A 2017 acne acupuncture research study concluded that acupuncture produced significant improvements for acne patients. The study, conducted at Beijing Daxing Hospital, reported that acupuncture had a 94% effective rate compared to an 82% success rate with conventional biomedicine.
The study, entitled “Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment of Acne”, demonstrated that a specific acupuncture treatment protocol outperformed conventional drug therapy to treat acne vulgaris. Researchers concluded that acupuncture was safe and effective for the treatment of acne.
The Problem
Effective acne treatment is of great importance. Acne affects over 650 million people worldwide. Approximately 20% of those affected have moderate or severe cases.
The Research
This acne acupuncture research study recruited two hundred patients with acne between January 2008 and March 2010, randomly placing 120 of them into the acupuncture treatment group and 80 into the drug therapy control group.
Acupuncture Group
Patients in the acupuncture group received ten treatments per course, every other day, for four courses. Each treatment lasted 30 minutes. Practitioners elicited an achy sensation (deQi) at the acupoints to promote a more robust response. They used the following primary points:
LI11 (Quchi)
LI4 (Hegu)
CV6 (Qihai)
SP10 (Xuehai)
ST25 (Tianshu)
LR3 (Taichong)
Ashi points (near the lesion areas)
Additional acupoints included:
BL13 (Feishu)
BL17 (Geshu)
BL21 (Weishu)
BL23 (Shenshu)
LU5 (Chize)
ST44 (Neiting)
Control Group
The control group was prescribed antibiotics (metronidazole) and tetracycline for two months. During the first two weeks, the dosage was 0.2g and 0.3g, respectively, three times a day. After that, the dosage increased to 0.5g and 0.5g, respectively, three times a day.
Assessment Standards
Results were categorized into four tiers:
Recovery
Researchers considered patients “recovered” if 90% or more of their skin lesions disappeared, with most of their symptoms relieved.
Significantly effective
“Significantly effective” included 70% of skin lesions resolved, with most symptoms relieved and no new lesions.
Effective
“Effective” treatment meant 50 to 70% of skin lesions disappeared, with some symptoms relieved.
Not effective
The acne acupuncture research considered results “not effective” if less than 50% of skin lesions disappeared or new lesions appeared following treatment for four consecutive weeks.
Acne Acupuncture Research Results
The total effective rate was 94% for the acupuncture group, with 34 fully recovered, 36 significantly improved, 43 slightly improved, and 7 with no improvement.
The total effective rate for the control group was 82%, with 16 fully recovered for the control group, 21 significantly improved, 29 slightly improved, and 14 with no improvement.
Conclusion
The results demonstrate that consistent and frequent acupuncture treatment delivers significant positive outcomes for patients with acne.
Historical Background
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) references acne throughout ancient literature. The Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine) says, “Acne is related to sweating. When a person, after physical activities, sweats and is attacked by cold wind, acne can be present.”
According to TCM principles, heat, toxicity, and dampness cause acne. In biomedical terms, heat is similar to inflammation. Excess heat in the lungs and stomach will flood upward to the face and cause acne. If there is greasy and spicy food in the stomach, it can transform into heat and dampness — and sometimes toxicity.
The acupuncture points utilized in this acne acupuncture research have a powerful effect on clearing heat, dampness, and toxicity from the body. Activating these points enables the body to heal itself, resulting in less acne.
Next Steps
At Raleigh Acupuncture, we regularly help patients reduce their acne. Treatments are safe, natural, and provide long-lasting relief. If you are struggling with acne, try acupuncture. The findings in this acne acupuncture research are consistent with our own experience.
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References
1. Wang Xiugang. Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment of Acne. Asia-Pacific Traditional Medicine. 2011, 07(5):41-42.
2. Gao Yang, Qin Qingguang, Jin Yujing. Professor Liu Huisheng in Treating Acne with Acupuncture. China Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2010, 25(4):663-664.
3. Dawson, Annelise L.; Dellavalle, Roberta P. (May 2013). “Acne vulgaris”. BMJ (Review). 346 (5).
What our Clients are Saying
I developed acne about five years ago, out of the blue. It was never a problem for me as a teenager. Of course, when it started I was horrified. Since then I tried various treatments, some of which helped, most of which were a complete waste of money. But none of them gave lasting relief. My aunt suggested trying acupuncture. Her daughter had used it and her skin totally cleared up. I did research on the web and found Raleigh Acupuncture. They were great. Explained everything beforehand, were reasonably priced, and gave me a lot of attention. I’m happy to report that my acne is completely gone! I don’t exactly know how they did it. Something to do with adjustments in my body to stop the acne from coming out. I’m thrilled. If you have acne, you’ve got to try acupuncture.
Highly recommend this practice. I would break out with very bad acne every month before my period. Face, back and chest. Nothing ever helped. After getting acupuncture I don’t break out any more. Skin is clear and healthy.
I’ve struggled with acne forever and was tired of spending a small fortune on facial products that didn’t work. I read about acupuncture helping with acne and decided to try it. So glad I did. The staff at Raleigh Acupuncture totally got my acne under control, to the point where I don’t need topical creams any more. My face has never been this good. I wish I knew about this 10 years ago!! I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture. They are kind, honest and do excellent work. I’ve referred family and friends there and they have been just as pleased.
