Secondo un’indagine Doxa, il 23% degli italiani si cura con le medicine non convenzionali e una buona percentuale di questi fa ricorso da tempo all’agopuntura, terapia medica che si avvale della stimolazione di particolari zone del corpo con aghi metallici.
Sull’efficacia dell’agopuntura sono stati pubblicati negli ultimi anni numerosissimi studi; basti pensare che nella sola banca dati medica Med-Line sono contenuti quasi 13.700 articoli scientifici dedicati proprio a questa pratica. Ad occuparsene in maniera approfondita è stata anche l’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità, che ha pubblicato le linee guida internazionali sui siti cutanei dove posizionare gli aghi, individuandone ben 86 di comprovata efficacia, permettendo così
al trattamento di divenire riproducibile e ripetibile, come richiesto dagli standard scientifici, ottimizzandone l’efficacia clinica.

Dalle tossicodipendenze al tunnel carpale
Secondo l’Oms, è stato provato dall’evidenza medica che l’agopuntura risulta efficace e indicata in numerose patologie o condizioni di malessere.
Qualche anno fa il National Institute of Health americano (equivalente al nostro Ministero della salute) ha pubblicato gli atti di una «consensus conference »1 dedicata all’agopuntura nelle cui conclusioni si legge: «L’agopuntura come intervento terapeutico è ampiamente praticata negli Stati Uniti. (…)
Sono emersi risultati promettenti persino nella terapia delle tossicodipenze, nella riabilitazione dopo infarto, nella fibromialgia, nella miofascite, nella sindrome del tunnel carpale, dell’osteoartrite,(…) patologie per le quali l’agopuntura può essere utile sia come trattamento aggiuntivo sia come alternativa ad altri trattamenti»....

Sempre in questo articolo:

>> Un'arte antica

>> Resettare l'equilibrio alterato

>> L'agopuntura conviene

>> Un universo poco conosciuto

>> Box: Le principali applicazioni

La versione completa dell'articolo è disponibile nel numero di Aprile 09 di Terra Nuova.

Le nostre riviste: TERRA NUOVA e SALUTE E'

Acquista ultimo numero

Abbonati alla rivista

Acquista un arretrato

I libri di Terra Nuova Edizioni

Visita lo shop on line

Bibliografia:

