Acupuncture points chart free download

The trial protocol allowed up to 10 individualized acupuncture treatments per patient. The acupuncturist determined the content and the number of treatments according to patient need.

Main outcome measures included the Short Form 36 SF Bodily Pain dimension range of 0 to points , assessed at baseline, and 3, 12 and 24 months. A total of patients were in the acupuncture offer arm and 80 in the usual care arm. All patients randomized to the offer of acupuncture care chose to receive acupuncture treatment, and received an average of 8 acupuncture treatments within the trial. These investigators found that traditional acupuncture care delivered in a primary care setting was safe and acceptable to patients with non-specific LBP.

Acupuncture care and usual care were both associated with clinically significant improvement at and month follow-up. Acupuncture care was significantly more effective in reducing bodily pain than usual care at month follow-up. No benefits relating to function or disability were identified. They concluded that GP referral to a service providing traditional acupuncture care offers a cost-effective intervention for reducing LBP over a 2-year period.

In a meta-analysis, Manheimer et al evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating LBP. These researchers concluded that acupuncture effectively relieves chronic LBP. However, no evidence suggests that acupuncture is more effective than other active therapies.

This is in agreement with the findings of a Cochrane review on acupuncture for LBP by Furlan et al who stated that the data do not allow firm conclusions about the effectiveness of acupuncture for acute LBP.

For chronic LBP, acupuncture is more effective for pain relief and functional improvement than no treatment or sham treatment immediately after treatment and in the short-term only. Acupuncture is not more effective than other conventional and alternative treatments. They concluded that the data suggest that acupuncture may be useful adjuncts to other therapies for chronic LBP.

A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify RCTs comparing a structured exercise program, SMT, or acupuncture with one another in patients with chronic LBP. Two studies were identified comparing the use of structured exercise with SMT that met the inclusion criteria.

Although these studies utilized different approaches for the exercise and SMT treatment groups, patients in both groups improved in terms of pain and function in both studies.

Using random-effects modeling, there was no difference between the exercise and SMT groups when the data from these studies were pooled. These researchers identified no studies meeting the inclusion criteria that compared acupuncture with either structured exercise or SMT or that addressed the relative cost-effectiveness of these approaches in the treatment of patients with chronic LBP.

The authors concluded that studies identified indicate that structured exercise and SMT appear to offer equivalent benefits in terms of pain and functional improvement for those with chronic LBP with clinical benefits evident within 8 weeks of care. However, the level of evidence is low. There is insufficient evidence to comment on the relative benefit of acupuncture compared with either structured exercise or SMT or to address the differential effects of structured exercise, SMT, or acupuncture for specific subgroups of individuals with chronic LBP.

There is also insufficient evidence regarding the relative cost-effectiveness of structured exercise, SMT, or acupuncture in the treatment of chronic LBP. Structured exercise and SMT appear to offer equivalent benefits in the management of pain and function for patients with non-specific chronic LBP. If no clinical benefit is appreciated after using one of these approaches for 8 weeks, then the treatment plan should be re-evaluated and consideration should be given to modifying the treatment approach or using alternate forms of care.

There is insufficient evidence regarding the relative benefits of the acupuncture compared with either structured exercise or SMT in the treatment of chronic LBP. There is insufficient evidence to address differential effects of structured exercise, SMT, or acupuncture for specific subgroups of individuals with chronic LBP. There is insufficient evidence regarding the relative cost-effectiveness of structured exercise, SMT, or acupuncture in the treatment of chronic LBP.

There is insufficient evidence that acupuncture, alone or in combination with moxibustion, may be effective in the treatment of fetal breech presentation. Moxibustion refers to a type of Chinese medicinal practice that involves burning a herb close to the skin of the acupuncture point — urinary bladder 67 BL67, Chinese name Zhiyin , located at the tip of the 5th toe.

Available guidelines have yielded conflicting recommendations on the use of moxibustion in fetal breech presentation. Evidence based clinical guidelines from the New Zealand Guidelines Group state that "[m]oxibustion is an acupuncture technique that involves burning herbal preparations to stimulate the acupoint by the 5th toe.

