CLINICAL
CATALOG.
335 articles organized across 30 medical specialties — curated by the team of physician specialists at CEIMEC. No registration, no paywall.
Orthopedics and Musculoskeletal
Elbow Arthropathy: Osteoarthritis and Joint Degeneration
Learn about elbow osteoarthritis — joint degeneration that causes pain, crepitus, and progressive loss of range of motion.
Plantar Fat Pad Atrophy: Heel Pain From Loss of Natural Protection
Learn about plantar fat pad atrophy — an important and frequently overlooked cause of heel pain, distinct from plantar fasciitis.
Elbow Bursitis: Olecranon Bursitis
Learn about olecranon bursitis — inflammation of the bursa at the tip of the elbow, its causes, the distinction between septic and aseptic forms, and treatment.
Trochanteric Bursitis: Why the Side of the Hip Hurts
Understand greater trochanteric pain syndrome — causes, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Muscle Cramps: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Clinical Management
Understand involuntary muscle contractions — causes, prevention, and evidence-based treatments.
Adhesive Capsulitis: Frozen Shoulder
Learn about adhesive capsulitis — causes, phases, diagnosis, and treatment of frozen shoulder, including the role of medical acupuncture.
Neck Pain: Why the Neck Hurts and How to Treat It
Everything about neck pain — causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment options.
Cervicobrachialgia: Cervical Pain Radiating to the Arm
Learn about cervicobrachialgia — when cervical pain extends to the shoulder and upper limb, its causes and treatments.
Sciatica: Causes, Signs, and Treatment
Understand sciatic pain — its causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment options.
Neurology
Cervicogenic Headache: When the Headache Comes from the Neck
Learn about cervicogenic headache — a frequently underdiagnosed cause of chronic unilateral headache originating in the cervical spine.
Neurology and Chronic Pain
Cluster Headache: Pathophysiology, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand cluster headache — known as one of the most intense pains a human being can experience, its hypothalamic mechanisms, diagnosis, and therapeutic options.
Tension-Type Headache: Causes and Current Treatment
Understand tension-type headache — the most common type of headache, its mechanisms, how to differentiate it from migraine, and the most effective therapeutic approaches.
Dysautonomia: Symptoms, Causes, and Therapeutic Options
Understand dysautonomia — the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system that affects the control of heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and other involuntary functions.
Cervical Dystonia: Causes and How It Is Treated
Understand cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis) — a movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions in the neck, resulting in abnormal postures.
Ménière Disease: Pathophysiology, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand Ménière disease — an inner ear condition that causes recurrent episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness.
Parkinson Disease: Clinical Diagnosis and Current Management
Understand Parkinson disease — a progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects movement, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and current therapeutic options.
Migraine: Mechanisms, Triggers, and Evidence-Based Treatments
Understand migraine — a complex neurological disease that goes far beyond a simple headache, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Multiple Sclerosis: What Causes It and How It Is Treated
Understand multiple sclerosis — an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, its demyelination mechanisms, diagnosis, disease-modifying treatments, and symptom management.
Spasticity: Pathophysiology, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand spasticity — the velocity-dependent increase in muscle tone, its neurological causes, evaluation, and multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches.
Gastroenterology
Biliary Colic: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand biliary colic — the pain caused by gallstones in the gallbladder, its mechanisms, how to differentiate it from serious complications, and evidence-based treatment options.
Chronic Constipation: Real Causes and Effective Treatment
Understand chronic constipation — a common gastrointestinal condition with multiple mechanisms, its diagnosis based on clinical criteria, and stepped, evidence-based treatments.
Functional Diarrhea: Workup and Therapeutic Approach
Understand functional diarrhea — recurrent loose stools without an organic cause, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Functional Dyspepsia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand functional dyspepsia — chronic stomach discomfort without identifiable organic cause, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Diagnosis and Clinical Management
Understand inflammatory bowel disease — Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis, two chronic autoimmune conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, their mechanisms, diagnosis, and modern treatments.
