Volume XV, Number 1: April 2008
Recent NCCAM-Supported Studies on Acupuncture
NCCAM has been recently supporting studies of acupuncture for its potential in treating many diseases and conditions, such as:
- Chest pain after surgery in people with lung cancer
- Pain after chemotherapy
- Difficulty swallowing after chemoradiation for head and neck cancer
- In persons with HIV/AIDS, peripheral neuropathy and gastrointestinal problems
- Chronic low-back pain
- Low-back pain during pregnancy
- Fibromyalgia
- Urinary incontinence
- Infertility (used with in vitro fertilization)
- Neurological impairment in spinal cord injury
- Hot flashes in menopause
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel disorders
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
- Phonotrauma, the most common cause of voice disorders
- Alcohol addiction and cocaine abuse.
Some studies are on prevention, as of acute cardiac events such as heart attack, and one is on the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture (in treating knee osteoarthritis). Many researchers are also seeking better understanding of the mechanisms by which acupuncture has effects in the brain and body. To read more about these grants, search the CRISP database at www.crisp.cit.nih.gov.
