This is the first book to set out a full range of research strategies for evaluating the clinical practice of acupuncture. Leading acupuncturists and researchers with international reputations share their expertise. They illustrate their descriptions with practical examples of what has worked and what has not. It outlines many of the key challenges in the field. These challenges relate to the nature of acupuncture and the gap between current research evidence and the actual experiences of acupuncturists in the field. By focusing the chapters on key research questions, rather than methods, the book has a user-friendly feel. Each chapter is easily accessible with brief explanations of research designs as well as vignettes of relevant past research. The book is based on a deep understanding of acupuncture, with its inherent complexity in practice, whether based on traditional principles or more modern concepts. By incorporating a more sophisticated understanding of the field, this book details a range of strategies aiming to develop the evidence base with the utmost rigour. It is the first book on acupuncture research to take this unique view, integrating the very best of evidence-based medicine with a genuine sensitivity to the discipline of acupuncture, from its traditional and holistic roots to its more modern interpretations.

This exciting book presents a wide variety of intriguing and challenging cases, drawn from the experiences of 40 leading practitioners of acupuncture in the West. Written with insight and understanding, the collective contributions of the authors demonstrate the vitality and depth of acupuncture as it is actually practised. The contributors share their observations with remarkable honesty and clarity. Experienced practitioners are seen facing the intractable nature of many conditions and wrestling with subsequent dilemmas and challenges. By following through the progress of each case, readers can see practitioners working through the decision-making process and can draw out many crucial learning points for themselves. Compiled with a rare understanding of what it means to work as an acupuncturist, this extraordinary book will inspire and guide all practitioners and students of acupuncture working in the West.