Does an Organized Energetic System That Has Clinical Applications Exist in the Human Body?
Although biochemical and physiologic studies have provided insight into some of the biologic effects of acupuncture, acupuncture practice is based on a very different model of energy balance. This theory might or might not provide new insights to medical research, but it deserves further attention because of its potential for elucidating the basis for acupuncture. How Do the Approaches and Answers to These Questions Differ Among Populations That Have Used Acupuncture as a Part of Their Healing Tradition for Centuries, Compared With Populations That Have Only Recently Begun to Incorporate Acupuncture Into Health Care? Conclusions Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely practiced in the United States. There have been many studies of its potential usefulness. However, many of these studies provide equivocal results because of design, sample size, and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebo and
