Acupuncture Research
Acupuncture has been the subject of active scientific research since the late 20th century, and its effect and application remain controversial among Western medical researchers and clinicians. Because it is a procedure rather than a pill, the design of controlled studies is challenging, as with surgical procedures.
Controlled trials of surgical procedures have been done less frequently than studies of medications because it is much more difficult to standardize the process of surgery. Surgery depends to some degree on the skill and training of the surgeon - the same is true with acupuncture. It can be difficult to separate the effectiveness of the treatment from the effectiveness of the practitioner.
Much less scientific research has been done on Chinese herbal medicines in the West than in China. In China, doctors of Chinese medicine are interested in statistical and experimental techniques which can better distinguish medicines that work from those that do not. Peer reviewed scientific journals and medical databases have been created.
Below are a few websites if you are interested in reading more about Acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine:
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