Bullock MD, Umen AJ, Culliton PD, Olander RT.
Acupuncture treatment of alcoholic recidivism: a pilot study. Clin Exp Res 1987 ; 11:292-5.
Bullock ML, Culliton PD, Olander RT.
Controlled trial of acupuncture for severe recidivist alcoholism. Lancet 1989 ; 1:1435-9.
Clavel-Chapelon F, Paoletti C, Banhamou S.
Smoking cessation rates 4 years after treatment by nicotine gum and acupuncture. Prev Med 1997 Jan-Feb;26(1):25-8.
He D, Berg JE, Hostmark AT.
Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or reduction for motivated smokers. Prev Med 1997 ; 26(2): 208-14.
Konefal J, Duncan R, Clemence C.
Comparison of three levels of auricular acupuncture in an outpatient substance abuse treatment program. Altern Med J 1995 ; 2(5):8-17.
Margolin A, Avants SK, Chang P, Kosten TR.
Acupuncture for the treatment of cocaine dependence in methadone-maintained patients. Am J Addict 1993 ; 2:194-201.
White AR, Rampes H.
Acupuncture in smoking cessation. In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [database on CDROM]. Oxford: Update Software; 1997 [updated 1996 Nov 24]. [9p.]. (The Cochrane Library; 1997 no. 2).
Cahn AM, Carayon P, Hill C, Flamant R.
Acupuncture in gastroscopy. Lancet 1978 ; 1(8057):182-3.
Chang FY, Chey WY, Ouyang A.
Effect of transcutaneous nerve stimulation on esophageal function in normal subjects--evidence for a somatovisceral reflex. Amer J Chinese Med 1996 ; 24(2):185-92.
Jin HO, Zhou L, Lee KY, Chang TM, Chey WY.
Inhibition of acid secretion by electrical acupuncture is mediated via J-endorphin and somatostatin. Am J Physiol 1996 ; 271(34):G524-G530.
Li Y, Tougas G, Chiverton SG, Hunt RH.
The effect of acupuncture on gastrointestinal function and disorders. Am J Gastroenterol 1992 ; 87(10):1372-81.
Chen XH, Han JS.
All three types of opioid receptors in the spinal cord are important for 2/15 Hz electroacupuncture analgesia. Eur J Pharmacol 1992 ; 211:203-10.
Patel M, Gutzwiller F, et al.
A meta-analysis of acupuncture for chronic pain. Int J Epidemiol 1989 ; 18:900-6.
Portnoy RK.
Drug therapy for neuropathic pain. Drug Ther 1993 ; 23:41-5.
Shlay JC et al.
The efficacy of a standardized acupuncture regimen compared to placebo as a treatment of pain caused by peripheral neuropathy in HIV-infected patients. CPCRA protocol 022. 1994.
Tang NM, Dong HW, Wang XM, Tsui ZC, Han JS.
Cholecystokinin antisense RNA increases the analgesic effect induced by EA or low dose morphine: conversion of low responder rats into high responders. Pain 1997 ; 71:71-80.
Ter Riet G, Kleijnen J, Knipschild P.
Acupuncture and chronic pain: a criteria based meta-analysis. J Clin Epidemiol 1990 ; 43:1191-9.
Zhu CB, Li XY, Zhu YH, Xu SF.
Binding sites of mu receptor increased when acupuncture analgesia was enhanced by droperidol: an autoradiographic study. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 1995 ; 16(4):289-384.
Helms JM.
Acupuncture energetics: a clinical approach for physicians. Berkeley (CA): Medical Acupuncture Publishers; 1996.
Hoizey D, Hoizey MJ.
A history of Chinese medicine. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press; 1988.
Kaptchuk TJ.
The web that has no weaver: understanding Chinese medicine. New York: Congdon & Weed; 1983.
Lao L.
Acupuncture techniques and devices. J Altern Compl Med 1996a; 2(1):23-5.
Liao SJ, Lee MHM, Ng NKY.
Principles and practice of contemporary acupuncture. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.; 1994.
Lu GD, Needham J.
Celestial lancets. A history and rationale of acupuncture and moxa. Cambridge University Press; 1980.
Lytle CD.
An overview of acupuncture. Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA, PHS, DHHS; May 1993.
Mitchell BB.
Acupuncture and oriental medicine laws. Washington: National Acupuncture Foundation; 1997.
Porkert M.
The theoretical foundations of Chinese medicine. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press; 1974.
Stux G, Pomerantz B.
Basics of Acupuncture. Berlin: Springer Verlag; 1995. p. 1-250.
Unschuld PU.
Medicine in China: a history of ideas. Berkeley: University of California Press; 1985.
Cheng XD, Wu GC, Jiang JW, Du LN, Cao XD.
Dynamic observation on regulation of spleen lymphocyte proliferation from the traumatized rats in vitro of continued electroacupuncture. Chinese Journal of Immunology 1997 ; 13:68-70.
Du LN, Jiang JW, Wu GC, Cao XD.
Effect of orphanin FQ on the immune function of traumatic rats. Chinese Journal of Immunology. In press.
Zhang Y, Du LN, Wu GC, Cao XD.
Electroacupuncture (EA) induced attenuation of immunosuppression appearing after epidural or intrathecal injection of morphine in patients and rats. Acupunct Electrother Res Int J 1996 ; 21:177-86. Medical devices; Reclassification of acupuncture needles for the practice of acupuncture. Federal Register 1996 ; 61(236):64616-7.
NIH Technology Assessment Workshop on Alternative Medicine; Acupuncture. J Alt Complement Med 1996 ; 2(1).
Bullock ML, Pheley AM, Kiresuk TJ, Lenz SK, Culliton PD.
