Global trend of nondrug and nonsedativehypnotic treatment forinsomnia: a bibliometric study.

OBJECTIVE: To present a bibliometric analysis of global scientific publications on the nondrug and nonsedative hypnotic treatment of insomnia with regard to influential institutions, publications, countries, research hotspots, trends, and frontiers. METHODS: A literature review was conducted by searching the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases to identify all publications related to the nondrug and nonsedative hypnotic treatment of insomnia from 2000 to 2021. Eligible publications were reviewed, including annual publication increments, citation analyses, international collaborations, and keyword analyses. The data were analysed using CiteSpace (vers5.8.R3, 6.1.R2 and 6.1.6, College of Computing and Informatics, Philadelphia, PA, USA) and virtualized by knowledge maps. RESULTS：In total, 9832 publications were included in this analysis. The results from the WoSCC showed that the United States of America (Count = 2268, 40.33%), Stanford University (Count = 141, 2.51%), and the United States Department of Health and Human Services were the leading country, institute, and funding agency regarding the number of publications, respectively. 'Cognitive-behavioural therapy" was the most popular research topic generated from the cocited reference. The most frequently co-occurring keywords were insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy, disorder, depression, quality of life, Meta-analysis, older adult, sleep, prevalence and efficacy, while keywords including clinical practice guideline, guideline, and Tai Chi remained popular after 2021. Circadian rhythm was the strongest research frontier for 2000-2021. In China, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Count = 69, 4.79%) was the most productive institute in this field. The most frequently co-occurring keywords from Chinese literature were sleep disorder, sleep quality, acupuncture and moxibustion, Parkinson's disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, health education, music therapy, chronic insomnia, quality of life, and nonmotor symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine was the strongest research frontier for 2019-2021. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric study provides an exhaustive mapping encompassing pertinent institute, publications, influential articles, researchers and topics of the global trend of nondrug and nonsedative hypnotic treatment for insomnia. The results show that the research trend has shifted from primary studies on the efficacy and safety of nondrug and nonsedative hypnotic treatment for insomnia to comorbidity studies. Clinical practice guidelines will potentially become the research frontier for this field post-2021. The findings are important for researchers, clinicians, journal editors, and policy-makers working in the field of nondrug and nonsedative hypnotic treatment for insomnia to understand the strengths and potentials in the current studies and guide future clinical practice, research, and science policy.

Effect of catgut embedding at acupoints versus non-acupoints in abdominal obesity: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the difference of catgut embedding effect between acupoints and non-acupoints in patients with abdominal obesity (AO). METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, all subjects were randomly assigned into the acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) group and control group (catgut embedding at non-acupoints). With a 12-week actual intervention period and a 4-week period of follow-up. Waist circumference (WC), body weight, body mass index (BMI), hip circumference (HC) and appetite were applied and assessed at baseline and after 6, 12 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: After the total intervention phase (12 weeks), the WC, body weight, BMI, HC and visual analogue scale scores of appetite, decreased significantly in the two groups as compared to the baseline (0.001). Meanwhile, after the 4-week follow-up, the indicators still decreased significantly in the ACE group (0.001). At 12 and 16 weeks, catgut embedding at acupoints showed significantly advantages to non-acupoints in WC and appetite (0.05). No serious adverse events were observed in ACE group and control group. CONCLUSIONS: Catgut embedding at acupoints and non-acupoints are all effective and safe for AO. ACE can effectively treat AO as expected and deliver lasting results.

Application Status and Hot Spot Visual Analysis of Infrared Technology in Acupuncture and Moxibustion Field / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Objective To analyze the literature on the application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion at home and abroad by using bibliometrics and visualization software,discuss the research status,main forces,frontier hotspots and dynamic trends,and provide reference for promoting the cross fusion application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion research.Methods In this study,CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze the number of articles,authors,institutions and keywords of 478 articles screened from CNKI and 188 articles screened from Web of Science Core Collection database in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion,drawing the visual map of authors,institutions and keywords.Cluster,co-occurrence and time superposition analysis of keywords were made at the same time.Results The research on the application of infrared technology in acupuncture and moxibustion started earlier in China,while the international research started later.Xu Jinxin,Shen Xueyong,Pan Xiaohua and Ding Guanghong have done a lot of work in the cross research of infrared technology and acupuncture and moxibustion.Internationally,Litscher gerhard,Shen xueyong and Yoo ho-ryong are the main authors.The Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have the highest number of papers;Internationally,Med Univ Graz,Daejeon Univ and Korea Inst Oriental Med are the main research institutions.The hot spots of visualization discovery are the application of infrared thermal imaging technology to diagnose and evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture related therapies,the assistance of infrared therapeutic effects in acupuncture and moxibustion to enhance the clinical efficacy and product transformation development,the exploration of the meridian along the line development phenomenon,the infrared spectral characteristics of meridians and acupoints to assist in disease diagnosis,the study of infrared radiation spectral characteristics of moxibustion,and the functional near-infrared spectral imaging study of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.Conclusion The cross fusion of infrared technology and acupuncture covers both diagnosis and clinical aspects,involving theoretical research and applied research.At present,it is mainly carried out around six hot spots.The application research of infrared technology in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion has great development potential,which is worthy of more in-depth cross fusion research and cooperation between multiple institutions and personnel;In the future,infrared meridian and acupoint diagnostic equipment,the introduction of new infrared technology and the molecular mechanism of acupuncture meridian specific infrared phenomenon will have broad prospects.