It may be offered to women with breech presentation". The primigravidas in the 33rd week of gestation with normal pregnancy and an ultrasound diagnosis of breech presentation randomized to the intervention group received stimulation of acupoint BL 67 by moxa Japanese term for Artemisia vulgaris rolls for 7 days, with treatment for an additional 7 days if the fetus persisted in the breech presentation.

The subjects randomized to the control group received routine care but no interventions for breech presentation. Subjects with persistent breech presentation after 2 weeks of treatment could undergo external cephalic version ECV anytime between 35 weeks' gestation and delivery.

The intervention group experienced a mean of During the 35th week of gestation, 98 Despite the fact that 24 subjects in the control group and 1 subject in the intervention group underwent ECV, 98 The authors concluded that among primigravidas with breech presentation during the 33rd week of gestation, moxibustion for 1 to 2 weeks increased fetal activity during the treatment period and cephalic presentation after the treatment period and at delivery.

Kanakura et al discussed their findings on the use of moxibustion or electrical stimulation for the treatment of breech. Only patients with breech pregnancies at the 28th week or later were entered into the study. The controls in the moxibustion study did no exercises and received no external manipulation to correct breech presentation whereas those in the electrical stimulation study experienced both.

Acupuncture stimulation, especially with moxibustion, is expected to serve as a safe and effective modality in the management of breech presentation in a clinical setting. Habek et al evaluated the value of acupuncture in the conversion of fetal breech presentation into vertex presentation in a randomized prospective controlled clinical study that included 67 pregnant women with fetal breech presentation: 34 women with singleton pregnancies treated with manual acupuncture Zhiyin and a control group which included 33 women with singleton pregnancies without acupuncture treatment.

The acupuncture treatment lasted 30 minutes a day, and was conducted during and after 34 weeks of pregnancy with simultaneous cardiotocography.

The success rate of the acupuncture correction of fetal breech presentation is The authors concluded that acupuncture correction of fetal malpresentation is a relatively simple, efficacious and inexpensive method associated with a lower percentage of operatively completed deliveries, which definitely reflects in improved parameters of vital and perinatal statistics.

In a controlled study by Neri et al , a total of women at 33 to 35 weeks of gestation carrying a fetus in breech presentation were randomized to receive active treatment acupuncture plus moxibustion or to be assigned to the observation group. Bilateral acupuncture plus moxibustion was applied at the BL67 acupoint.

The primary outcome of the study was fetal presentation at delivery. Fourteen cases dropped out. The final analysis was thus made on cases, randomized to observation and to acupuncture plus moxibustion. At delivery, the proportion of cephalic version was lower in the observation group Hence, the proportion of Cesarean sections indicated for breech presentation was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the observation group The authors concluded that acupuncture plus moxibustion is more effective than observation in revolving fetuses in breech presentation.

Such a method appears to be a valid option for women willing to experience a natural birth. In a single-blind randomized controlled study, Cardini et al assessed the effectiveness of moxibustion for the correction of fetal breech presentation in a non-Chinese population. Treatment consisted of moxibustion stimulation with heat from a stick of Artemisia vulgaris at the Zhiyin for 1 or 2 weeks.

Subjects in the control group received no moxibustion but were observed. Two weeks after recruitment, each participant was subjected to an ultrasonic examination of the fetal presentation. The main outcome measure was number of participants with cephalic presentation in the 35th week.

Intermediate data monitoring revealed a high number of treatment interruptions. The authors stated that the results underline the methodological problems evaluating of a traditional treatment transferred from a different cultural context.

They do not support either the effectiveness or the ineffectiveness of moxibustion in correcting fetal breech presentation. In a Cochrane review, Coyle and colleagues examined the safety and effectiveness of moxibustion on changing the presentation of an unborn baby in the breech position, the need for ECV, mode of birth, and perinatal morbidity and mortality for breech presentation.

These investigators concluded that there is insufficient evidence from randomized controlled clinical trials to support the use of moxibustion to correct a breech presentation. The authors stated that moxibustion may be beneficial in reducing the need for ECV, and decreasing the use of oxytocin; however there is a need for well-designed randomised controlled trials to evaluate moxibustion for breech presentation which report on clinically relevant outcomes as well as the safety of the intervention.