Characteristics and complaints of patients seeking therapy at a hospital-based alternative medicine clinic. J Altern Compl Med 1997 ; 3(1):31-7.
Cassidy C.
A survey of six acupuncture clinics: demographic and satisfaction data. Proceedings of the Third Symposium of the Society for Acupuncture Research. Georgetown University Medical Center. 1995 September 16-17:1-27.
Diehl DL, Kaplan G, Coulter I, Glik D, Hurwitz EL.
Use of acupuncture by American physicians. J Altn Compl Med 1997 ; 3(2):119-26.
Naeser MA, Hahn KK, Lieberman B.
Real vs sham laser acupuncture and microamps TENS to treat carpal tunnel syndrome and worksite wrist pain: pilot study. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 1996 ; Suppl 8:7.
Christensen PA, Noreng M, Andersen PE, Nielsen JW.
Electroacupuncture and postoperative pain. Br J Anaesth 1989 ; 62:258-62.
Dundee JW, Chestnutt WN, Ghaly RG, Lynas AG.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture: a potentially useful antiemetic? Br Med J (Clin Res) 1986 ; 293(6547):583-4.
Dundee JW, Ghaly G.
Local anesthesia blocks the antiemetic action of P6. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 1991 ; 50(1): 78-80.
Dundee JW, Ghaly RG, Bill KM, Chestnutt WN, Fitzpatrick KT, Lynas AG.
Effect of stimulation of the P6 antiemetic point on postoperative nausea and vomiting. Br J Anaesth 1989 ; 63(5):612-18.
Dundee JW, Ghaly RG, Lynch GA, Fitzpatrick KT, Abram WP.
Acupuncture prophylaxis of cancer chemotherapy-induced sickness. J R Soc Med 1989 ; 82(5):268-71.
Dundee JW, McMillan C.
Positive evidence for P6 acupuncture antiemesis. Postgrad Med J 1991 ; 67(787):47-52.
Lao L, Bergman S, Langenberg P, Wong RH, Berman B.
Efficacy of Chinese acupuncture on postoperative oral surgery pain. Oral Surg Med Oral Pathol 1995 ; 79(4):423-8.
Martelete M, Fiori AMC.
Comparative study of analgesic effect of transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TNS), electroacupuncture (EA), and meperidine in the treatment of postoperative pain. Acupunct Electrother Res 1985 ; 10(3):183-93.
Sung YF, Kutner MH, Cerine FC, Frederickson EL.
Comparison of the effects of acupuncture and codeine on postoperative dental pain. Anesth Analg 1977 ; 56(4):473-8.
Asagai Y, Kanai H, Miura Y, Ohshiro T.
Application of low reactive-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the functional training of cerebral palsy patients. Laser Therapy 1994 ; 6:195-202.
Han JS, Wang Q.
Mobilization of specific neuropeptides by peripheral stimulation of identified frequencies. News Physiol Sci 1992: 176-80.
Han JS, Chen XH, Sun SL, Xu XJ, Yuan Y, Yan SC, et al.
Effect of low- and high-frequency TENS on met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe and dynorphin A immunoreactivity in human lumbar CSF. Pain 1991 ; 47:295-8.
Johansson K, Lindgren I, Widner H, Wiklung I, Johansson BB.
Can sensory stimulation improve the functional outcome in stroke patients? Neurology 1993 ; 43:2189-92.
Naeser MA.
Acupuncture in the treatment of paralysis due to central nervous system damage. J Alt Comple Med 1996 ; 2(1):211-48.
Simpson DM, Wolfe DE.
Neuromuscular complications of HIV infection and its treatment. AIDS 1991 ; 5:917-26.
Yang QY, Ping SM, Yu J.
Central opioid and dopamine activities in PCOS during induction of ovulation with electro-acupuncture. J Reprod Med (in Chinese) 1992 ; 1(1):6-19.
Yang SP, He LF, Yu J.
Changes in densities of hypothalamic m opioid receptor during cupric acetate induced preovulatory LH surge in rabbit. Acta Physiol Sinica (in Chinese) 1997 ; 49(3):354-8.
Yang SP, Yu J, He LF.
Release of GnRH from the MBH induced by electroacupuncture in conscious female rabbits. Acupunct Electrother Res 1994 ; 19:9-27.
Yu J, Zheng HM, Ping SM.
Changes in serum FSH, LH and ovarian follicular growth during electroacupuncture for induction of ovulation. Chin J Integrated Tradit Western Med 1995 ; 1(1):13-6.
Birch S, Hammerschlag R.
Acupuncture efficacy: a compendium of controlled clinical trials. Tarrytown (NY): Nat Acad Acu & Oriental Med; 1996.
Hammerschlag R, Morris MM.
Clinical trials comparing acupuncture to biomedical standard care: a criteria-based evaluation. Compl Ther Med. In press 1997.
Kaptchuk TJ.
Intentional ignorance: a history of blind assessment in medicine. Bull Hist Med. In press 1998.
Singh BB, Berman BM.
Research issues for clinical designs. Compl Therap Med 1997 ; 5:3-7.
Vincent CA.
Credibility assessment in trials of acupuncture. Compl Med Res 1990 ; 4:8-11.
Vincent CA, Lewith G.
Placebo controls for acupuncture studies. J Roy Soc Med 1995 ; 88:199-202.
Vincent CA, Richardson PH.
The evaluation of therapeutic acupuncture: concepts and methods. Pain 1986 ; 24:1-13.
Lao L.
Safety issues in acupuncture. J Altern Comp Med 1996 ; 2:27-31.
Norheim AJ, Fønnebø V.
Acupuncture adverse effects are more than occasional case reports: results from questionnaires among 1135 randomly selected doctors and 197 acupuncturists. Compl Therap Med 1996 ; 4:8-13.