Helene M Langevin, Rosa Schnyer, Hugh MacPherson, Robert Davis, Richard E Harris, Vitaly Napadow, Peter M Wayne, Ryan J Milley, Lixing Lao, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Jiang-Ti Kong, Richard Hammerschlag
In the field of acupuncture research there is an implicit yet unexplored assumption that the evidence on manual and electrical stimulation techniques, derived from basic science studies, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, is generally interchangeable. Such interchangeability would justify a bidirectional approach to acupuncture research, where basic science studies and clinical trials each inform the other. This article examines the validity of this fundamental assumption by critically reviewing the literature and comparing manual to electrical acupuncture in basic science studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses...
March 2015: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Research on Paradigm, Practice, and Policy