Women with a 3rd trimester breech presentation often receive Cesarean section as the mode of delivery of 1st choice, especially when ECV has failed to turn the fetus to cephalic Tiran, According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG, , ECV may not be for some women and it can pose risks including pre-term labor, placental abruption, umbilical cord entanglement, premature rupture of the membranes, as well as severe maternal discomfort.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has concluded that "moxibustion should not be recommended as a method of promoting spontaneous version over ECV. However, citing the Cochrane systematic evidence review Coyle et al, and the study by Cardini et al , RCOG concluded that pooled and recent data conclude that "there is insufficient evidence to support its use, highlighting the need for good quality studies.

A randomized controlled study by Smith et al found acupuncture to be ineffective at inducing labor. Women who were scheduled for a post-term induction with a singleton pregnancy and cephalic presentation were eligible for the study.

The principal primary outcomes related to the need for induction methods and time from the administration of the intervention to delivery. Subjects did not differ in their need for induction methods between groups: prostaglandin induction: relative risk RR 1. The median time from acupuncture todelivery was The authors concluded that 2 sessions of manual acupuncture, using local and distal acupuncture points, administered 2 days before a scheduled induction of labor did not reduce the need for induction methods or the duration of labor for women with a post-term pregnancy.

A systematic review found no reliable evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of xerostomia. Jedel evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of xerostomia. Articles of controlled clinical studies assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of xerostomia were obtained by searching through the databases MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Three articles met the criteria for inclusion and a criteria list was used to assess the quality of these studies. The studies were considered to be of high quality or low quality in accordance with the criteria list utilized.

The results of the trials were considered positive, negative or indifferent based on statistically significant between group differences. The criteria list utilized indicate that one of the three studies was of high quality and it presents indifferent results.

One of the two studies of low quality presents positive results and one presents indifferent results. An analysis of the results degree of evidence resulted in no evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of xerostomia. The authors concluded that this systematic review showed that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of xerostomia, and there is a need for future high quality randomized controlled trials.

A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence for acupuncture in irritable bowel syndrome. Lim et al examined if acupuncture is more effective than no treatment, more effective than "sham" placebo acupuncture, and as effective as other interventions used to treat irritable bowel syndrome. The authors concluded that most of the trials included in this review were of poor quality and were heterogeneous in terms of interventions, controls, and outcomes measured.

Thus, it is still inconclusive if acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture or other interventions for treating irritable bowel syndrome. A systematic evidence review found no clear evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture in allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Passalacqua et al noted that complementary-alternative medicines CAM are extensively used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma, but evidence-based recommendations are lacking. These researchers carried out a systematic review on CAM for these two indications. Meta-analyses provided no clear evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in rhinitis and asthma.

Some positive results were described with homeopathy in good-quality trials in rhinitis, but a number of negative studies were also found. Therefore, it is not possible to provide evidence-based recommendations for homeopathy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, and further trials are needed. A limited number of studies of herbal remedies showed some effectiveness in rhinitis and asthma, but the studies were too few to make recommendations.

There are also unresolved safety concerns. The authors concluded that the effectiveness of CAM e. There is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia and neutropenia.

Lu et al stated that chemotherapy-induced leukopenia and neutropenia are common side effects during cancer treatment. Acupuncture has been reported as an adjunct therapy for this complication. These researchers reviewed randomized controlled trials of acupuncture's effect and explored the acupuncture parameters used in these trials.

The study populations were cancer patients who were undergoing or had just completed chemotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy, randomized to either acupuncture therapy or usual care. The methodologic quality of trials was assessed.

From 33 reviewed articles, patients from 11 eligible trials were included in analyses. All trials were published in non-PubMed journals from China. The methodologic quality of these trials was considerably poor. The median sample size of each comparison group was 45, and the median trial duration was 21 days.

The frequency of acupuncture treatment was once-daily, with a median of 16 sessions in each trial. Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia is an intriguing clinical question. However, the inferior quality and publication bias present in these studies may lead to a false-positive estimation. Meta-analysis based on these published trials should be treated in an exploratory nature only.

In a review on the safety and effectivenes of various interventions for the treatment of neck pain, Binder stated that compared with sham treatment, inactive treatment, or waiting list control, acupuncture may be more effective than some types of sham treatment not further defined or inactive treatment not further defined at improving pain relief at the end of treatment or in the short-term less than 3 months , but not in the intermediate-term not defined or in the long-term not defined in people with chronic mechanical disorders.