Acupuncture for Chronic Stable Angina:a Systematic Review and Meta Analysis / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Objective This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)assessing the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for chronic stable angina(CSA).Methods PubMed,The Cochrane Library,Embase,CNKI,VIP,WanFang Data,CBM databases,ClinicalTrial.gov and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of acupuncture for CSA and only RCTs that included acupuncture as the sole or combination of acupuncture in the treatment of CSA.The retrieval period was from the establishment of the database to May 19,2022.The primary outcome measure was the frequency of angina attacks,and the secondary outcome measures were angina efficacy,total effective rate of ECG improvement,nitroglycerin use after treatment,patient-perceived overall effectiveness,performance on the Six-Minute Walk Test(6-MWT),depression as measured by the anxiety as measured by the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS),adverse effects.Results Twelve studies with a total of 1605 case subjects were included and grade quality of evidence reviews had 1 outcomes as medium quality evidence,5 outcomes as low quality evidence and 4 outcomes as very low quality evidence.Acupuncture treatment resulted in significantly greater reductions in angina attacks,visual analog scale(VAS),6-minute walk test,angina efficacy,electrocardiogram improvement rate,angina efficacy,total clinical response rate.Conclusion The efficacy of acupuncture combined with western medicine in treating CSA is better than that of Western medicine alone,thanks to restricted by the number and quality of included researchs,higher quality studies are required to prove above conclusions.

Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment:An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Objective To overview the methodological quality,report quality and evidence quality of the Meta-Analyses/Systematic Reviews(MAs/SRs)of acupuncture for post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).Methods A search was conducted for MAs/SRs on PSCI using English or Chinese from inception to 20 February 2022 published in four Chinese databases:CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,CBM;and three English databases:PubMed,Embase and Cochrane Library.The MAs/SRs were evaluated for methodological quality using AMSTAR 2 and for reporting quality using PRISMA,and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.Results A total of 18 MAs/SRs were included in this study,of which 89%showed the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for PSCI.According to AMSTAR 2,1 study was of low methodological quality and 17 studies were of critically low quality;according to PRISMA,1 study was of high quality,16 studies were of moderate quality and 1 study was of poor quality;GRADE showed that of the 71 outcomes included,however,there was no evidence of high quality outcomes,with 10 of moderate quality,17 of low quality,and 44 of very low quality.Conclusion Acupuncture may be effective and safe in the treatment of PSCI,but in current acupuncture for PSCI is generally of low quality and should be interpreted with caution.

Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Mild Cognitive Impairment:A Scoping Review of Clinical Studies / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Objective A scoping review of clinical research studies on acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in mild cognitive impairment(MCI),to get a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in the field,in order to provide reference for the key research direction and clinical decision-making of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in MCI in the future.Methods Systematic searches were carried out in Chinese and English databases(such as CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,China Biomedical Database,Pubmed,Web of Science,Embase,The Cochrane library),and trial registration platforms(such as WHO ICTRP and Clinical Trials.gov).the clinical studies and Systematic Reviews(SRs)and/or Meta-analyses(MAs)of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of MCI were collected.The search language is limited to Chinese and English,and the search time is from the establishment to July 27,2022.The final included studies were summarized from the aspects of annual publication trend,the patterns of Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation,acupuncture treatment plan,and outcome indicators of clinical studies.AMASTAR 2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality of SRs/MAs,and evidence mapping was constructed using bubble charts,etc.Results 108 original clinical studies and 9 SRs/MAs were included.The included clinical studies were randomized controlled trials.From 2006 to 2022,the number of publications generally showed an upward trend.Kidney essence deficiency syndrome was the most common dialectical classification in TCM.Special acupuncture treatment regimens are most common as interventions.And outcome measures were mainly Mini-Mental State Examination,Montreal Cognitive Assessment,and Activities of Daily Living,and so on.The assessment of AMSTAR 2 showed at least more than 2 critical flaws,the methodological quality of included SRs/MAs was critically low.Conclusion At present,acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for MCI has a good development prospect and is worthy of in-depth study,but there are still problems such as a single type of clinical study,lack of unified standards for TCM syndrome differentiation,and further standardization of outcome indicator reporting.In addition,the quality of existing evidence for SRs/MAs is generally low,and more in-depth studies are needed to clarify the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for MCI.

