Winner: If you can stick a pin in it, researchers are eager to study acupuncture.

Pregnancy

• Might be a good alternative or complement to drugs to facilitate birth and provide normal delivery for women with prelabor rupture of membranes.

Fibromyalgia

• Successful treatment often requires combined therapies, and acupuncture should be considered.

Chronic neck pain

• Acupuncture added to routine care is associated with significant improvements in neck pain and disability compared to routine care alone.

Osteoarthritis

• Acupuncture plus routine care is associated with marked clinical improvement in patients with chronic OA-associated pain of the knee or hip.

Post-operative nausea and vomiting

• Guidelines by the American Society of Anesthesiologists include using acupuncture.

Politics

• Legislation submitted in Ontario, Canada would create a self-governing regulatory college, and restrict the practice of acupuncture to members of the profession who would be able to use title, doctor.

12/30/06 22:07 JR