Acupuncture /
Neural Network Acupuncture
About
Acupuncture as a therapeutic modality that has shown to be therapeutically effective for thousands of years. Traditional theory says that our bodies flow with an innate subtle vital force that can be affected by a number of techniques, such as acupuncture. Modern research indicates that acupuncture affects a variety of physiological systems in the body, including the musculo-skeletal, fascial, nervous and endocrine systems.
Studies have demonstrated the ability of acupuncture to regulate cerebral blood flow and cell death, improve electrophysiological brain activity, improve cognitive and neurological function and protect tissues from free radical damage after a brain injury or stroke. It aids reduce edema of the brain and promoted expression of GAP43 in the brain which is associated with axonal regeneration.
Acupuncture was also shown to reduce infarct sizes due to cerebral ischemia. A recent study compared standard care vs. standard care with acupuncture and found the group who recieved acupuncture, after six courses of treatment, significantly outperformed those in the control group on many the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (motor recovery), LOTCA Assessment (cognitive), and Barthel Index (daily living) scales.Many fMRI studies have demonstrated how specific acupuncture points activate various regions of the brain which can help facilitate healing of that area and rehabilitation of that brain regions function.
Research
Mechanisms
--The Phenomenon of Neuroplasticity and Neurophysiological Aspects of Acupuncture in Clinical Practice, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jams.2018.08.146.
--Neurobiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture for Some Common Illnesses: A Clinician's Perspective
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jams.2013.07.008
--Brain functional connectivity network studies of acupuncture: a systematic review on resting-state fMRI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2017.12.002
--Exploring Acupuncture Actions in the Body and Brain https://doi.org/10.51507/j.jams.2022.15.3.157
Applications
Traumatic Brain Injury
Acupuncture Improves Head Trauma Recovery - researchers conclude that acupuncture along the Chong, Ren and Du channels combined with rehabilitation can significantly improve DAI patients’ mobility, cognitive competence and other functions in everyday life
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1335-acupuncture-improves-head-trauma-recovery-new-research
Reduced Use of Emergency Care and Hospitalization in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury Receiving Acupuncture Treatment - Patients with TBI who receive acupuncture treatment have reduced the use of emergency care and hospitalization in the first year after injury. After adjustment, acupuncture treatment was associated with decreased risk of high emergency care visits and hospitalization. The RRs of high medical visits and expenditure for hospitalization associated with acupuncture treatment were 0.62 (95% CI = 0.50–0.76) and 0.66 (95% CI = 0.53–0.83), respectively.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/262039/
Acupuncture Makes Strides in Treatment of Brain Injuries, PTSD - Military field physicians are using the practice of acupuncture to treat cases of mild traumatic brain injuries (mild TBI), including concussions, and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Acupuncture Improved Neurological Recovery after Traumatic Brain Injury by Activating BDNF/TrkB Pathway -
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2017/8460145/
Role of Acupuncture in the Management of Severe Acquired Brain Injuries (sABIs)
https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/specialissues/580164.pdf#page=11
Stroke Rehabilitation
Scalp Acupuncture Effective For Stroke - Chen, et al., covered many other investigations in their meta-analysis. Positive clinical outcomes for the treatment of stroke were consistent across multiple scalp acupuncture studies.
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1287-scalp-acupuncture-effective-for-stroke-new-study
Acupuncture Stabilizes Balance After Stroke - In first-ever stroke patients with a low Br stage, acupuncture therapy can improve static balance during rehabilitation. However, the effect on balance was limited among high–Br stage patients. This study provides information valuable to patients with hemiplegic stroke because it suggests that acupuncture can be used to improve balance.