Chronic Abdominal Pain: Workup and Therapeutic Approach
Understand chronic abdominal pain — its multiple causes, how visceral pain differs from somatic pain, the differential diagnosis, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Esophageal Spasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Understand esophageal spasm — a motility disorder of the esophagus that causes chest pain and dysphagia, its mechanisms, how to differentiate it from cardiac disease, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Gastritis: Diagnosis and Clinical Management
Understand chronic gastritis — the persistent inflammation of the gastric mucosa, its causes (H. pylori, autoimmune, chemical), histologic diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Hemorrhoids: Workup and Therapeutic Approach
Understand hemorrhoidal disease — one of the most common proctologic conditions, its mechanisms, classification, and evidence-based treatment options.
Psychiatry and Mental Health
Alcohol Withdrawal Support: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand alcohol withdrawal syndrome — a potentially severe condition that requires early recognition, its neurobiological mechanisms, and evidence-based treatment.
Smoking Cessation: Clinical Assessment and Support
Understand nicotine dependence and the withdrawal syndrome — its neurobiological mechanisms, clinical management, and evidence-based treatments for smoking cessation.
Agitation in Dementia: Clinical Assessment and Therapeutic Approach
Understand the neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia — why they occur, how to manage agitation in a compassionate and effective way, and the role of non-pharmacological approaches.
Generalized Anxiety: Clinical Signs and Treatment
Understand GAD — one of the most common anxiety disorders, its neurobiological mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment options.
Panic Attacks: What Happens in the Body and How to Treat It
Understand panic attacks and panic disorder — intense episodes of fear with overwhelming physical symptoms, their mechanisms, and effective treatments.
Burnout Syndrome: Recognizing Exhaustion and Treating It
Understand occupational burnout syndrome — its organizational causes, physiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based recovery strategies.
Binge Eating Disorder: Clinical Evaluation and Therapeutic Approach
Understand BED — the most prevalent eating disorder in the world, its neurobiological mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Depression: Symptoms, Mechanisms, and Current Treatment
Understand major depression — one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the world, its neurobiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Stress: The Real Impact on the Body — and How to Reduce It
Understand how prolonged stress affects body and mind, its physiologic mechanisms, health consequences, and evidence-based management strategies.
Otolaryngology and Pulmonology
Anosmia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand the loss of smell — its causes, neurosensory mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments, including acupuncture.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Current Diagnosis and Management
Understand obstructive sleep apnea syndrome — its pathophysiological mechanisms, cardiovascular consequences, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Bronchial Asthma: Clinical Control and Supportive Therapies
Understand bronchial asthma — a chronic inflammatory airway disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Bronchitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand chronic bronchitis — a persistent inflammation of the lower airways associated with mucus hypersecretion, its pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Dysphonia: Diagnosis and Current Management
Understand voice disorders — their physiologic mechanisms, main causes, diagnostic workup, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Pharyngitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand chronic pharyngitis — a persistent inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa that affects millions of people, its pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical forms, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Laryngitis: Diagnosis and Current Management
Understand chronic laryngitis — a persistent inflammation of the larynx that causes dysphonia, its pathophysiologic mechanisms, clinical forms, and evidence-based treatments.
Allergic Rhinitis: Symptoms, Mechanisms, and Treatment
Understand allergic rhinitis — the most prevalent allergic disease in the world, its immunologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Non-Allergic Rhinitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand non-allergic rhinitis — a heterogeneous group of chronic nasal conditions without IgE mediation, its subtypes, differential diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Otorhinolaryngology and Pulmonology
COPD: Clinical Evaluation and Treatment
Understand chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — the third leading cause of death worldwide, its mechanisms of pulmonary destruction, spirometric diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Gynecology and Obstetrics
Dysmenorrhea: Menstrual Cramps — Causes and Treatment
Understand dysmenorrhea — the menstrual pain that affects millions of women, its physiologic mechanisms, differential diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment options.
Labor Pain: Symptoms, Assessment, and Management
Understand the neurophysiologic mechanisms of pain during childbirth, the transmission pathways involved, and analgesia options including acupuncture.
Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: Mechanisms and Treatment
Understand chronic pelvic pain — a multifactorial condition that affects up to 15% of women, its mechanisms of central sensitization, and a multimodal therapeutic approach.
Endometriosis: Why It Hurts and How to Treat the Pain
Understand endometriosis — a chronic inflammatory estrogen-dependent disease that affects up to 10% of women of reproductive age, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments.
