Acupuncture as a Treatment Within Integrative Health for Palliative Care: A Brief Narrative Review of Evidence and Recommendations.

Acupuncture is one of the fastest developing evidence bases in Complementary Medicine and is one of the leading therapies included within integrative health care. This narrative review includes two separate parts: the first is about evaluation of the current evidence status in reviews on acupuncture and the second examines and gives examples of available recommendations on acupuncture in treatment guidelines from health care experts and public health organizations recommending acupuncture as a viable treatment in patients in palliative care. Electronic searches were performed in PubMed using the terms "acupuncture" + "palliative" and adding the term "safety" to find review articles documenting safety and evidence of effectiveness of acupuncture for treatment of symptoms in palliative care patients.

Chinese herbal medicine for treating menopausal symptoms in London women: developing a good practice protocol via the factor analysis of prescribing patterns in a clinical study.

The objective of the study described in this paper was to define Chinese medicine formula patterns for the treatment of menopausal women in London. These formula patterns are intended to inform the development of best practice guidelines for a future pragmatic randomised controlled trial, with the ultimate goal of evaluating the possibility of integrating Chinese medicine treatment strategies for menopausal symptoms into the UK National Health Service. Data from a clinical study that had demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicine in treating 117 perimenopausal women at the Westminster University Polyclinic in London were analysed for symptom occurrence and herb use.

An international survey on the current use of electroacupuncture.

Background: Despite many research publications, it is unclear how widely electroacupuncture (EA) and related modalities are used in everyday practice. It is also uncertain who uses them, for what conditions, and with what results. We aimed to survey practitioners about their use of and training in EA.

Chinese medicine treatment for menopausal symptoms in the UK health service: is a clinical trial warranted?

Objectives: The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate treatment effects, ascertain safety and formulate best practice Chinese medicine protocols relevant for London women suffering from menopausal symptoms.

Study Design: This clinical pilot study employed a case series design within a wider action-based research project. 117 perimenopausal women between 45 and 55 years of age recruited from the general population were treated for menopausal symptoms by six experienced practitioners of Chinese medicine at the Polyclinic of the University of Westminster.

Exploring practice characteristics and research priorities of practitioners of traditional acupuncture in China and the EU-A survey.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Acupuncture practice is based on the theoretical, historical and philosophical principles, which are part of Chinese medicine. Traditional acupuncture practitioners assess their patients' conditions using Chinese medicine diagnostic techniques, which determine clinical care and treatment. Little is known about differences in the perceptions of research evidence among practitioners in the European Union (EU) and China, given the diversity of acupuncture practice.

A review of Omics research in acupuncture: the relevance and future prospects for understanding the nature of meridians and acupoints.

Relevance: Acupuncture is an intrinsic part of traditional Chinese medicine. The current understanding of the acupuncture meridian system, acupoints and the potential utilizing Omics technologies are summarized in this review.

Material And Methods: A systematic search for acupuncture involving Omics technologies was carried out using multiple online literature databases.

Extent of acupuncture practice for infertility in the United Kingdom: experiences and perceptions of the practitioners.

Objective: To investigate acupuncture practitioners' experience and perceptions of supporting patients presenting with fertility issues.

Design: Questionnaire survey.

Setting: British Acupuncture Council.

Engaging in the audit of acupuncture practice.

Objectives: A pilot study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of auditing and developing a national database of acupuncture practice in the United Kingdom.

Methods: One hundred forty-five (145) practitioners, members of the British Acupuncture Council, were invited to participate in the study. Those who accepted were given training and then asked to record demographic and treatment outcomes data on new patients attending their practices over a 3-month period.