This page is a work in progress, and will be continually updated!

Good research for acupuncture is hard to come by, but more is being done every day.

• Acupuncture is a “retrospective science” as described in this article. It has 3,000-5,000-year-old roots. It was developed using language and theories that are very difficult to translate into Western terms.
• Acupuncture is an Eastern style of medicine and simply does not fit neatly into the Western model of research. How do we design a double-blind study? We can’t! How do we design placebo acupuncture? It’s very difficult. So-called “sham acupuncture” is an inherently flawed substitute for a true placebo, and yet this is what we have to use to try and fit into a modern Western clinical research design. “Sham acupuncture” often produces results, and skeptics use this to argue acupuncture doesn’t work. However, from an understanding of the theory behind Chinese Medicine, many of these “sham” procedures are in fact affecting your qi (physical system). Acupuncture research is tough.
• There is little financial incentive to offer an alternative to medication and surgery. Pharmaceutical companies fund the vast majority of medical research in this country. Acupuncture research threatens the foundation of American healthcare. I encourage you to read about the broken system of big science.

What the studies below have in common is that Acupuncture, and in some cases “sham” acupuncture, meaning acupuncture at non-specific points, are demonstrating measurable results. We can only hope that advancing technology allows us to better and more accurately study the effects of acupuncture on the body so that even the most conservative doctors and scientists must take note of this powerful medicine.

Acupuncture & Acne

• Acupuncture Reduces Inflammatory Skin Lesions

Acupuncture & Addiction

• NADA Protocol for Addiction
• Auricular Acupuncture for Cocaine Dependence
• Acupuncture Helps Smokers Quit
• Effects of Acupuncture on Smoking Cessation

Acupuncture & Allergies

• Acupuncture, Antidote to Allergies

Acupuncture & Anxiety

• Acupuncture Relieves Generalized Anxiety
• Acupuncture Reduces Anxiety in Mother’s and Children
• Acupuncture Improves Insomnia
• Acupuncture Impacts Prefrontal Cortex to Ease Anxiety
• Acupuncture As Effective As Therapy for Anxiety
• Acupuncture Reduces Test Anxiety and Improves Performance

Acupuncture & Arthritis

• Acupuncture Relieves Arthritis 
• Acupuncture aids in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Acupuncture & Asthma

• Acupuncture, Moxa, Cupping and Herbs Relieves Asthma
• Acupuncture Improves Asthma

Acupuncture & Bell’s Palsy

• Acupuncture Helpful for the Sequelae of Bell’s Palsy

Acupuncture & Bladder

• Acupuncture Treats Overactive Bladder
• Read a summary of these studies in my blog post.
• Acupuncture Effective for Interstitial Cystitis
• Acupuncture Treats Postpartum Urinary Retention

Acupuncture & Cancer

• Acupuncture relieves fatigue, chemo-induced nausea and vomiting
• Acupuncture Reduces Cancer-Related Pain
• Auricular Acupuncture Reduces Pain in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

 Acupuncture & Depression

• Acupuncture Outperforms Counseling for Depression with Pain
• Acupuncture Treats Major Depressive Disorder in Women
• Acupuncture Effective Treatment for Depression
• Acupuncture Changes Amygdala to help Depression
• Acupuncture Effective for Depression and Chronic Depression
• Everything you know about depression is wrong
• Group Setting Acupuncture Improved Chronic Pain and Depression

Acupuncture & Digestive Disorders

• Acupuncture as Effective as Mosapride Medication for Functional Constipation
• Chinese Medicine Helps IBS
• Acupuncture Effective in Crohn’s Disease

Acupuncture & Headaches/Migraines

• Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Need for Analgesics in Migraines
• Acupuncture Modulates the Brainstem to Effectively Treat Migraines
• Acupuncture Relieves Headaches and Migraines
• Acupuncture Relieves Migraines
• Acupuncture Better than Aspirin for Chronic Headache
• Acupuncture Improves Headaches
• Acupuncture Reduces Migraine Frequency
• Acupuncture for Prophylactic Treatment to Prevent Migraine Headaches

Acupuncture & Inflammation

• Connective Tissues Changes after Acupuncture
• In-depth on Connective Tissue and Acupuncture
• Acupuncture increases adenosine, potent anti-inflammatory compound
• Hacking the Nervous System

Acupuncture & Insomnia

• Acupuncture Improves Depression and Insomnia
• Acupuncture Improves Sleep in Peri and Post-menopausal Women
• Acupuncture Produces Mild Hypnotic Effects in Treatment of Insomnia

