Research on TCM, particularly on acupuncture as a medical treatment, has grown exponentially over the last 20 years, growing twice as fast as research on conventional biomedicine. Over 13,000 studies have been conducted in 60 countries during this period, including hundreds of meta-analyses summarizing the results of thousands of human and animal studies. A wide range of clinical areas have been studied, including pain, cancer, pregnancy, stroke, mood disorders, sleep disorders and inflammation, to name a few.
“It is no longer possible to say that the effectiveness of acupuncture is due to the placebo effect or that it is only useful for musculoskeletal pain.”¹
The Acupuncture Evidence Project studied the effectiveness of acupuncture for 122 treatments in 14 clinical areas. They found evidence of efficacy for 117 conditions. “Our study found evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness for 117 conditions, with stronger evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness for some conditions than others. Acupuncture is considered safe in the hands of a well-trained practitioner and has been shown to be cost-effective for some conditions. The quality and quantity of research on the effectiveness of acupuncture is increasing.
Acupuncture has moderate to strong evidence of effectiveness in treating 46 conditions, according to Evidence Based Acupuncture, as shown in the table below. This strong scientific support is impressive and helpful for patients, leaving the other methods of TCM, such as Chinese medicines, cupping, Gua sha, Tuina and dietetics still ahead.
Acupuncture is better proven for many conditions than many conventional treatments and is relatively safe. Patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators can be confident that recommending acupuncture for many patients is a safe, cost-effective, and evidence-based recommendation.
Acupuncture is better proven for many conditions than many conventional treatments and is relatively safe. Patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators can be confident that recommending acupuncture for many patients is a safe, cost-effective, and evidence-based recommendation.
Our competent therapists use such platforms and the evidence they contain for their everyday treatments and strategies to offer you the best possible healing opportunities. Your feedback and the effective treatment success are considered. In this way, your individual treatment strategies are worked out and determined with you.
If you have a condition that is listed here or you have not yet found a solution for it, take another step on the path to your recovery and book an appointment with us!
In case you are still thirsty for knowledge, here is a list of studies and research results that show that TCM is a successful treatment method for many chronic diseases:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
The results of a study on IBS indicate that treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbs are effective and safe methods that support healing.²
Migraine:
Manual acupuncture is shown to be prophylactically beneficial for migraine.³
Loss of smell and taste:
Recent study results confirm that acupuncture is an effective option for the treatment of loss of smell and taste following infectious disease.⁴
Sleep disorders:
Acupuncture has proven to be a successful measure for sleep disturbances, as it stimulates and regulates brain areas that are responsible for sleep.⁵
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – from myth to evidence:
Sources
Illustrations
“Publication quantity of TCM RCT in 2000-2019”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jebm.12420
(online, 2.11.2022)
«Review of systematic reviews of acupuncture for numerous conditions»
https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/acupuncture-scientific-evidence/
(online, 2.11.2022)
Text
Online unter:
https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/ (2.11.2022)
- Janz, Stephen. 2019.
- Yan, J., Miao, ZW., Lu, J., et al. 2019. Acupuncture plus Chinese Herbal Medicine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31110553/ (19.10.2022) - Xu S., Yu L., Luo X., et al., 2020, Manual acupuncture versus sham acupuncture and usual care for prophylaxis of episodic migraine without aura: multicentre, randomised clinical trial. BMJ.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32213509/ (10.08.2022) - Drews, T., Hummel, T., Rochlitzer, B. et al., 2022, Acupuncture is associated with a positive effect on odour discrimination in patients with postinfectious smell loss – a controlled prospective study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 1329 – 1334. Schweiz: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00405-021-06872-9 (10.08.2022)
- Wang YK., Li T., Ha LJ., et al., 2020,Effectiveness and cerebral responses of multi-points acupuncture for primary insomnia: a preliminary randomized clinical trial and fMRI study. BMC Complement Med Ther.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430003/ (10.08.2022)
