title: Acupuncture in endocrine disorders: a critical appraisal.
abstract: Acupuncture is an integral part of ancient Chinese medical practice. The technique has been used extensively in pain relief and is being tried for many other chronic conditions. Industrial development and affluence lead to the increase in the prevalence of many endocrine disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and polycystic ovarian disease. The rising prevalence of the endocrine morbidity is observed in both the developing and developed nations. The management of these disorders involves major lifestyle modification coupled with a long-term drug intake. In such situations, patients often look at alternative therapeutic options existing in complementary and alternative medicine. The globalization of the world medical practice has led to the spread of acupuncture beyond China to other parts of the world. Acupuncture has been tried extensively in the management of various endocrine disorders with inconsistent results. In this review, we highlight the principles of acupuncture and its role in the management of various endocrine disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture, The affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans