This book summarises the recent development in acupuncture research and in particular, the neurobiology of acupuncture. It provides a focus but a diverse range of subjects covering many body systems. The first a few chapters discuss the basic principles of acupuncture, then its modulatory effects on nervous system such as induction of neurotrophin and neurogenesis in the brain. Late chapters explore the clinical effects and potential mechanisms of acupuncture on different conditions ranging from neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and stroke, to psychiatric illnesses, insomnia, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases and drug addiction. We believe this will promote the understanding acupuncture treatment and enhance acupuncture research in the future. - This volume of International Review of Neurobiology brings together cutting-edge research on the neurobiology of acupuncture - It reviews current knowledge and understanding, provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners entering the field, and builds a platform for further research and discovery

This book systematically introduces the Brain in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its acupuncture treatments. It discusses the origin and development of the TCM Brain theory, and presents current research on brain and acupuncture, the unique brain related techniques such as scalp acupuncture and Dao-qi technique, the new developing acupuncture treatment methods for brain-related conditions, such as stroke, Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, autism, cerebral palsy and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder among others. This book is of interest to TCM and acupuncture practitioners in the West, as well as acupuncture researchers and lecturers. It gives a new understanding of the brain and treatments for brain-related conditions from a complementary medicine point of view.

Acupuncture therapy has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for more than two thousand years. Modern clinical research has confirmed the impressive therapeutic effect of acupuncture on numerous human ailments, such as controlling pain, nausea, and vomiting. However, the biological mechanisms of acupuncture are still under debate. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the mechanism of acupuncture therapy is explained by a meridian model. According to this model, acupuncture is believed to treat the diseased organs by modulating two conditions known as Yin and Yang, which represent all the opposite principles that people find in the universe, both inside and outside the human body. Yin and Yang complement each other, and are subjected to changes between each other. The balance of Yin and Yang is thought to be maintained by Qi, an energy substance flowing constantly through the meridian, a network connecting all the organs of the body. The illness, according to this theory, is the temporary dominance of one principle over the other, owing to the blockade of the Qi from flowing through the meridian under certain circumstance. The axiom of “No stagnation, No pain” in TCM summarizes this concept. Thus, the goal of acupuncture treatment is to restore the balance of Yin and Yang conditions in the diseased organ(s). This theory has been considered to be useful to guide this ancient therapy, such as carrying out diagnosis, deciding on the principle, and selecting the acupoints.

Written by two leading experts in the field, Acupuncture in Neurological Conditions aims to improve patient care by combining Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concepts of treatment. The language of TCM is uniquely combined with that of evidence-based clinical reasoning to provide an approach relevant to both acupuncture and physiotherapy clinical practice. All major types of neurological conditions encountered in clinical practical are examined. Chinese medical patterns relevant to the application of acupuncture are described, as well as key patterns of dysfunction based on a Western medical perspective. The place of acupuncture within the overall management of different neurological conditions is also discussed. Clinical reasoning options from both TCM and Western medical perspectives are provided, and illustrated by real cases from clinical practice forming a sound platform for true integrated medicine. - Fully evidence-based - Provides clinical reasoning options from TCM and Western medical perspectives - Illustrates clinical reasoning with real cases from clinical practice - Provides detailed examination of all major types of neurological conditions encountered in clinical practice.

Neuropuncture is the clinical manual of a groundbreaking acupuncture system that incorporates neuroscience into its clinical applications for pain management, orthopaedic conditions and internal medicine. It shows acupuncturists how to apply research into the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture and electrical acupuncture to the traditional TCM model of healthcare. The book explains how acupuncture works using Western medical science and illustrates how to apply this knowledge to clinical cases with electrical acupuncture, creating evidence-based acupuncture protocols. These protocols are clinically proven and result in reproducible clinical outcomes.

Acupuncture is rapidly moving out of the arena of "alternative" medicine, in large part because it is grounded more firmly than other alternative treatments in research. This book provides readers with the up-to-date information on the clinical bases of acupuncture.

