Evidence-based acupuncture [electronic resource].

Description based upon print version of record.

Editorial Board of the Annals of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Contents; Preface to Series; Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Work?; Preface to Volume 5; Abbreviations; Section I Physiological Basis; Chapter 1 Acupuncture for Pain Control; 1.1 The Central Nervous System; 1.1.1 The cerebral cortex; 1.2 The Function of Cerebral Limbic System in Acupuncture Analgesia; 1.3 Function of Diencephalon in Acupuncture Analgesia; 1.3.1 Thalamus; 1.3.2 Epithalamus; 1.4 The Function of Brain Stem Structure in Acupuncture Analgesia; 1.4.1 Medulla oblongata; 1.4.2 Midbrain

1.5 The Spinal Cord in Acupuncture Analgesia1.5.1 Segmental inhibition of acupuncture analgesia involved both postsynaptic and pre-synaptic inhibitions; 1.5.2 The peripheral neurological structures related to acupuncture; 1.5.3 Neurotransmitters related to acupuncture analgesia; Peptides; Monoamines; 1.5.4 The regulative pathways of acupuncture analgesia; The "Gate-control" theory; Thalamic nucleus submedius; 1.6 The Relationship between EA Function and Stimulation Parameter; 1.6.1 Influence of frequency and waveform on the effect of acupuncture anesthesia in EA

1.6.2 Influence of voltage on the effect of analgesia1.6.3 Influence of wave width on the effect of anesthesia; 1.6.4 Influence of EA frequency rate and position on analgesic effect; 1.7 Conclusion; References; Chapter 2 Acupuncture for Neurological Deficits; 2.1 Influence of Acupuncture on Cerebral Function; 2.1.1 Motor evoked potential (MEP); 2.1.2 Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP); 2.1.3 Acupuncture affects electrical activities of the cerebral cortex; 2.1.4 Acupoints function could be related to cerebral cortical function; 2.2 Influence of Acupuncture on Spinal Cord Function

2.3 Acupuncture and Central Neurotransmitters2.4 Acupuncture and the Peripheral Nervous System; 2.4.1 Nerve fibers in acupuncture treatment; 2.4.2 Acupuncture and recovery of injured nerves; 2.5 Summary and Discussion; References; Chapter 3 Acupuncture for Immunomodulation; 3.1 Acupuncture and Cellular Immune Function; 3.1.1 Acupuncture activates T cells and related sub-groups; 3.1.2 Acupuncture activates NK cells; 3.1.3 Acupuncture and macrophages; 3.1.4 Acupuncture and leukocyte phagocytosis; 3.1.5 Acupuncture and red blood cells; 3.2 Acupuncture and Body Fluid Immune Function

3.2.1 Acupuncture regulates specifi c immunoglobulin3.3 Acupuncture and Tumour Immunology; 3.4 Acupuncture and Non-specific Immunity; 3.4.1 Effect of acupuncture on complement; 3.5 Summary and Discussion; References; Chapter 4 Acupuncture for Endocrine Function; 4.1 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Endocrine System; 4.2 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenals (HPA) Endocrine Axis; 4.3 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) Endocrine Axis; 4.4 Regulating Effects of Acupuncture on the Thyroid-Pituitary Axis

4.5 Summary and Discussion

Acupuncture has been an important branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 3000 years and is the most popular practice among non-Chinese practitioners outside of China. In 1998, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a consensus conference and endorsed the practice of acupuncture as an effective pain control agent - since then acupuncture has become even more popular.Clinical practice is always an inviting form of research. In the field of acupuncture, research concentrates on the neurological pathways of the meridians and acupoints, the neurological functional chang.