Researchers using the protocols of evidence-based medicine have found good evidence that<unk>  is effective in treating nausea and chronic low back pain, and moderate evidence for neck pain and headache.  The WHO, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have also studied and commented on the efficacy of<unk> .  There is general agreement that<unk>  is at least safe when administered by well-trained practitioners, and that further research is warranted. Though occasionally charged as pseudoscience, Dr. William F. Williams, author of Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience, notes that<unk>  --"once rejected as 'oriental fakery' -- is now (if grudgingly) recognized as engaged in something quite real."
Traditional Chinese medicine's<unk>  theory, although based on empirical observation, predates use of the modern scientific method, and has received various criticisms based on modern scientific thinking.  There is no generally-accepted anatomical or histological basis for the existence of<unk>  points or meridians. <unk> sts tend to perceive TCM concepts in functional rather than structural terms, i.e. as being useful in guiding evaluation and care of patients.  As the NIH consensus statement noted: "Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the<unk>  points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in<unk> ." Finally, neuroimaging research suggests that specific<unk>  points have distinct effects on cerebral activity in specific areas that are not otherwise predictable anatomically.
Acupuncture
Alcohol rub
Home remedy
Anxiolytics
Deodorant
Herbicide
Analgesic
Complementary medicine