The author also noted that acupuncture may be more effective than sham TENS at improving pain at 1 week after treatment, and at 6 months, in people with chronic neck pain. Needle acupuncture may be more effective than no acupuncture at improving a composite outcome of neck pain and disability not further defined at 3 months in people with chronic neck pain very low-quality evidence. Furthermore, compared with sham treatment, inactive treatment, or waiting list control, needle acupuncture may be more effective than no acupuncture at improving quality of life measured by SF at 3 months in people with chronic neck pain very low-quality evidence.

There is no evidence of benefit of acupuncture for dyspnea palliation in cancer patients. Ben-Aharon and associates conducted a systematic review of RCTs assessing all pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for dyspnea palliation in cancer patients. Two reviewers independently appraised the quality of trials and extracted data. The administration of subcutaneous morphine resulted in a significant reduction in dyspnea visual analog scale VAS compared with placebo.

No difference was observed in dyspnea VAS score when nebulized morphine was compared with subcutaneous morphine, although patients preferred the nebulized route. The addition of benzodiazepines to morphine was significantly more effective than morphine alone, without additional adverse effects. Oxygen was not superior to air for alleviating dyspnea, except for patients with hypoxemia.

Nursing-led interventions improved breathlessness. Acupuncture was not beneficial. The authors concluded that their review supports the use of opioids for dyspnea relief in cancer patients. The use of supplemental oxygen to alleviate dyspnea can be recommended only in patients with hypoxemia.

Nursing-led non-pharmacological interventions seem valuable. Only a few studies addressing this question were performed.

Thus, the investigators concluded, further studies evaluating interventions for alleviating dyspnea are warranted. A systematic evidence review by Bausewein et al reached similar conclusions about the lack of adequate evidence to support the use of acupuncture for cancer-associated dyspnea. There is a lack of reliable evidence for acpuncture treatment of Parkinson's disease. Lam and co-workers evaluated the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture therapy monotherapy or adjuvant therapy , compared with placebo, conventional interventions, or no treatment in treating patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease IPD.

All RCTs of any duration comparing monotherapy and adjuvant acupuncture therapy with placebo or no intervention were included. Data were abstracted independently by 2 investigators onto standardized forms, and disagreements were resolved by discussion. A total of 10 trials were included, each using a different set of acupoints and manipulation of needles.

None of them reported the concealment of allocation. Only 2 studies mentioned the number of dropouts; 2 used a non-blind method while others did not mention their blinding methods. Nine studies claimed a statistically significant positive effect from acupuncture as compared with their control; only 1 indicated that there were no statistically significant differences for all variables measured.

Only 2 studies described details about adverse events. The authors concluded that there is evidence indicating the potential effectiveness of acupuncture for treating IPD. However, results were limited by the methodological flaws, unknowns in concealment of allocation, number of dropouts, and blinding methods in the studies.

They stated that large, well-designed, placebo-controlled RCTs with rigorous methods of randomization and adequately concealed allocation, as well as intention-to-treat data analysis are needed to ascertain the clinical value of acupuncture in the treatment of IPD. There is insufficient evidence for the use of acupuncture in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Stener-Victorin and colleagues described the etiology and pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS and evaluated the use of acupuncture to prevent and reduce symptoms related with PCOS. This syndrome is the most common female endocrine disorder and it is strongly associated with hyper-androgenism, ovulatory dysfunction and obesity. It increases the risk for metabolic disturbances such as hyper-insulinemia and insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, hypertension and an increased likelihood of developing cardiovascular risk factors and impaired mental health later in life.

Despite extensive research, little is known about the etiology of PCOS. The syndrome is associated with peripheral and central factors that influence sympathetic nerve activity. Therefore, the sympathetic nervous system may be an important factor in the development and maintenance of PCOS.

Many women with PCOS require prolonged treatment. Current pharmacological approaches are effective but have adverse effects.

Thus, non-pharmacological treatment strategies need to be evaluated. Acupuncture may affect PCOS via modulation of endogenous regulatory systems, including the sympathetic nervous system, the endocrine and the neuroendocrine system.

