Deakin Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Centre Bringing over 20 years of  Experience  in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine to Canberra Inner South Deakin  ACT

A Quick Summary of  the Acupuncture Evidence Project

WHAT EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNCTURE?

In 2017 "The Acupuncture Evidence Project" was commissioned by AACMA, it is the most thorough review of acupuncture that exists.

It focuses on examining the highest form of evidence available, systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The literature was sorted to find evidence on which conditions acupuncture was effective for and also its safety and cost-effectiveness.

Of the 122 conditions treatable with acupuncture, it found strong evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for 8 conditions, moderate evidence supporting acupuncture for 38 conditions, weak positive/unclear evidence for acupuncture in 71 conditions and little or no evidence for 5 conditions. This means the further research is needed for the last two categories.

        “It has been estimated that there is a 17-year time lag in translating clinical research into clinical practice[i]. During this time patients are being deprived of the benefit of a proven therapy. Health policy makers now have eight clear conditions associated with a significant burden of disease where acupuncture should be integrated into current clinical guidelines without further delay” [ii].

J.McDonald and S.Janz

Sources:

[i] Morris ZS, Wooding S, Grant J. The answer is 17 years, what is the question: understanding time lags in translational research. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 2011 Dec;104(12):510-20.

[ii]McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised Edition). Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd;
2017. http://www.acupuncture.org.au.