Acupuncture & Immunity

• Moxibustion improves immunity

Acupuncture & Menopause

• Acupuncture Reduces Hot Flashes 

 Acupuncture & Pain

• Plantar Fasciitis
  • Acupuncture Relieves Plantar Fasciitis
• Neck Pain
  • Acupuncture Superior to Drug for Neck Pain
  • Abdominal Acupuncture Reduces Intensity of Neck Pain
• Fibromyalgia
  • Acupuncture Effective for Fibromyalgia
  • Acupuncture Improves Pain and Symptoms in Patients with Fibromyalgia
  • How Acupuncture Treats Fibromyalgia
• Neuralgia
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia Responds to Acupuncture
  • Acupuncture as effective as drugs, with fewer adverse effects, in Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Acupuncture Produces Reduces Myofascial Pain in Trigeminal Neuralgia Patients
• Prostatitis/Pelvic Pain
  • Acupuncture Reduces Pain for Chronic Prostatitis
  • Acupuncture Treats Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
• Systemic Pain Effects
  • Potent non-addictive Herbal Painkiller
  • Acupuncture Effective at Reducing Chronic Pain
  • Pain Relief Through the Use of  Ear Microsystem
• Knee Pain
  • Acupuncture Improves Meniscus Repair Benefits
• Acupuncture in the Hospital
  • Acupuncture in the ER Reduces Pain
  • Acupuncture as Alternative to Anesthesia
• Low Back Pain
  • Acupuncture Better than Conventional Treatment
  • Acupuncture Effective in Treating Chronic Low Back Pain
  • Acupuncture Works in Treating Low Back Pain
  • Acupuncture Improves Low Back Pain in Randomized Trial
  • Acupuncture Speeds Low Back Recovery
  • Physicians Recommend Acupuncture For Low Back Pain
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Acupuncture Relieves Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pain
  • MRI Imaging Shows Acupuncture Offers Lasting Results for Carpal Tunnel Pain
• Adhesive Capsulitis
  • Distal (nonlocal) Acupuncture Points Provide Instant Pain Relief for Adhesive Capsulitis

Acupuncture & PMS, Menstruation,Ovulation

• Acupuncture Treats PMS
• Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Symptoms of Dysmenorrhea 
• Acupuncture Cost-Effective Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods) Treatment
• Acupuncture Effective for PCOS
• Acupuncture Induces Ovulation in PCOS

Acupuncture & Pregnancy

• Acupuncture Safe During Pregnancy
• Acupuncture Treats Postpartum Urinary Retention

Acupuncture Safe for Children

• Chinese Medicine Helps Eczema

Acupuncture for M.S.

• Acupuncture Improves Gait in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

 Acupuncture & Stress

• Acupuncture and Adrenal Gland Function
• Acupuncture Controls Hormones to Reduce Stress
• How Acupuncture Works to Relieve Stress
• Acupuncture Effective in Treating Stress in College-Aged Population

 Acupuncture & Trauma

• Acupuncture Improves Head Trauma Recovery
• Acupuncture Helps PTSD
• Acupuncture PTSD Study with Vets

Acupuncture & Weight-Loss

• Auricular Acupuncture Suppresses Appetite
• Obesity Treated by Acupuncture
• Acupuncture Better than Diet/Exercise Alone

Mechanisms of Acupuncture

• How Acupuncture Reduces Pain
• Acupuncture Mechanism Research
• Paradoxes in Acupuncture Research
• The Brain on Acupuncture
• CT Scan Reveals Acupuncture Points
• Neuroimaging of Acupuncture
• Signaling Through Connective Tissue
• The Brain Response to Common Acupuncture Point
• Acupuncture Points are Anatomically Unique
• Acupuncture does this: Hacking the Nervous System
• Acupuncture Causes Changes in Connective Tissue

Research on other Amaluna Wellness Practices

Chinese Medicine is Powerful

• Chinese herbs alter genes

Heat Not Ice for Injuries

• RICE No Longer Treatment of Choice

 Probiotics

• Probiotics for Weight Loss

Homeopathy

• Nobel Prize Winner Takes Homeopathy Seriously

Cut Down on Sugar

• Infographic on Sugar’s Effects on the Body

Benefits of Meditation

• Meditation Research

Importance of Sleep

• Health Risks of Not Enough Sleep
• Your Schedule Could be Killing You

Exercise and Stress

• Exercise helps manage anxiety, depression and stress

Eat the Right Kinds of Fish

• Wonderful chart to help you choose the healthiest options

Gua Sha Works

• The science of Gua Sha

Risks of Common Western Medications

• Risks of Acetaminophen have been underestimated
• Fatal Side Effect of Z-Pack Antibiotics
• Heartburn Meds Linked to Dementia
• Lyrica and Gabapentin Risks
• Ibuprofen Causes Kidney Damage in Athletes