Experimental observations in rat models of steroid-induced polycystic ovaries and clinical data from studies in women with PCOS suggested that acupuncture exert long-lasting beneficial effects on metabolic and endocrine systems and ovulation.

Direct recordings of multi-unit efferent post-ganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve activity MSNA in a muscle fascicle of the peroneal nerve before and following 16 wks of treatment were carried out. Biometric, hemodynamic, endocrine, and metabolic parameters were measured. No correlation was found for body mass index and MSNA in the exercise group. There were no differences between the groups in hemodynamic, endocrine, and metabolic variables.

For the first time, these researchers showed that low-frequency EA and physical exercise lowers high sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS. There is insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture for toxic neuropathy.

Zhou et al noted that thalidomide and bortezomib are effective in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Unfortunately, their use can cause sensory neuropathy that frequently limits dose and duration of treatment. Although the relationship between peripheral neuropathy and therapeutic dose is controversial, many researchers have demonstrated a positive correlation between neuropathy and cumulative dose, dose intensity, and length of therapy. Peripheral neuropathic pain is the most troublesome symptom of neuropathy.

Spontaneous pain, allodynia, hyperalgesia, and hyperpathia are often associated with decreased physical activity, increased fatigue, mood, and sleep problems. Symptoms are often difficult to manage, and available treatment options rarely provide total relief.

Moreover, the adverse effects of these treatments often limit their use. Several studies have reported the efficacy of acupuncture, with fewer adverse effects than analgesic drugs, in the treatment of painful diabetic and human immunodeficiency virus-related neuropathy.

However, the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating toxic neuropathy has not been assessed. Although its putative mechanisms remain elusive, acupuncture has strong potential as an adjunctive therapy in thalidomide- or bortezomib-induced painful neuropathy, and a better understanding might guide its use in the management of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. The authors concluded that well-designed clinical trials with adequate sample size and power are warranted. There is no reliable evidence for the use of acupuncture as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Lee and colleagues evaluated the current evidence for the use of acupuncture to treat erectile dysfunction ED. Systematic searches were conducted in 15 electronic databases, with no language restrictions. Hand-searches included conference proceedings and our files. All clinical studies of acupuncture as a treatment for ED were considered for inclusion, and their methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score. Of the 4 studies included, 1 randomized controlled trial RCT showed beneficial effects of acupuncture compared with sham acupuncture in terms of response rate, while another RCT found no effects of acupuncture.

The remaining 2 studies were uncontrolled clinical trials. Most investigations had methodological flaws e. The authors concluded that the evidence is insufficient to suggest that acupuncture is an effective intervention for treating ED.

They stated that further research is needed to investigate if there are specific benefits of acupuncture for men with ED. A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture in Bell's palsy. Search form Search this site. Follow KPR. Follow KPR on Facebook. Follow kprinfo. Follow us on. Sign up for the KPR Newsletter. Upcoming Events Mon, November 22nd - am. Wed, November 24th - pm.

Pectoral Qi : Pectoral or zong qi is qi that is produced by breathing. It is stored in the chest area. Nutritional Qi : Nutritional or ying qi is derived from eating foods and is responsible for the circulation nutrition throughout the body. Defensive Qi : Defensive or wei qi is responsible for protecting the body from illnesses.

It is the yang of nutritional qi , meaning that it is also derived from eating foods, but serves a different purpose Qi flow chart Functions of Qi : Each of the vital substances has Five Cardinal Functions : actuation, warming, defense, containment, and transformation.

The five cardinal functions of qi are: Actuation : Qi is responsible for maintaining the vital life energy that is necessary for the body to grow and develop properly. If there is a qi deficiency, then the functional entities and vital substances will be negatively impacted, which can cause illness. Warming : Qi helps produce heat and regulates body temperature for normal functions to occur.

A deficiency in qi can result in a lowered body temperature, cold limbs, and a disposition to hot drinks, as means to combat this. Defending : Qi defends the body against external elements, such as pathogens and environmental factors that can cause illness. Qi also regulates Jinye body fluids-sweat, saliva, etc. Qi deficiency can result in symptoms related to body fluids and organ problems. Transformation : Qi is also responsible for transforming nutrition and air into different subsets of qi , such as blood.

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