Liang Fanrong's Experience in Treating Tinnitus with the Theory of Wind / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

To sum up professor Liang Fanrong's clinical experience in treating tinnitus with the theroy of wind.Professor LIANG suggests that pathogenesis of tinnitus is the wind disturbing the ear.Expelling wind and dredging collaterals,harmonizing the middle energizer,and dredging the Governor vessel and brain-strengthening are the basic treatment laws.GB20,SJ17,GB19,SJ21,SI19,GB2,SJ5,SJ3,ST25,RN6,RN12,DU20,DU24,and EX-HN1 compose the foundation of prescription.Selection of acupoints according to syndrome differentiation.Combined with moxibustion treatment.To strengthen the desired sensation with technique of acupuncture manipulation.

Discuss the Performance,Characteristics and Ability Training of"Empathy"in TCM Clinical Practice / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Empathy is one of the basic qualities that modern clinicians need to possess.Although traditional Chinese medicine has no definition for empathy,it does have practical applications.TCM clinical empathy,nurtured by Chinese excellent traditional culture,can be seen in TCM classics and clinical practice of famous doctors of previous generations,and has been inherited in the spiritual thinking of modern colleges and universities of Chinese medicine.However,at present,there is a relative lack of special training courses for"empathy"in Chinese medicine higher education.This paper first briefly describes the connotation,history,and neuroscience mechanism of the concept of"empathy".Secondly,the manifestations and characteristics of"empathy"in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine were sorted out.Finally,we use modern medicine and psychology for reference,and combine the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine to make suggestions for the cultivation of the ability of"empathy"in clinical Chinese medicine.

Mechanisms of immune regulation for acupuncture on chronic respiratory diseases.

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are among the most common noncommunicable diseases globally, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Acupuncture, a treatment method derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been shown to be effective at treating CRDs, with little risk of adverse effects. Scientific research on the mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture, especially, its immune regulatory function, has rapidly advanced in recent years. Herein, the diverse immune regulatory mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of acupuncture are summarized from the perspectives of innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and neuroimmunity. A better understanding of these mechanisms will ultimately provide a scientific basis for the clinical use of acupuncture for the treatment of CRDs.

Exploration of phenomena and regularity of heat-sensitive acupoints based on bibliometrics / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the phenomena and regularity of heat-sensitive acupoints for clinic and further study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Modern literature before May 11st, 2017 on heat-sensitive phenomena was retrieved from CNKI, VIP, database, and SinoMED. The research trend of heat-sensitive acupoints and interventions, heat-sensitive region, detection indexes, and diseases were analyzed by bibliometrics.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 201 included papers, 35 papers on healthy person was the highest, which were mainly related to Mingmen (GV 4) with 8 papers. As to the detection indexes, 125 papers on the individual, saturated and sensation vanishing moxibustion quantity accounted for the largest part, which were most relevant to the points in the bladder meridian of foot- (66 papers) and soft tissue injury (29 papers), and the second part was infrared radiation feature (61 papers), which were most relevant to healthy person (23 papers).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Heat-sensitive phenomena own regularity, and the detection indexes are specific to heat-sensitive points in healthy person or patients with different diseases.</p>

Acupoint electrosensitivity and regularity based on bibliometric / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the acupoint electrosensitivity and regularity for assisting the clinical diagnosis and treatment so as to improve the clinical therapeutic effects.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By means of the computer retrieval (CBMdisc, CNKI, VIP, WanFang, PubMed and EMBASE) and manual retrieval, the relevant literature on acupoint electrosensitivity was reviewed and the modern literature database of acupoint electrosensitivity was established. Using bibliometric, the relations were analyzed among the detected indexes, acupoints, meridians and disorders in the conditions of acupoint electrosensitivity, and the potential regularity was explored.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The general detection indexes of acupoint electrosensitivity were resistance, inertia area, volt-ampere area, electric conduction quantity, electric potential, electric current and capacitance. The electrosensitive points included meridian points, auricular points and extraordinary points. Among those points, the electrosensitivity easily occurred at the special points.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The acupoint electrosensitivity is mainly reflected on the electrical impedance and volt-ampere characteristics. The relative specificity exists between acupoint electrosensitivity and disorders. In clinical practice, detecting acupoint electrosensitivity may assist the diagnosis and instruct acupoint selection to improve the clinical therapeutic effects.</p>

