Acupuncture plus manipulation in LDH

Stimulated by Shi et al 2025.[1] Diagram illustrating the acupuncture protocol from Shi et al 2025 [1] – unilateral points are in the unaffected side. LDH – lumbar disc herniationRCT – randomised controlled trialVAS – visual analogue scaleJOA – Japanese Orthopaedic Association score for low back painSIJ – sacroiliac jointSR – systematic reviewGRADE – Grading … Continue reading Acupuncture plus manipulation in LDH →

Acupuncture or reflexology for sleep in ALL

Stimulated by Babamiri et al 2025.[1] Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com ALL – acute lymphoblastic leukaemiaIF – impact factorAML – acute myeloblastic leukaemiaCML – chronic myeloblastic leukaemiaCLL – chronic lymphoblastic leukaemiaPSQI – Pittsburgh sleep quality indexMCID – minimum important clinical difference – key to acronyms There are several novel aspects about the paper I … Continue reading Acupuncture or reflexology for sleep in ALL →

IA plus SSRI in MDD

Stimulated by Wu et al 2024.[1] IA – intradermal acupunctureSSRI – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitorMDD – major depressive disorderEA – electroacupunctureMA – manual acupunctureIF – impact factorZung SDS – Zung self-rating depression scalePSQI – Pittsburgh sleep quality indexFC – functional connectivityMCID – minimal clinically important differenceGPT – generative pre-trained transformer – key to acronyms I … Continue reading IA plus SSRI in MDD →

EA or MA for CHHF 2024

Inspired by Kwon et al 2024.[1] AI generated image. EA – electroacupunctureMA – manual acupuncture (referred to as AC in the paper)CHHF – cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feetVAS – visual analogue scaleWHOQOL-BREF – World Health Organisation quality of life brief scaleQoL – quality of lifeANOVA – analysis of variance – key to acronyms … Continue reading EA or MA for CHHF 2024 →

EA for OAK 2024

Inspired by Liu et al 2024.[1] Image from HVAC photoshoot 2012.[6] EA – electroacupunctureOA – osteoarthritisOAK – OA of the kneeSR – systematic reviewNICE – the National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceHVAC – high volume acupuncture clinicRoB – risk of biasNSAIDs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugsIPDM – individual patient data meta-analysisGRADE – Grading of Recommendations, … Continue reading EA for OAK 2024 →

Hot flushes 2024

Inspired by Lu et al 2024.[1] AI generated image... ET – endocrine therapyAI – aromatase inhibitor(s)FACT-ES – Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Endocrine SymptomsESS – endocrine symptom subscale (of FACT-ES)MA – manual acupunctureEA – electroacupunctureRIX – radiation-induced xerostomia – key to acronyms Hot flushes was the subject of my first blog back in 2016 … Continue reading Hot flushes 2024 →

Acupuncture pre-IOL 2024

Inspired by Zamora-Brito et al 2024.[1] IOL – induction of labourMFM – Maternofetal MedicineIF – impact factorSOL – spontaneous onset of labourPROM – premature rupture of membranesCS – caesarean section – key to acronyms This paper in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology MFM (IF 3.8) comes from Barcelona and it comes out of … Continue reading Acupuncture pre-IOL 2024 →

Segmental acupuncture for rUTI 2024

Stimulated by Ots et al 2024.[1] The centre and right diagrams represent the protocol used in the trial.The diagram on the left is a segmental EA protocol favoured by MC. UTI – urinary tract infectionrUTI – recurrent UTIRCT – randomised controlled trialDZA – Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur – key to acronyms This is the largest … Continue reading Segmental acupuncture for rUTI 2024 →

Acupuncture vs BFT in FI

Stimulated by Ng et al 2024.[1] Photo by Coleen Rivas on Unsplash. This image is taken in the Super Tree Grove, which is one of the Gardens by the Bay, built on reclaimed land in Singapore Marina Bay. BFT – biofeedback therapyFI – faecal incontinencePFE – pelvic floor exercisesUCL – University College LondonIF – impact … Continue reading Acupuncture vs BFT in FI →

Acupuncture in the ED 2024

Stimulated by Eucker et al 2024.[1] Photo by Charles Givens on Unsplash. ED – emergency departmentNC – North CarolinaIF – impact factorRCT – randomised controlled trialMSK – musculoskeletalBFA – battlefield acupunctureASP – Aiguille d’acupuncture Semi-PermanenteNRS – numerical rating scaleMCID – minimal clinically important differenceLBP – low back painEA – electroacupuncture – key to acronyms This … Continue reading Acupuncture in the ED 2024 →