Acupuncture helps depression in pregnancy

Acupuncture may offer a drug-free alternative for treating depression in pregnant women, researchers have found. Two thirds of women in the trial reported a significant improvement of their symptoms when receiving acupuncture. The study of 150 women with depression was conducted by a team at Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA (from Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology via Telegraph).

Euro Parliament holds Chinese medicine lecture

The European Parliament recently held a lecture on Chinese medicine, the first of its kind that has ever taken place inside the European Union's legislative body. The lecture was part of the European Parliament's three-day special event marking the Chinese new year (from www.crienglish.com).

Acupuncture promising for peripheral neuropathy

Acupuncture shows promising results for those suffering from peripheral neuropathy. Studies have demonstrated that acupuncture may help to improve nerve conduction and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises acupuncture as a useful therapy for neurologic symptoms like peripheral neuropathy. Although an individual may not recover immediately or completely through acupuncture, relief of symptoms can make a difference to patient comfort and quality of life. With time, acupuncture treatments may have a lasting positive impact on peripheral neuropathy (from www.castanet.net).

Reduce the signs of ageing with acupuncture

Anne McElvoy, of the London Evening Standard, tries cosmetic acupuncture for herself and is pleasantly surprised by the results. Acupuncture rejuvenates new tissues and regenerates stronger and firmer fibres of collagen and elastin to improve the structure of the face and visibly reduce the signs of ageing (from Evening Standard).

Scientists show acupuncture lessens pain

Acupuncture may work by making the brain no longer experience pain, according to new research. Scientists who scanned the brains of volunteers as they were given acupuncture found it deactivated pathways that govern pain. Complementary medicine expert Dr Hugh MacPherson, of the University of York, says the research could help to clear the way for acupuncture to be more broadly accepted as a treatment option (from Telegraph).

Facial acupuncture as good as botox

How facial acupuncture can give results as good as botox (from Mail).

Chinese herbs treat functional dyspepsia

Researchers suggest Chinese Herbal Medicine formula xiaoyao san appears to be more effective than prokinetic drugs in the treatment of functional dyspepsia (from Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology via Wiley InterScience).

Electro-acupuncture promising for arthritis

Electro-acupuncture shows promise for knee arthritis (Reuters). A modern twist on traditional acupuncture may bring pain relief to people with knee arthritis, a study suggests. Researchers report electro-acupuncture may be beneficial to patients with knee osteo-arthritis, the common "wear-and-tear" form of arthritis.

Hot flushes reduced by acupuncture

Randomised trials in South Korea have concluded the use of acupuncture was associated with marked clinical improvement in hot flushes and other menopause-related symptoms (from Menopause).

Researchers suggest why acupuncture works

After 3,000 years of mystery, the secrets of acupuncture have been unlocked by Curtin University of Technology researchers.

Curtin Adjunct Professor, Dr Morry Silberstein, has developed a new theory that explains, for the first time, the scientific reasons why acupuncture works (from Curtin University of Technology).

Acupuncture benefits neck pain

Acupuncture may have lasting benefits for neck pain, the authors of a study say.

The study found that people who received acupuncture had less pain three years later than people with similar pain who received a dummy treatment (from New York Times).

Acupuncture eases anxiety

Doctors sometimes joke that when children have surgery, their parents may need sedatives, too.

"Usually, high-anxiety parents have high-anxiety kids," said Dr Shuming Wang, an anesthesiologist at the Yale School of Medicine.

But in a study, Dr Wang and her colleagues report on another approach, acupuncture. Simple devices resembling thumbtacks attached to the ear significantly reduce parents' anxiety, they reported (from New York Times).

US approves Chinese liver formula

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a Chinese herbal medicine formula devised in Shanghai. The combination of herbs is said to help treat liver fibrosis resulting from hepatitis (source: Shanghai Daily, East Day).