Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being. It originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. American practices of acupuncture use medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea and other countries. In the United States, the best-known type involves putting hair-thin, metallic needles in your skin.
Research has shown that acupuncture reduces nausea and vomiting after surgery and chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain. Researchers don't fully understand how acupuncture works. It might aid the activity of your body's pain-killing chemicals. It also might affect how you release chemicals that regulate blood pressure and flow.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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Introduction to Acupuncture
(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/
- Acupuncture(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Acupuncture.asp?sitearea=ETO
- Acupuncture: Can It Help?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/acupuncture/SA00086/METHOD=print
- AMFI - Acupuncture Resource Guide(Alternative Medicine Foundation) - http://www.amfoundation.org/acupuncture.htm
- Acupuncture Doesn't Boost IVF Success for All(04/16/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83032.html
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Acupuncture (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/acupuncture/Patient
- Moxibustion(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Moxibustion.asp?sitearea=ETO
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Acupuncture Therapy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=acupuncture
- Acupuncture May Help with Side Effects of Hormone Therapy(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Acupuncture_May_Help_With_Side_Effects_of_Hormone_Therapy_Study_Finds.asp
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Acupuncture Shows Promise in Improving Rates of Pregnancy Following IVF(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/020808.htm
- Article: Transcutaneous electrical stimulation on acupuncture points improves muscle function in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19363561&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Adequate relief in a treatment trial with IBS patients: a... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19293784&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Complementary therapies: your questions answered. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19266767&tool=MedlinePlus
- Acupuncture -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=acupuncture+therapy[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(case+reports[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+letter[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- NCCAOM: Find Nationally Certified Practitioners(National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) - http://www.nccaom.org/find/index.html
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National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - http://nccam.nih.gov/
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Acupuncture: From Ancient Practice to Modern Science - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter09/articles/winter09pg18.html
- Anesthesia - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anesthesia.html
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativemedicine.html
- Complementary and Alternative Therapies - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativetherapies.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Acupuncture is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - http://nccam.nih.gov/