Acupuncture: Research

What research is being done in the area of scientific inquiry into acupuncture?

Acupuncture has a long tradition in Chinese Medicine and is increasingly being used in health care settings in the United States.

This is the second roundtable of a two part series on acupuncture, presenting the thoughts of two clinicians who are active in acupuncture research. Part one in this series focused on how they were drawn to the study and practice of acupuncture.

DAVID SOLLARS M.Ac., Lic.Ac.:

David Sollars is the Clinical Director of FirstHealth of Andover, in Andover, Massachusetts. Founded in 1990, the program serves as a practice model that blends the skills of practitioners trained in fields including: acupuncture; oriental medicine; chiropractic rehabilitation; massage therapy; and nutrition counseling. He is a frequent lecturer, consultant and author.

Acupuncture research has certainly aided our profession in the development of effective treatment protocols and establishes more credibility with conventional medical providers. While more research is certainly needed, we have seen a steady increase in funding and interest for learning more about the potential role acupuncture may play in a variety of conditions. As a provider, research is needed to assist us in our communication with both patients and practitioners. When the National Institutes of Health (NIH) came out with their consensus statement in 1997, it gave those of us in practice therapeutic guidance and a powerful bridge building tool. Their statement reinforced what I had seen in practice; that acupuncture could be an effective treatment for pregnancy induced nausea, chemotherapy induced nausea and post operative dental pain. The study also showed some smaller studies findings showing relief of pain from such as a diverse set of conditions such as menstrual cramps, tennis elbow and fibromyalgia. Subsequent studies have continued to provide evidence of potential collaborations such as hypertension, infertility and a wide variety of pain conditions