Acupuncture: Theories and Evidence

Key Features of the Book on Acupuncture

- This book presents the latest clinical trials and theories on acupuncture, offering information and insights not easily available elsewhere

- Contains chapters written by some of the world's leading thinkers and researchers in this field

- An important addition to the scientific literature on acupuncture and a valuable resource for students, teachers, researchers and practitioners of this important treatment modality in modern medicine

Acupuncture is widely practised in the 21st century in scientifically developed countries for a wide range of ailments ranging from chronic pain, giddiness and high blood pressure to gastrointestinal disorders and sexual dysfunction. Yet the reasons for its vaunted efficacy remain a matter of controversy.

In traditional Chinese medical theory, the mechanism of action in acupuncture was understood in terms of the flow of qi and the balance of yin and yang through the body's meridians, a complex network painstaking charted but never found. Modern medical researchers have examined old and new needling points, and some view them as “trigger points” that stimulate physiological responses in the body. There is also clear evidence of strong placebo effects, although it has not been conclusively established that that this is either the main or the only significant effect.

This volume contains twelve articles covering the latest scientific explanations of the mechanism of acupuncture and critical reviews of clinical trials on its efficacy by leading scholars, including Edzard Ernst at Exeter, Lixing Lao at the University of Maryland, PC Leung at the Chinese University of Hong Kongand Thomas Lundeberg at Karolinska Institute.

About the Author:
 
Dr Hong Hai previously served on the TCM Practitioners Board and was Chairman of the board's Academic Committee. Trained originally in engineering, he subsequently completed graduate studies in economics, Chinese medicine, and the philosophy of science. He is co-author of the book Cancer Management with Chinese Medicine and editor of Acupuncture: Theories and Evidence. A frequent lecturer on TCM subjects, he has conducted courses at NUS Extension, UniSIM and the Confucius Institute. His main academic interest is in the theory of Chinese medicine from the perspective of Western philosophy of science. His principal clinical areas are health cultivation and active ageing, internal medicine, acupuncture and complementary treatments for cancer.

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