Confounding factors in research for characteristics of acupoint electrical impedance / 中国针灸

The literature regarding the electrical characteristics of acupoints was reviewed, and the confounding factors (indoor temperature and humidity, criteria of acupoint selection, use of electrical resistance instruments) were summarized and analyzed. It was proposed that during the measurement, the indoor temperature should be constant and in the state of heat adaptation as much as possible; the effects of humidity on resistance value should be reduced to stabilize the heat loss of skin through evaporation; the acupoint selection and manipulation should be in accordance with agreed standard; attention should be paid to the operation and instruction of the instrument, in combination with experiment purpose. As a result, the repeatability and reliability of research results of electrical characteristics of acupoints could be improved.

Action mechanism of acupuncture along meridians on improving energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the protective effect of acupuncture along meridians on rats with myocardial ischemia and its effect and action mechanism on cardiomyocyte energy metabolism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 104 healthy 12-week-old SD rats were fed adaptively for 1 week and included into study with no disease symptoms observed. Of them, 24 SD rats were selected regardless of gender, and were randomly divided into a blank group and a sham operation group, 12 rats in each one. The remaining 80 SD rats were treated with ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery to establish the model of myocardial ischemia. The successful rate of model establishment was 60%, and 48 rats survived. They were randomly divided into a model group, an acupuncture along meridian group, an acupuncture along another-meridian group and a non-acupoint group, 12 rats in each one. The blank group was not treated with operation, but only bundle fixation. The sham operation group was treated with sham operation (coronary artery was not ligatured). The model group bundle fixation. The acupuncture along meridian group were treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at "Neiguan" (PC 6), the acupuncture along another-meridian group were treated with EA at "Hegu" (LI 4), and the non-acupoints group were treated at a non-acupoint which located in the hollow of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones of the dorsal foot of fore rate limb. Each bundle fixation or EA was given for 30 min, once a day for consecutive 5 days. The electrocardiogram was tested in all groups; the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was detected by Tunel; the contents of ATP, ADP and AMP in myocardium were detected by high performance liquid chromatography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ST segment voltage after model establishment was higher than that before modeling (all<0.05). Compared with the model group after intervention, the ST segment was elevated in the acupuncture along meridian group, acupuncture along another-meridian group and non-acupoint group (<0.01,<0.05), but the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was significantly reduced (all<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture along another-meridian group and non-acupoint group, the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes in the acupuncture along meridian group was significantly decreased (both<0.01). Compared with the model group after intervention, the content of ATP was increased in acupuncture along meridian group (<0.05); compared with the non-acupoint group, the content of ATP was increased in the acupuncture along meridian group (<0.05); compared with the model group, the contents of ADP and AMP were reduced in the acupuncture along meridian group, acupuncture along another-meridian group and non-acupoint group (all<0.05); the energy charge EC in the acupuncture along meridian group was higher than that in the model group (<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture along meridians can effectively relieve the damage of cardiac muscle tissue; the possible mechanism is to increase ATP and reduce ADP, AMP of cardiomyocytes, so EC level is elevated and myocardial cell apoptosis is inhibited, leading to protective effect on cardiac muscle tissue and cells.</p>

Acupuncture for myocardial ischemia based on purinergic signaling:current status and perspectives / 中国针灸

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is believed to be one of the major diseases with myocardial ischemia (MI) as basic pathological change. The clinical trials and experimental researches in the last 15 years were analyzed in this paper, and it was found that purinergic signaling could transduce the selective expression of molecular adenosine receptors A, A, A, Ain cardiovascular system, which had the potential to be a novel target for treating cardiovascular disease. Using purinergic receptors to explore the actions of acupuncture for myocardial ischemia provides new perspectives to elucidate the mechanism of acupuncture for MI.

Feedback and evaluation on curriculum for major of acupuncture-moxibustion and / 中国针灸

In order to explore the existing problems of teaching, propose suggestions to optimize the teaching and improve the quality of acupuncture-moxibustion teaching, a questionnaire survey was performed to Grade 2008 undergraduates with the major of acupuncture-moxibustion andin our university, and the teaching opinions feedback on main curriculums of acupuncture, including,,,and, were received. It was found out the ratio of curriculum to practice was in need of adjustment, and the link of student ability training was in need of improvement. It was proposed the teaching quality supervision system of acupuncture compulsory courses should be established; the student ability training should be improved; the unchanged pattern of final examination should be changed; the research group of teaching reform should be established. It was hoped this could provide reference for education and teaching reform of acupuncture-moxibustion and tuina in China.

