Cannabis Research A-Z

Peer Reviewed Open Access

Can Cannabis Improve Acupuncture?

Is cannabis and acupuncture a good combination therapy? The system that acupuncture manipulates is, in fact, the endocannabinoid system.

Overview

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

*Electroacupuncture is the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating the acupoints. It was developed in China as an extension of hand manipulation of acupuncture needles around 1934.

There is a diverse range of acupuncture theories based on different philosophies, and techniques vary depending on the country. The method used in TCM is likely the most widespread in the United States. It is most often used for pain relief, though it is also used for a wide range of other conditions. Acupuncture is generally used only in combination with other forms of treatment.

also see PAIN and Cannabis Studies.

Cannabis With Acupuncture Science Research

Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which dried plant materials called "moxa" are burned on or very near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences.

2017 - News ~ Cannabis and Acupuncture, the Yin and Yang of Healing Pain (an ancient connection revealed).

Uwe Blesching Ph.D.


2013 - Study ~ CB1 and CB2 contribute to antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture on experimental arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint.

Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.


2013 - Study ~ Electroacupuncture inhibition of hyperalgesia in rats with adjuvant arthritis: involvement of cannabinoid receptor 1 and dopamine receptor subtypes in striatum.

eCAM.


2013 - Study ~ On the g-protein-coupled receptor heteromers and their allosteric receptor-receptor interactions in the central nervous system: focus on their role in pain modulation.

eCAM.


2012 - Study ~ Electroacupuncture reduces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in inflamed skin tissues through activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors.

European Journal of Pain.


2012 - Study ~ Electroacupuncture inhibits CB1 upregulation induced by ethanol withdrawal in mice.

Neurochemistry International.


2011 - Study ~ Effects of repeated electroacupuncture on gene expression of cannabinoid receptor-1 and dopamine 1 receptor in nucleus accumbens-caudate nucleus region in inflammatory-pain rats.

Zhen Ci Yan Jiu = Acupuncture Research.


2011 - Study ~ Electroacupuncture reduces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in inflamed skin tissues through activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors.

European Journal of Pain.


2011 - Study ~ Activation of Epsilon Protein Kinase C-Mediated Anti-Apoptosis Is Involved in Rapid Tolerance Induced by Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Through Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1.

Qiang Wang, MD, PhD*; Xuying Li, MD*; Yanke Chen, PhD*; Feng Wang, MD; Qianzi Yang, MD;
Shaoyang Chen, MD; Yuyuan Min, MD; Xin Li, MD; Lize Xiong, MD, PhD


2010 - Study ~ Involvement of ERK 1/2 activation in electroacupuncture pretreatment via cannabinoid CB1 receptor in rats.

Brain Research.


2009 - Study ~ Pretreatment With Electroacupuncture Induces Rapid Tolerance to Focal Cerebral Ischemia Through Regulation of Endocannabinoid System.

Qiang Wang, MD, PhD*.

2009 - Study ~ Endogenous anandamide and cannabinoid receptor-2 contribute to electroacupuncture analgesia in rats.

America Pain Society.

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