To introduce the international registration condition of acupuncture clinical research. With the examples of World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and the U. S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Registration Platform, the registration method and current condition of acupuncture clinical trials in international clinical trials registration platform were analyzed. The results indicate that the number of acupuncture clinical trials registration is gradually increased and the registration number from China is on the rise as well. But most domestic acupuncture clinical researches haven't been registered arid the researchers' valuing degree for clinical trials registration and methodology research needs to be improved.
Acupuncture Therapy ; standards ; Biomedical Research ; legislation & jurisprudence ; standards ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; legislation & jurisprudence ; standards ; Humans ; Registries

The big-data era has arrived, which involves all professions and trades. Its impact on the medical field has gradually revealed. With the characteristics of big data "4V" (volume, velocity, variety, value) and its theory generality with TCM (holistic thinking, correlativity) as well as regularity of disease development, combined with present status of acupuncture clinical research, the influences of big-data era on trial design, data collection, analysis and sharing of acupuncture clinical research are discussed in this paper, aiming to provide references for solving the difficulties of study design and determining the future research direction of acupuncture clinical research.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Biomedical Research ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Database Management Systems ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Based on traditional acupuncture theory and modern researches, the factors that cause the difference of acupoints synergy effect are summarized and analyzed. It is found that the factors include the specificity of acupoint, the interaction of acupoints, the pathway of acupuncture signal, the body condition level, acupuncture manipulation, etc. It is believed that the specificity of acupoint is the key factor to determine the difference of acupoints synergy effect. Interaction of acupoints may be related to the pathway of selected acupuncture signal, which is an important factor in difference of acupoints synergy effect. The body condition level and acupuncture manipulation are internal and external factor to influence acupoints synergy effect, respectively.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Meridians ; Signal Transduction ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To introduce the research progress of the modern methods in evaluating de qi sensation in acupuncture and moxibustion, and to analyze the current research situation and major problems. Method The objective evaluation methods majorly used to estimate qi sensation were summarized. Result The currently used evaluation methods basically include scales and cerebral function imaging, while the rest methods are still in the beginning stage. Conclusion As a subjective feeling, de qi sensation is difficult to determine and quantify objectively, and there lacks an objective standard. The study on the mechanism of de qi sensation is relatively insufficient and superficial.

According to foreign and domestic standards of clinical quality and the author team’ experience summary of long-term clinical study, it has been found that quality control in clinical acupuncture operators is closely related to operator’s ability, good communication between doctors and patients, signature for informed consent, implementation of inclusion and exclusion criteria, practice of blind method and random concealment, patient’s compliance, standardized writing and keeping of CRF, management of instruments and consumables, and coordination and association between researchers. The implementation method of quality control in clinical acupuncture operators is explored by the clinical practice of the author team in “973” project, and analysis and discussion of the above key points.

The evidence-based Guidelines of Clinical Practice with Acupuncture and Moxibustion are based on extesiv evidene of literature an compiled by eperience of experts, so the recommended acupoints present special thoughts and laws of compatibility. It is found the traditional acupoint combination methods predominate, such as distal-local acupoint combination, syndrome differentiation-based acupoints combination and symptom-based acupoints combination, etc., and are combined with research achievements of modern medical science;
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; standards ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; methods ; standards ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Pulse-taking, as one of the four diagnostic methods of inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry and pulse-taking, can fully embodies the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. Pulse-taking is the teaching key point for the international students. However, because the pulsetheory and literature is quite profound and abstract and there is a long distance between the class teaching and clinical practice, the teaching of pulse-taking is also the difficult point for the international students. Therefore, the pulse-taking teaching should focus on the interesting teaching, the culture of traditional Chinese medicine of pulse, image teaching and practice training.

This article summarized the characteristics and rules of acupoints grouping recorded in Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine), holding that it had passed important concept of acupoints grouping, formed the embryonic form, and brought up basic grouping types including distant and proximal grouping, and interior-exterior grouping, despite the small number of involved acupoints. Besides, it also paid much attention to other factors that may influence the therapeutic efficacy of acupoints grouping. Therefore, Huang Di Nei Jing has played a crucial role in guiding the development of acupoints grouping theories.

This paper evaluates the quality of clinical literature on cupping therapy,analyzes the key factors that influencing the effects of cupping therapy,studies the operation position,tools,accompanied therapy,cupping,cupping frequency,course and other factors in the clinical application of cupping therapy,aiming to provide reference for clinical practice.

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) is the source of the raw data of evidence-based medicine. Blind method is adopted in most of the high-quality RCT. Sham acupuncture is the main form of blinded in acupuncture clinical trial. In order to improve the quality of acupuncture clinical trail, based on the necessity of sham acupuncture in clinical research, the current situation as well as the existing problems of sham acupuncture, suggestions were put forward from the aspects of new way and new designation method which can be adopted as reference, and factors which have to be considered during the process of implementing. Various subjective and objective factors involving in the process of trial should be considered, and used of the current international standards, try to be quantification, and carry out strict quality monitoring.
Acupuncture Therapy ; standards ; Biomedical Research ; standards ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; standards