Research Review of the Action Mechanism of Acupuncture Based on Cell Apoptosis / 上海针灸杂志

Apoptosis refers to the programmed death process of cells modulated by genes. It plays an important role in promoting the evolution of organisms, regulating the development of multiple systems, and maintaining the stability of internal environment. The major apoptosis pathways include mitochondrial pathways, death receptor pathways, and endoplasmic reticulum pathways. With the rapid development of the scientific research on acupuncture, it’s revealed that cell apoptosis should be closely related to the action of acupuncture. So far, the major apoptosis factors involved in relevant researches are P53, Bcl-2 family, Cyt-C, Caspase, Fas/Fasl, TNFR1/TNF-?, and FADD-Caspase8, and PERK, etc. Via influencing these apoptosis factors or genes, acupuncture can produce various effects in improving tissue ischemia, protecting neural cells, reducing inflammation, and correcting endocrine disorders. This article summarized and reviewed the apoptosis pathways and key factors related to the action of acupuncture, to provide some beneficial references for future studies.

Exploration of action and significance of-source point for clinical diagnosis based on literature metrology / 中国针灸

Modern literature on the physical property of the-source point were collected from Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) and China Biology Medicine(CBM) databases. The physical property,relevant diseases and-source acupoints were analyzed through statistical analysis of literature metrology. It is considered that articles on the electrical resistance of acupoint account for the largest part,which are mainly related to hyperthyreosis and the change of menstrual cycle. The second part is radiation spectrum,which are mostly relevant to the coronary heart disease and then the physiological change of healthy people. As to the diseases,articles of cardiovascular diseases are taken the most proportion,which were treated with the 12-source points,Shenmen(HT 7) and Daling(PC 7). Also,the results present the physical property of-source acupoints in themeridians is more sensitive to diseases and the physical property is specific to diseases. Besides,the-source acupoint can show the pathological changes of its own meridian.

Strategy on the recruitment of free community medical-consultation in acupuncture clinical trials / 中国针灸

The difficulty in the participant recruitment is the common question in acupuncture clinical trial study. The existing recruitment of clinical trial is most applicable for the clinical trial of medicines. Because the intervention of acupuncture clinical trial is different from that of medicines, characterized as the specialties in "theory, principle, acupoints, technique", it is very necessary to develop the strategy on the participant recruitment in acupuncture clinical trial. The free community medical consultation is one of the important means of recruitment. In the paper, by taking the participant recruitment of acupuncture clinical trial on chronic stable angina pectoris as the example, the discussion is given on the strategy on the recruitment of free community medical consultation in the aspects of feasible investigation of recruitment approach, recruitment plan, participant screening, etc. The revisiting after the free community medical consultation is the important approach to the improvement of successful recruitment. This strategy on the recruitment of free community medical consultation is highly practical and improves the successful rate and compliance of the participant recruitment. Hence, this strategy deserves to be promoted.

Status of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture based on SooPAT and bibliometrics in China / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To perform a bibliometrics analysis on patent literature regarding diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture in China, aiming to provide references for the development of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on SooPAT, a patent database, the patent literature regarding diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture in China was collected. With bibliometrics methods, the annual distribution of type, quantity, classification and content of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of acupuncture diagnosis and treatment devices reached its peak in 2012 and 2013 in China. The A61N in patent and utility model patent were the most, which were mainly related to electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, radioactive therapy and ultrasound therapy, etc. The main content was acupuncture treatment devices and meridian treatment devices. The 24-01 in design patent was the most, involving fixation devices used by doctors, hospitals and laboratories, etc.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Currently the majority of diagnosis and treatment devices of acupuncture is therapeutic apparatus, while the acupuncture diagnosis devices are needed.</p>

Comments on "Acupuncture for chronic knee pain: a randomized clinical trial" from Journal of the American Medical Association / 中国针灸

The development of TCM acupuncture represents a internationalized and modern trend. A recent study with the title of "Acupuncture for chronic knee pain: a randomized clinical trial" published in Journal of the American Medical Association on October 1st, 2014, which raised doubts on acupuncture efficacy as well as traditional manipulation and acupoint theory, makes some negative impact and challenges on the development of acupuncture. From the view of future development of acupuncture, the potential influence of this research on acupuncture development is proposed, and by combining acupuncture theory, some discussions and doubts on the research design and outcome explanations are made. Additionally, enlightenments of this research on further clinical research are summarized.