Menopausal Hot Flashes: Mechanisms and Evidence-Based Treatments
Understand hot flashes — the most common vasomotor symptom of menopause, its neurophysiologic mechanisms, and evidence-based treatment options.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Symptoms, Evaluation, and Management
Understand hyperemesis gravidarum — the severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that may cause dehydration, weight loss, and hospitalization.
Labor Induction: From Investigation to Treatment
Understand the physiologic mechanisms of labor onset, indications for induction, available methods, and the role of acupuncture as a complementary resource.
Anovulatory Infertility: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand infertility from anovulation — the most common and treatable cause of female infertility, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based therapeutic options.
Fetal Malpresentation: Symptoms, Evaluation, and Management
Understand unfavorable fetal positions, their impacts on labor, and how acupuncture and moxibustion can assist in correction.
Dermatology
Acne Vulgaris: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand acne — the most prevalent inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous follicle, its four pathogenic factors, and evidence-based treatment.
Alopecia Areata: Causes, Symptoms, and Clinical Management
Understand alopecia areata — the autoimmune disease that causes hair loss in well-defined patches, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and available treatments.
Wound Healing: Dermatologic Assessment and Treatment
Understand the physiologic process of healing, the factors that compromise it, and how acupuncture can assist in tissue repair.
Eczema / Atopic Dermatitis: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand atopic dermatitis — the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, its barrier and immunologic mechanisms, and advances in treatment.
Herpes Zoster (Acute Phase): Causes, Symptoms, and Clinical Management
Understand herpes zoster (shingles) — the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, its mechanisms, the dreaded postherpetic neuralgia, and the role of acupuncture.
Hyperhidrosis: Dermatologic Evaluation and Treatment
Understand hyperhidrosis — sweat production in excess of thermoregulatory needs, its neurologic mechanisms, and therapeutic options.
Idiopathic Chronic Pruritus: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand chronic pruritus — itching that persists for more than 6 weeks, its causes, neurophysiologic mechanisms, and treatment options.
Psoriasis: Causes, Symptoms, and Clinical Management
Understand psoriasis — the systemic inflammatory disease that affects skin and joints, its immunologic mechanisms, and modern therapeutic advances.
Rosacea: Dermatologic Evaluation and Treatment
Understand rosacea — the chronic inflammatory facial disease characterized by erythema, telangiectasias, papules, and flushing, its mechanisms and treatments.
Urology
Overactive Bladder: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand overactive bladder syndrome — a condition marked by urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia, its neurophysiological mechanisms, and treatment options.
Interstitial Cystitis: Clinical Evaluation and Therapeutic Options
Understand interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome — a chronic condition of pelvic pain, urinary urgency, and frequency, its mechanisms, and treatments.
Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand erectile dysfunction — a vascular and neurologic condition that affects millions of men, its pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Testicular Pain: Clinical Evaluation and Therapeutic Options
Understand chronic testicular pain — also called chronic orchialgia — a challenging urologic condition, its mechanisms, differential diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Stress Urinary Incontinence: Evaluation and Treatment
Understand stress urinary incontinence — the involuntary loss of urine on coughing, sneezing, or exercising, its mechanisms and treatments.
Urge Incontinence: Diagnosis and Treatment
Understand urge urinary incontinence — the involuntary loss of urine associated with the imperious need to void, its mechanisms and treatments.
Chronic Prostatitis: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand chronic prostatitis and male chronic pelvic pain syndrome — a frequent urologic condition, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment options.
Postoperative Urinary Retention: Evaluation and Management
Understand urinary retention — the inability to empty the bladder adequately, its neurophysiologic mechanisms, causes, and the role of acupuncture in treatment.
Pediatrics
Pediatric Asthma: What Causes It and How It Is Treated in Children
Understand asthma in childhood — the pathophysiology of bronchial inflammation, age-stratified diagnosis, stepwise treatment, and how pediatric acupuncture can support complementary control.
Pediatric Headache: Pediatric Evaluation and Treatment
Understand headaches in childhood — pediatric migraine and tension-type headache, how to differentiate them, when to investigate, appropriate treatment, and the role of acupuncture as gentle prophylaxis.
