Acupuncture helps to glean new insights for biomedical research

Leading acupuncture researchers in the world identified at least 5 areas where research into acupuncture has helped to glean new insights for biomedical research:

• Research into acupuncture analgesia has expanded into neuroimaging research, broadening physiologic understanding and treatment of chronic pain;
• Acupuncture needle has become a tool to enhance biomedical knowledge of connective tissue;
• Use of a modified acupuncture needle as a sham device, focuses on emergent understanding of placebo effects and, in turn, on insights into therapeutic encounters in treatments unrelated to acupuncture;
• Two medical devices now in widespread use: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators for pain control and anti-nausea wrist bands, were inspired by acupuncture;
• Pragmatic clinical trial designs applied in acupuncture research have informed current general interest in comparative effectiveness research.

Read the full paper here.