Safety and Efficacy of Acupuncture

1. Safety and Efficacy of
Acupuncture
By Catherine Karns

2. Safety Concerns
• Practitioner negligence (Nielsen)
• Use of needles could cause disease if not sterile (Nielsen)
• Care must be taken with patients using blood thinners
(Acupuncture Risks)
• Caution advised during pregnancy because of potential risk
of labor stimulation which could result in premature birth
(Acupuncture Risks)
Image obtained from Nielsen article

3. Early Efficacy Research
 Began in the 1970’s in the United States (Micozzi, 536)
 Office of Alternative Medicine alongside the FDA hosted a Workshop on
Acupuncture in 1994 (Micozzi, 536)
 The workshop included presentations from the medical community
highlighting the safety and efficacy of acupuncture (Micozzi, 536)
 Eventually because of this gathering, acupuncture needles were changed from
an experimental device classification to classification as a medical device
(Micozzi, 536)

4. Proven Effective to Treat
 Low back pain
 Asthma
 Postoperative Dental Pain
 Fibromyalgia
 Osteoarthritis

5. Details on Pain Treatment Research
 German study done on 1162 people
 Each patient was treated with ten 30 minute sessions a week of accupunture
 After this study was concluded, after a 6 month time period, 48% of people
showed a response rate whereas only 27% did with conventional treatment
(Micozzi, 538)

6. References
 Mayo Clinic Staff. "Acupuncture Risks." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Dec. 2017.
<https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/acupuncture/basics/risks/prc-
20020778>.
 Micozzi, Marc S. Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. N.p.:
Saunders/Elsevier, 2015. Print.
 Nielsen, Arya. Photograph of Acupuncture. Pacific College of Oriental
Medicine, Nielsen, Arya,
https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2015/04/27/science-acupuncture-
safety-risks-harms-and-ancient-goodness.
 Nielsen, Arya. "The Science of Acupuncture Safety: Risks, Harms, and Ancient
Goodness."Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. N.p., 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 03 Dec.
2017. <https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2015/04/27/science-
acupuncture-safety-risks-harms-and-ancient-goodness>.