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Acupuncture in Pain Management

  • Chapter
Integrative Pain Medicine

Part of the book series: Contemporary Pain Medicine ((CPM))

Summary

Acupuncture is a system of treatment which involves the insertion of thin, solid needles into specific areas of the body known as acupuncture points, or acupoints, with the intention of positively affecting a patient’s clinical condition or health status. In recent decades, the integration of the Western scientific model has provided novel means of furthering our understanding of acupuncture and its effects. Of all the complementary and alternative therapies, acupuncture is one of the best researched. Since the National Institute of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, published in 1997, there has been a flood of high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials as well as a much broader investigation into the basic mechanisms of acupuncture. This chapter will define the various mechanisms by which acupuncture is believed to operate, both from traditional naturalistic and modern scientific contexts. A brief historical narrative will bridge the two approaches as they have flourished over different periods of time. An evidence-based review of the potential uses of acupuncture for various pain conditions will follow, along with discussions regarding acupuncture safety and its incorporation into a integrative pain management practice.

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Authors
  1. David Wang
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  2. Joseph F. Audette
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Spaulding, Massachusetts

    Joseph F. Audette MA, MD

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

    Allison Bailey MD

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© 2008 Humana Press

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Wang, D., Audette, J.F. (2008). Acupuncture in Pain Management. In: Audette, J.F., Bailey, A. (eds) Integrative Pain Medicine. Contemporary Pain Medicine. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-344-8_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-344-8_18

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-786-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-344-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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