Review: The Field of Acupuncture Research in Just 10 Minutes

key words:  research literacy, acupuncture research, integrative medicine, comparative studies, comparative effectiveness research (CER), mechanistic studies (biomechanisms of acupuncture), clinical research vs. laboratory research, efficacy vs. effectiveness in clinical trials, the chasm of clinical work and effectiveness vs. research study design, placebo in acupuncture, is your control active or inert?, "placebo" as inert, acupuncture sham is active not inert


The field of acupuncture research and study design is complex; more complex than other research fields.  Complex in the way that any hands-on clinical interaction is complex from a research standpoint, not dissimilar to clinical research in the fields of chiropractic, massage, health psychology, and physical therapy.

For a great, 10 minute overview of the field of acupuncture research, check out Mel Hopper Koppleman's YouTube video.  Useful for hospital administrators, hospital program sponsors, all East Asian Medicine (acupuncture) practitioners, and the beginning researcher.  Remember, for those of you who are researchers, this is the 10 minute version.  For more in-depth learning, you may be interested in the "Researcher's Resource list",  a pdf with recommendations from the Hospital Practice Handbook community (because many good references are not books or available on Amazon).

January 2018 update:  Mel has release more videos since this.  See our January post, "Studies to Understand when you talk with Neurologists", which features Mel's video, "3 Neurological Studies".

You can see even more impressive work on reviews of East Asian Medicine research (which includes acupuncture) at the new website, Evidence-Based Acupuncture. 

Most Popular Posts of the Spring Fundraiser

Blog Roll Review
For a fun review, the following are the most popular blogposts related to the spring fundraiser:

• Integrative Medicine Philanthropic Movement into Mainstream Medicine—want to learn more?
• Fundraiser for the Project, Making Acupuncture available in Hospitals and Medical Centers
• Recovering from Surgery:  Acupuncturist part of Rehab Medicine Team
• Health and Wellness Learning with Kids
• Nutrition for Health Resources for Your Family:  Everything in Moderation
• Reflective Readings to Inspire Your Health and Wellness
• Are you in the Present Moment?  learning about mindfulness
• The Acupuncturist Occupational Code FAQs
• Integrative Medicine Leadership:  Lori Knutson’s “Leading Simply in a Complex System”, part of our “lunchtime listen” recommendations
• What Building this Resource Means for Hospitals and Integrative Medicine Practitioners with East Asian Medicine (acupuncture) Specialty
• Connections & Wisdom-sharing
• Just a few days left!
• Theo Chocolate
• Crowdfunding Campaign 2017
• Webinar Series Project
• YETI Mug
• Supporting our Hospital Administrators in our "Hospital Sponsor Favorites" Perk
• Help Build the Book
• Pediatric Pearls--one of our "lunchtime listen" recommendations series
• Nine Days Left!
• Mission:  Make Integrative Medicine (IM) Accessible
• Project:  The Hospital Practice Acupuncturist Data Survey

Recruiting Research Review Volunteers

Wanted:  Volunteers to write reviews of research articles related to the work of hospital-practice Integrative Medicine, East Asian Medicine (Acupuncturist) practitioners.

I want to start a new community and wisdom-sharing feature on this blog, with focus on research-literacy.  My hope is that it will be a useful way for the community to share quick reviews of their favorite research articles related to their work.

How can this be done:  I need 4+ volunteers to write a review of one research article a month.

Goal:  highlight up to 1 research article/week.  

What it is:  volunteers write a review of a research article, following outlined criteria.  Review to be posted on the this blog.  Reviewer may use actual name or pen name.  

Criteria for review (basics of what reviewer must have in each review):

·         Where was the article published?  (name of journal, etc.)

·         List the following:  title, author, link to article

·         What type of research was it?  Literature review/synopsis, randomized control trial (RCT), comparative effectiveness trial (CER), case study, cohort study, expert opinion, etc.  Please see the Research Pyramid for reference.

·         Provide a quick/succinct summary of the information.

·         What is your take (reviewer’s) on the article?  i.e. how is it relevant to you, your work, hospital practice, or other L.Ac.s/colleagues 

·         Resources that may be useful if an article you choose is challenging: 

o   The Evidenced-Based Research Pyramid Guide:  http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/healthevidence/evidencepyramid

o   Resources on Research in our field: 

§  Meridians' Research Resources page 

§  More resources about research in the field 

§  Society of Acupuncture Research (SAR) webpage

If you are interested, contact me by email or website or message me through our public Facebook page 

Integrative Medicine Philanthropic Movement into Mainstream Medicine--want to learn more?

[original post was 5/9/2017.  This resource collection was part of a fundraiser package we had in our spring 2017 fundraiser, called "Friend of Integrative Medicine".  Links to recommended reading updated 11.30.2018. post revised 3.5.2018.]

If you are interested in the movement of integrative medicine into mainstream medicine from at least one of these perspectives:

• as a healthcare consumer/patient 
• as a healthcare advocate
• as a healthcare practitioner
• as a healthcare administrator
• as a philanthropist 

I recommend the following introductory resources for perusing:

1. a copy of the book, The Bravewell Story:  how a small community of philanthropists made a big difference in healthcare by Bonnie Horrigan
2. the DVD documentary, Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare
3. the book, The Spark in the Machine:  how the science of acupuncture explains the mysteries of Western Medicine by Daniel Keown

Related blogposts

• Creating Resources to Grow and Connect the Integrative Medicine Hospital Practice community
• What is the Project?
  
• Why This Project? Megan's Story
• Support Acupuncturists and their Hospital Administrators (Sponsors)
• Integrative Health and Wellness Resources for Kids and Parents/Caregivers
• Nutrition for Family Health, the whole foods and integrative medicine approaches
• Reflective Readings to Inspire Your Day
• Are you in the Present Moment?  learning about mindfulness
• Love Chocolate?  
• FDA Pain Guideline Recommends Acupuncture
• Gift Ideas
• Lunchtime Learning Recommendations--audio or audiovisual presentations for the Integrative Healthcare Practitioner or Hospital Admin/Hospital Sponsor.  Research reviews, podcasts, webinars, setting up programs, etc.
• 2017 Project Fundraiser Sponsors and Contributors
• The Hospital Handbook Project (HH) Newsletter(s)

You can support this community resource by contributing $5 or $25 via the website.  If you or your company/program would like to sponsor or partially sponsor a Project, please contact me.  Thank you!

Do you want to follow our work?  Just subscribe to this blog, join the newsletter email list on the website, and "like/follow" our Facebook page.