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2014.0003?journalCode=acm
Using microPET imaging in quantitative verification of the acupuncture effect in ischemia stroke treatment - Real acupuncture slightly reduced the injury-volume, sham acupoint treatment increased the injury-volume, and blank control had no obvious effect in reducing the injury-volume. Statistical tests also confirmed that acupuncture was more effective than random stimulus in improving the metabolic recovery after stroke.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23323213
Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain After Stroke: A Systematic Review - It was found in this review of reported RCT's that acupuncture is an efective treatment for shoulder pain after stroke. Acupuncture can be considered as an adjvant therapy in combbination with exercise for rehabilitation of the stroke patients who are suffering from shoulder pain
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2011.0457
Acupuncture Restores Hand Function for Paralysis Patients -New research proves that acupuncture combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is effective for restoring hand function in hemiplegic patients. Researchers measured significant improvements in both wrist and finger functionality.
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1338-acupuncture-restores-hand-function-for-paralysis-patients
Acupuncture Protects Brain Cells From Stroke - New research demonstrates that acupuncture stimulates brain cell proliferation in the cerebrum. The researchers note that electroacupuncture “exerts a neuroprotective effect in ischemic stroke.” The researchers also successfully measured the biochemical pathway by which acupuncture exerts this medical benefit to the brain. Stimulation of two acupuncture points was shown to activate the extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway, an important protein communication pathway involved in cell proliferation.
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/784-strokeli11st36#sthash.xdDSPwDm.x0heEMub.dpuf
A functional magnetic resonance imaging study on the effect of acupuncture at GB34 (Yanglingquan) on motor-related network in hemiplegic patients. - Compared to sham, acupuncture at GB34 showed positive interaction effect and may increase motor-cognition connectivity meanwhile decrease compensation of unaffected motor cortex and homolateral synkinesis, which can definitely promote the rehabilitation of hemiplegia and spasm.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25601007
PTSD
Acupuncture Combats Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - The NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) reports that acupuncture demonstrates effectiveness in the treatment of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder)
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/235-acupuncturewarcombatsptsd1154?highlight=WyJwdHNkIl0=
Randomized effectiveness trial of a brief course of acupuncture for posttraumatic stress disorder - Mean improvement in PTSD severity was significantly greater among those receiving acupuncture than in those receiving usual PTSD Care. Acupuncture was also associated with significantly greater improvements in depression, pain, and physical and mental health functioning. Pre-post effect-sizes for these outcomes were large and robust.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25397825
Acupuncture treats Concussions, Insomnia, Headaches, & PTSD - Acupuncture for the treatment of concussions, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, and post traumatic stress syndrome gets increased use in the US military. In the most recent issue of Stars and Stripes, Dr. Stuessi (a Navy sports medicine physician who works in a special concussion restoration care center) notes, “I’ve found phenomenal, off-the-charts results doing acupuncture for sleep, for dizziness and headaches.”
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/354-acupuncture-concussionsinsomniaheadachesptsd?highlight=WyJwdHNkIl0=
Acupuncture for PTSD: Getting soldiers through the door - “Indeed, to assist those suffering from PTSD to more actively and consistently participate in evidence-based treatments, particularly when accompanied by associated symptoms of chronic pain, depression, insomnia, anxiety or substance abuse, I have found acupuncture (among other adjuncts) to not only be useful symptomatically, but by helping to help regulate the autonomic nervous system improve treatment compliance,”
http://www.healio.com/psychiatry/ptsd/news/online/%7B1A233A04-73BE-42A8-8B4C-F89319359D4A%7D/Acupuncture-for-PTSD-Getting-soldiers-through-the-door
Efficacy Of Acupuncture For PTSD In Military Personnel - Compared to usual PTSD care, a four week course of twice weekly TCM acupuncture resulted in significantly greater improvements in… PTSD symptoms (pre-post ES 1.4-1.6; versus usual care ES 0.7-1.0, Depression and pain symptoms, Mental health functioning but not physical functioning
http://www.pdhealth.mil/downloads/Evaluating_the_Efficacy_of_Acupuncture_as_a_Treatment_for_Posttraumatic_Stress_in_Military_Personnel.pdf
Community-Based Wounded Warrior Sustainability Initiative (CBWSI): An integrative medicine strategy for mitigating the effects of PTSD -
http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/2012/493/pdf/sniezek493.pdf