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Acupuncture - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
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Acupuncture : (noun)
1: treatment of pain or disease by inserting the tips of
needles at specific points on the skin [syn: stylostixis]
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Acupuncture : \Ac`u*punc"ture\, n. [L. acus needle _ punctura a
pricking, fr. pungere to prick: cf. F. acuponcture.]
Pricking with a needle; a needle prick. Specifically (Med.):
The insertion of needles into the living tissues for remedial
purposes.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Acupuncture : \Ac`u*punc"ture\, v. t.
To treat with acupuncture.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Acupuncture : Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce anesthesia . More broadly, acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical locations on
or in the skin by a variety of techniques. There are a number of different approaches to diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea,
and other countries. The most thoroughly studied mechanism of stimulation of acupuncture points employs penetration of the skin by thin, solid, metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by
electrical stimulation.
Among the conditions for which acupuncture has been found to be useful is headache. Acupuncture reportedly leads to persisting, clinically relevant benefits for patients with chronic headache,
particularly migraine.
The NIH ) has issued a consensus statement on acupuncture. The statement indicated that "There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine...." The
full text of the conclusions of the NIH consensus statement on acupuncture is as follows:
"Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. There have been many studies of its potential usefulness. However, many of these studies provide equivocal
results because of design, sample size, and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebo and sham acupuncture
groups."
"However, promising results have emerged, for example, efficacy of acupuncture in adult post-operative and asthma for which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable
alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful."
"Findings from basic research have begun to elucidate the mechanisms of action of acupuncture, including the release of opioids and other peptides in the central nervous system and the periphery and
changes in neuroendocrine function. Although much needs to be accomplished, the emergence of plausible mechanisms for the therapeutic effects of acupuncture is encouraging."
"The introduction of acupuncture into the choice of treatment modalities readily available to the public is in its early stages. Issues of training, licensure, and reimbursement remain to be
clarified. There is sufficient evidence, however, of its potential value to conventional medicine to encourage further studies."
"There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value."
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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