acupuncture

Examples of acupuncture in the following topics:

• Case study exercises

  • A migraine is a particularly painful type of headache, which patients sometimes wish to treat with acupuncture.
  • To determine whether acupuncture relieves migraine pain, researchers conducted a randomized controlled study where 89 females diagnosed with migraine headaches were randomly assigned to one of two groups: treatment or control.43 patients in the treatment group received acupuncture that is specifically designed to treat migraines. 46 patients in the control group received placebo acupuncture (needle insertion at non-acupoint locations).
  • Hours after patients received acupuncture, they were asked if they were pain free.
  • (a) What percent of patients in the treatment group were pain free 24 hrs after receiving acupuncture?
  • (b) At first glance, does acupuncture appear to be an effective treatment for migraines?

• Confidence Interval for a Population Mean, Standard Deviation Not Known

  • Suppose you do a study of acupuncture to determine how effective it is in relieving pain.
  • In our example, we are asked to find a 95% confidence interval for the mean sensory rate, $\mu$, of acupuncture subjects.
  • 10% Condition: We assume the acupuncture population is over 150, so 15 subjects is less than 10% of the population.

• The Three Sovereigns

  • He is also given credit for the use of medicinal plants and acupuncture.

• Modes of Persuasion: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

  • While acupuncture was once relegated to the realm of "quacks" and "snake oil," it is now considered by mainstream medical science to be an effective treatment for pain.
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website states that, "Results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture may help ease types of pain that are often chronic such as low-back pain, neck pain, and osteoarthritis/knee pain.
  • Therefore, acupuncture appears to be a reasonable option for people with chronic pain to consider" (NIH, 2014).
  • Here, we're bolstering our claim that acupuncture is accepted as an effective tool for pain relief by quoting the governmental agency NIH, which is widely recognized and respected, and by talking about doctors—also well-respected—embracing the practice themselves in order to better serve their patients.
  • This particular audience, then, would be more likely to consider the NIH and a group of medical doctors credible than they would, say, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture or a group of Chinese practitioners.

• Phantom Limb Sensation

  • Treatment approaches have included drugs such as antidepressants, spinal cord stimulation, vibration therapy, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback.

• Introduction to data solutions

  • At first glance, it appears patients in the treatment group are more likely to experience pain reduction from the acupuncture treatment.
  • Two possible answers: 1) Though the groups' difference is big, I'm skeptical the results show a real difference and think this might be due to chance. 2) The difference in these rates looks pretty big, so I suspect acupuncture is having a positive impact on pain.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Unresearched alternative therapies have also been implemented (for example, vitamin therapy and acupuncture).

• Confidence Interval, Single Population Mean, Standard Deviation Unknown, Student's-t

  • Suppose you do a study of acupuncture to determine how effective it is in relieving pain.

• The Evolution of Health Care and Medicine

  • There is some debate as to what is included under the label "alternative," as these practices include things as far ranging as: spiritual, metaphysical, or religious treatments; Eastern and Asian traditional treatments; and a variety of unproven treatments, like acupuncture, chiropractic, healing-touch, and homeopathy.