Acupuncture Research

Acupuncture research at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health focuses on its feasibility and clinical effectiveness for acute pain and symptom management in multiple settings, including inpatient hematology/oncology and the emergency department. Multiple studies are underway to examine the impact of acupuncture within fertility care.

Pain Management in the ED

The ACUITY study, a multi-site feasibility trial funded by the NIH, focused on common conditions such as trauma, back pain, and headaches. An Acupuncture Advisory Panel developed a flexible acupuncture intervention for the study, which will be used for a randomized control trial to evaluate acupuncture's efficacy in the ED. This study provides a framework for future research on acupuncture's role in ED pain management, and results from this study support the feasibility of acupuncture within the ED.

Oncology

A pilot acupuncture program at UH Seidman Cancer Center assessed the impact of acupuncture on patients' self-reported symptoms. Both outpatient and inpatient participants reported clinically significant improvements in symptoms such as pain, anxiety, and insomnia after a single acupuncture treatment.