Neuro-Acupuncture is one of the first comprehensive Neuroscience based Acupuncture books written by a group of scientists in the fields of Neuro-Radiologic Physics, Neuro-Ophthalmology, as well as Neuro-Anatomists and Physiologists. The principal author of the book, Zang-Hee Cho, Ph.D., the professor of Radiological Sciences and Psychiatry at University of California at Irvine, is one of the leading neuro-imaging scientists and inventor of the PET (Positron Emission Tomography). He is a world-renowned MRI physicist, who has pioneered numerous MRI imaging techniques including the first Acupuncture -fMRI technique in 1997. The book Neuro-Acupuncture is written for both the acupuncturists who are interested in learning neural basis of acupuncture mechanisms as well as for the physicians who are interested in learning acupuncture in terms of modern neuroscience point of view. The book is written in such a way that it is readily readable for the newcomers as well as for those who have some previous exposure to modern neuroscience. To make the book more readily understandable for the newcomers, many illustrations are given, some in repetition, to enhance the consolidation of memory of many new exotic neuroscience nomenclatures. Neuro-Acupuncture is the first textbook illustrating the interpretation of Acupuncture from a Neurological perspective. This extraordinary textbook provides the essentials to modern Neuroscience and its relationship to the field of Acupuncture. The extensive research compiled for Neuro-Acupuncture clearly demonstrates that Acupuncture stimulation leads to activation of upper parts of the brain. Undoubtedly, understanding the scientific bases of Acupuncture can improve its clinical effectiveness. Initial studies with such techniques as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magneto- Encephalography (MEG) have discovered effects of Acupuncture on neural correlates. These studies have

This is the first book to set out a full range of research strategies for evaluating the clinical practice of acupuncture. Leading acupuncturists and researchers with international reputations share their expertise. They illustrate their descriptions with practical examples of what has worked and what has not. It outlines many of the key challenges in the field. These challenges relate to the nature of acupuncture and the gap between current research evidence and the actual experiences of acupuncturists in the field. By focusing the chapters on key research questions, rather than methods, the book has a user-friendly feel. Each chapter is easily accessible with brief explanations of research designs as well as vignettes of relevant past research. The book is based on a deep understanding of acupuncture, with its inherent complexity in practice, whether based on traditional principles or more modern concepts. By incorporating a more sophisticated understanding of the field, this book details a range of strategies aiming to develop the evidence base with the utmost rigour. It is the first book on acupuncture research to take this unique view, integrating the very best of evidence-based medicine with a genuine sensitivity to the discipline of acupuncture, from its traditional and holistic roots to its more modern interpretations.

Comprehensively revised and expanded with vital new content, the second edition of Medical Acupuncture continues to explore the realistic integration of acupuncture into conventional medicine. Advocating the Western medical acupuncture approach (WMA), this science-based compendium provides the trained practitioner with all the latest research on the effectiveness of WMA and its associated mechanisms, techniques, clinical practice and evidence. Medical Acupuncture demonstrates a variety of needling techniques and clinical applications within the context of WMA and its evolution from traditional Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology alongside the principles of evidence-based medicine. Split into seven sections the book begins by establishing the roots of WMA in the Introduction and then progresses on to describe the mechanisms of action in Section 2, including peripheral components of stimulation and evidence from neuroimaging. Sections 3 and 4 cover clinical approaches (eg, superficial needling, electroacupuncture, safety of acupuncture) and techniques related to acupuncture (TENS, laser therapy). Section 5 takes a closer look at the difficulties faced by trials and reviews while Section 6 goes on to showcase 21 clinical uses of WMA, ranging from chronic pain, mental health, obstetrics and primary care to sports medicine, respiratory conditions and neurology. The final reference section contains dermatome/myotome maps, meridian/channel charts and standard international nomenclature. - Comprehensive coverage of the scientific evidence and clinical application of acupuncture in medicine - Balances the genuine benefits of acupuncture against unfounded claims - Presents a wide range of treatable conditions from psychiatry and palliative care through to the pain clinic and veterinary medicine - Clinical points boxes highlight key knowledge and learning - Illustrated with over 130 drawings and photographs - Content restructure and overhaul with contributions from over 40 world leading experts - Individual chapters on the use of acupuncture for a wide range of medical conditions including gynaecology and infertility, cancer and palliative care, drug dependence, obesity, sports medicine, dentistry and veterinary practice - Updated with the latest scientific evidence - Expanded information on neuroanatomical and neurophysiological considerations in relation to the mechanisms of acupuncture

This new book could make a difference in the life of a patient when no other therapies will help. The authors, who have a combined 60 years of experience using Chinese scalp acupuncture, have composed a thorough clinic manual for practical clinical applications of scalp acupuncture to treat patients who suffer from seriously debilitating conditions such as the sequelae of stroke, phantom limb pain, PTSD, Meniere's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, herpes zoster, seizures, essential tremor, and Parkinson's Disease. The authors begin with an introduction to the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the brain and scalp for non-Western medical practitioners. They review Chinese medical theories supporting the use of scalp acupuncture, provide thorough explanations of area locations and uses, and include details of needling technique specific to scalp acupuncture. There are over 40 case studies with treatment details, as well as excellent illustrations of each treatment area.