of acupuncture effects definitely involves the nervous system. Answers to how acupuncture is linked to the nervous system, however, are still equivocal. On one extreme, acupuncture is equated to direct nerve stimulation. On the other, circumstantial evidence from biophysical, physiologic and pathologic approaches implicates some form of specificity for the acupuncture points, although no well-defined anatomic entity is available. It is proposed that an open-minded attitude towards acupuncture is essential for establishing the valid aspects of this practice.

Acupuncture--cultural perspectives. 1. The Western view

While acupuncture has been popularized in the lay press for the past decade, its therapeutic efficacy has often been clouded by issues of Oriental mystique and difficulties in understanding a foreign medical system. Numerous studies have explored the mechanism by which acupuncture works. The effects of acupuncture constitute a generalized systemic reaction with far-reaching consequences. Acupuncture has numerous clinical applications in obstetrics and dentistry, as well as use in the treatment of asthma, musculoskeletal disorders, various addictions, angina pectoris, peptic ulcer disease, functional bowel disorders, and acute bacillary dysentery.