The concept of placebo

This paper attempts to define the concept of placebo as it is used in the clinical context The author claims that X is a placebo if and only if X has such a property d_p, that whenever in a therapeutic situation T a stimulus S appears, then in attending conditions A, it will cause a beneficial reaction R in the patient. Formally, the same structure may be used to define any pharmacologically active drug. The main difference between the drug and a placebo is in the range of possible substitutions for X and the property d. For the active drug there is only one possible substitution for X and property d and it can be scientifically explained why, and how the drug works. In the case of a placebo a set of possible substitutions for X and d is open, and so far it is impossible to offer any scientifically valid explanation of the action mechanism of placebo.     

Family Therapy and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture as a Case in Point

Collaboration between family therapists and alternative medicine practitioners is recently cultivated ground that may prove to be fertile territory for the application of family therapy skills. Acupuncture and family therapy are two healing practices that differ in cultural tradition, language, and technique, yet they appear to share some underlying assumptions suggestive of a natural alliance in helping people with a variety of biopsychosociospiritual problems. This paper describes the process of interdisciplinary collaboration between an acupuncturist and family therapist via a clinical vignette, identifying different types of referral situations, and suggesting factors of effective collaboration that can synergistically enhance a patient and family's treatment.     

中国古代堕胎考略

中国见于史书记载的堕胎行为从汉代就开始了,并且形成三种堕胎技术。唐宋以后,由于人口增长的压力,堕胎在一些地区出现了普遍化倾向,导致堕胎的公开化和职业化。但由于传统重生育、反堕胎观念的存在,堕胎技术一直受到歧视,得不到完善,人们为此付出了长期的血的代价。     

心理疗法在针灸治疗中的应用

随着疾病谱和死亡谱的改变,生物医学模式逐渐地不能满足医学发展的需要,取而代之的是生物心理社会医学模式。现代医学模式全方位探求影响人类健康与疾病的因果关系,认为生物学、心理学及社会学因素是人类致病共同的重要因素。针灸是中国传统医学同时也是西方辅助与替代医学的重要内容。针灸医护人员应大力宣传针灸知识,应用生物心理社会医学模式去对待每一位患者。本文试述心理疗法如支持性心理治疗、认知行为疗法、放松疗法在针灸临床的应用,展现针灸心身同治的诊疗特点。     

The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ): A psychometric evaluation of the 36-item Norwegian version

The Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ) was designed specifically to study possible changes that occur during menopause. The purpose of this study was to perform a psychometric evaluation of the Norwegian version of the WHQ by examining the factor structure and construct validity of the instrument. Data used for the evaluation were collected at baseline of the ACUFLASH study, a randomized, controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effect of acupuncture treatment on menopausal symptoms. Altogether, 267 women with a very high frequency of hot flushes were included in the study. Some deficiencies in the WHQ questionnaire were observed when applied to this sample, including an unclear factor structure, low alpha values for some dimensions, and a strong floor effect in the vasomotor symptoms dimension. The total scale score appears reliable, but care should be taken when interpreting some of the subscales.     

目前针灸临床研究存在的问题及对策

针对目前针灸临床研究中存在的系列问题,提出用系统工程的理论和方法加以解决。其对策包括：整体考察与多因素研究;探讨有关因素的主次作用及交互关系;攻克优化组合方案;研究的数学化;加强机能状态与疗效关系的研究;综合研究,系统管理;系统开放,联用它法。同时认为,倡导用包括系统科学在内的自然辨证法的观点和方法指导针灸临床的研究,将促进研究的深化和导致研究质的飞跃。     

现代针灸学研究应当警惕被文化绑架

针灸学的文化属性由其漫长的历史积淀特质所决定,针灸学的科学属性由其在现实中治疗疾病的有效性及其机制的探索过程所决定.针灸学的文化属性与科学属性犹如硬币的正反两面永远无法分离,但无法实现同一个角度的双面认识.不能以其文化属性而排斥科学属性,不能利用文化角度的认识方法和认识结果取代科学角度的探索方法和探索结果,反之亦然.文化的针灸可以努力固守,以保个性的纯洁与永恒;但科学的针灸需要不断发展,以超越个性文化而走向科学大同.现代针灸学研究应当警惕被文化绑架.     

针刺作用四大规律的统一与现代针灸学理论的发展

探求事物的内在联系或内在统一性是科学活动的重要目标。针刺作用的四大规律：针刺作用的双向调节规律、针刺手法作用的基本规律、针刺时间作用的基本规律、针刺作用的时效规律,其所涉及的影响因素各不相同,但这四大作用规律在“机能状态”这个基本环节获得了统一。     

针灸治疗周围性面瘫随机对照研究的文献分析

遵循循证医学评价文献的原则,在中国生物医学文献数据库、CNKI等数据库全面检索2002—2006年间的相关文献并进行计量学评价分析。共检索出文献1284篇,其中RCT文献共有169篇,按照循证医学评价文献的原则及方法,从研究对象、随机分配方法、对照措施、盲法采用情况等多个方面进行分析评价。2002—2006五年间报道的RCT数量比从建国到2000年报道的RCT数量多,但仍需进一步改善文献质量。     

课程体系改革是中医针灸学走向现代化的基础--中医针灸教育改革必须面向未来

中医针灸学的现代研究遇到了一定的困难,解决这些困难有研究思路方面的问题,有研究方法方面的问题,亦有对中医针灸学术本质方面的认识问题,等等.但总起来讲,这些问题都与认识主体的认识能力和认识水平有关.认识能力和认识水平主要是由知识结构所决定的,而知识结构可以说是课程体系的翻版,不同的课程体系决定着不同的知识结构和不同的教育目标.中医针灸学课程体系所存在的问题已严重制约了专业自身的发展,对其课程体系的改革已成为中医针灸学走向现代化的基础环节.