EDN in OAK 2025

Stimulated by Dunning et al 2025.[1] Figure 1 from the paper... or you wouldn't have believed me. EDN – electrical dry needlingOAK – OA kneeOA – osteoarthritisIF – impact factorPEDN – periosteal electrical dry needlingPIEDN – periosteal and intra-articular electrical dry needlingEA – electroacupunctureWMA – Western medical acupunctureTENS – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulationSAE – serious … Continue reading EDN in OAK 2025 →

Acupuncture for stroke 2022

Inspired by Li et al 2022.[1] Guangzhou skyline – photo by Junbin Chen on Unsplash. EA – electroacupunctureMA – manual acupunctureTENS – transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulationCT – computed tomographyMRI – magnetic resonance imagingNIHSS – Nation Institutes of Health Stroke ScaleBI – Barthel IndexMAS – Modified Ashworth ScaleADL – activities of daily livingkey to acronyms This 3-armed trial from … Continue reading Acupuncture for stroke 2022 →

Guidelines for acupuncture RCTs

Inspired by He et al 2022 and Gang et al 2022.[1,2] Photo Kerry Hu on Unsplash. A panda in Chengdu. RCTs – randomised controlled trialsSR – systematic reviewCAM – complementary and alternative medicineCAIM – complementary alternative and integrative medicineLBP – low back painkey to acronyms I rarely refer to protocols on this blog. One exception … Continue reading Guidelines for acupuncture RCTs →

Median nerves and arteries

Stimulated by Liu et al 2020,[1] and Li et al 2021.[2] Figure 1 from Liu et al 2020.[1]A – superficial brachial arteryB – median nerve EBM – evidence based medicineMR angiography – magnetic resonance angiographyPMA – persistent median arterykey to acronyms These are a couple of recent papers, a case report and a letter with … Continue reading Median nerves and arteries →

Co-occurrence of pain syndromes

Stimulated by Affaitati et al 2019.[1] Photo by Aiony Haust on Unsplash. This paper popped up on a very recent search, but not because it mentions acupuncture, in fact it doesn’t. I also search every day for the latest research in myofascial pain. I had a look at this one because of the last author … Continue reading Co-occurrence of pain syndromes →

The problem with sham

Inspired by an invitation to present on the topic to politicians in Madrid who apparently want to stop the practice of acupuncture by doctors in Spain - 18 January 2019. I have been lecturing on the scientific perspectives of acupuncture around the globe for over two decades. I have numerous PowerPoint slides to call upon, … Continue reading The problem with sham →

Periosteal techniques 1963-2018

In July 2018 I gave a workshop on Western medical acupuncture theory and techniques to a group of Chinese Medicine doctors in Lanzhou New District. The workshop lasted a little over 4 days, and the participants did not seem to be familiar with periosteal needling. I was aware that in other parts of China the … Continue reading Periosteal techniques 1963-2018 →

e-19th century

Papers from the early 19th century Inspired by Cloquet, Sarlandière, Pelletan, Carraro, and Pouillet, on Acupuncture. Edinburgh Med Surg J 1827;27:190–200. On the 25th October 2018 three rather unusual papers appeared on my PubMed search.[1–3] They were remarkable because they were nearly two centuries late! So I guess there is an ongoing process of digitising … Continue reading e-19th century →