Acupuncture has been widely adopted in the Western world. However, in many clinical trials, a lack of clear differences between verum and sham acupuncture treatments has been observed. By contrast, preclinical data has shown significant physiologic effects of acupuncture needling.
Objective:
The primary objective of this article is to give a short but precise overview of acupuncture. The aim is to investigate how preclinical and clinical results are correlated and how acupuncture can be integrated into evidence-based medicine science.
Materials and Methods:
Preclinical and clinical data in research, review articles, and book chapters were reviewed. Specific attention was given to the translational context. Relevant basic science information and results from relevant randomized controlled clinical trials were correlated bidirectionally.
Results:
Carefully performed clinical studies provide evidence of the good efficacy of acupuncture in patients with acute pain and chronic pain syndromes, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and anxiety. Further evidence of acupuncture's efficacy is available for allergic disorders and for its role as an adjuvant in the treatment of substance withdrawal. Treatment responses can be attributed to a combination of physiologic and ritual-induced (patients' beliefs and individual practitioner–patient relationship) effects.
Conclusions:
Acupuncture can be best described as a biomedical information therapy, and it is particularly beneficial as part of a multimodular concept within a biopsychosocial and sensitive approach. In Germany, statutory health insurance covers the costs of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic low-back pain and pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.
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