Use of acupuncture for chronic pain: optimizing clinical practice.
Increasingly, individuals are turning to complementary therapies to reduce or cope with chronic pain. Acupuncture, one of the oldest complementary therapies, originated from China more than 2500 years ago. It has steadily gained popularity in the United States over the last few decades as a modality for pain relief among both practitioners and patients. A 1997 National Institutes of Health consensus conference concluded that acupuncture needling releases endorphins and other neurotransmitters in the brain and should be considered as an appropriate pain treatment option. This article will provide an overview about acupuncture principles, discuss current clinical evidence, and identify acupuncture resources to optimize practice for chronic pain management.
Eshkevari
Ladan
L
Department of Anesthesia Pain Services, Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 1920 12th Street NW #2, Washington, DC 20009, USA. eshkevl@georgetown.edu
Heath
Janie
J
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy; D015975:Consensus Development Conferences, NIH as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000592:standards; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States