The theory and current practice of acupuncture originated in China in about 100BC with the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine was published, however use of sharp needles and stones date back 6000 years. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) incorporates acupuncture but in TCM acupuncture is never used alone.  Chinese herbs and other healing methods are combined together.  TCM is a pseudoscience based on the presence of 20 energy meridians (12 main and 8 secondary) connecting the acupuncture points on the skin to the internal organs.  There are over 2,000 described acupuncture points although mainly around 300 are used in practice.  The placement of a fine solid needle (25 to 34 ga )into an acupuncture point and twirling the needle, then letting the needle remain undisturbed for a period of time is the essence of acupuncture. 

 

Other types of acupuncture used in the Western world include  Western acupuncture (medical acupuncture), auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), moxibustion (use of burning elements to transmit heat into the acupuncture needles), laser acupuncture (using a laser), and electroacupuncture (application of electricity to the needles).  In Western medicine, these are frequently used as stand-alone therapies, as opposed to TCM that integrates acupuncture with herbs, massage, and movement therapies.  Generally acupuncture sessions cost between $50-100 and several sessions may be required.  Acupuncture is a regulated profession in many states with an acupuncture board and expansive requirements for training.  However, medical, laser, moxibustion, or electroacupuncture may be practiced without a specific acupuncture licensure. 

 

Acupuncture does work temporarily for pain treatment but not at all in the manner acupuncturists claim.  Sham acupuncture (random needle placement) has an effect on pain equal to that of TCM acupuncture in several studies (PLoS One 2013 Jul31:8(7),  Am J Chin Med 2013;41(1):1-19,  Med Acupunct 2012 Dec;24(4):233-240,  J Orthop Surg Res 2012 Oct 30;7:36,  Pain 2012 Sep:153(9):1883-9), although the results are better than no therapy.  Acupuncture is recommended as a second line therapy for pain or nausea. 

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ACUPUNCTURE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (Chinese origin papers eliminated due to extreme bias, questionable veracity, and the fact that Chinese acupuncture is never used alone):

• Scand J Prim Health Care. 2018 Jan 17:1-14. Acupuncture for infantile colic- NOT RECOMMENDED

• J Pain. 2017 Dec 2. pii: S1526-5900(17)30780-0  Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskelatal pain, chronic headaches, and chronic osteoarthritis

• JAMA Surg. 2017 Oct 18;152(10):e172872. Low level evidence exists acupuncture improves pain and delays opioid use while electroacupuncture reduces opioid consumption after knee arthroplasty surgery

• Eur Spine J. 2017 May 18.  Acupuncture is recommended for neck pain but not for cervical radiculopathy. 

• Ann Intern Med. 2017 Apr 4;166(7):493-505  There is moderate evidence in some reviews acupuncture is useful in the treatment of low back pain for short term results

 

There are many many Chinese journal or solely Chinese author papers that cannot be included due to the fact in Chinese medicine, acupuncture is part of a system and is never used alone.  Also, there is an enormous bias by Chinese researchers towards all Chinese medicine, and a lack of reproducibility of their results in the Western world.  It is not clear whether the latter is due to inherent bias, a difference in patient population responses (attitudes towards acupuncture are much more accepting in China), or because the results are simply being fabricated for publication. 

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