Infant Colic: What Causes the Crying — and What Works
Understand infant colic — why your baby cries so much, the physiologic mechanisms involved, what works, and how gentle approaches such as pediatric acupuncture can help.
Pediatric Constipation: Causes and How It Is Treated in Children
Understand functional constipation in children — why your child has difficulty defecating, the fecal retention cycle, effective treatment, and how pediatric acupuncture can help regulate the bowel.
Nocturnal Enuresis: Why It Happens and How to Treat It
Understand pediatric nocturnal enuresis — why your child wets the bed, the physiological mechanisms involved, effective treatments, and how pediatric acupuncture can help gently and safely.
ADHD: Multimodal Treatment and Complementary Support
Understand Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder — the neurophysiology behind inattention and impulsivity, careful diagnosis, multimodal treatment, and the role of pediatric acupuncture.
Sleep Terrors: What Causes Them and How They Are Treated in Children
Understand pediatric sleep terrors — why your child screams during sleep, the neurophysiology of sleep, how to manage episodes, and the role of pediatric acupuncture in sleep regulation.
Cardiology
Intermittent Claudication: Clinical Evaluation and Management
Understand intermittent claudication — leg pain on walking caused by peripheral arterial disease, its mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Raynaud Disease: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Options
Understand Raynaud disease — a vasomotor disorder that causes episodes of digital vasospasm in response to cold or stress, its pathophysiologic mechanisms, differential diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Hypertension (Stage 1): Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand systemic arterial hypertension — the leading modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, its hemodynamic and neurohumoral mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Orthostatic Hypotension: Clinical Evaluation and Management
Understand orthostatic hypotension — an excessive drop in blood pressure on standing that affects up to 20% of older adults, its reflex mechanisms, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Options
Understand chronic venous insufficiency — the impaired return of venous blood from the lower limbs, causing edema, pain, varicose veins, and skin changes.
Benign Palpitations: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Understand benign palpitations — the conscious perception of heartbeats that affects up to 16% of the population, their electrophysiologic mechanisms, how to distinguish them from dangerous arrhythmias, and evidence-based treatments.
Endocrinology
Glycemic Control (T2D Support): Clinical Evaluation and Management
Understand the mechanisms of glucose regulation, the consequences of poor control in diabetes, and how acupuncture can help with glycemic control.
Hypothyroidism (Symptoms): Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand hypothyroidism — the most common thyroid disorder, affecting 5-10% of the population, its hormonal mechanisms, metabolic consequences, and evidence-based treatments.
Obesity: Clinical Evaluation and Management
Understand obesity — a chronic neuroendocrine disease that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide, its energy regulation mechanisms, comorbidities, and evidence-based treatments.
Immunology
Acupuncture for Post-COVID Fatigue: How to Treat Long COVID Syndrome
Post-COVID fatigue is one of the most disabling manifestations of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Understand the mechanisms, the diagnosis, and how medical acupuncture fits into multimodal treatment.
Weakened Immunity: Causes, Evaluation, and Management
Understand the mechanisms of immunodeficiency, its causes, clinical manifestations, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Post-Viral Fatigue: Symptoms, Workup, and Treatment
Understand post-viral fatigue — the persistent exhaustion after infections such as COVID-19, influenza, and mononucleosis, its immunological mechanisms and treatment.
Oncology
Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue: What the Evidence Shows
Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common and most limiting symptoms across the cancer journey. Understand the mechanisms, what clinical trials suggest about acupuncture as an adjuvant, and the limits of what we know.
Acupuncture for Tamoxifen-Induced Hot Flashes: What the Evidence Shows
Hot flashes induced by hormone therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors) affect the majority of patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. Understand the mechanisms, what clinical trials suggest about acupuncture, and its limits.
Cancer Pain: Multidisciplinary Clinical Management
Understand cancer-related pain and its treatment — mechanisms, assessment, the WHO analgesic ladder, and the role of acupuncture as an integrative therapy.
Post-Mastectomy Lymphedema: Complete Guide
Understand lymphedema secondary to breast-cancer treatment — its mechanisms, prevention, treatment, and the role of acupuncture as complementary therapy.
Hematology
Anemia (Fatigue Symptoms): Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand anemia — the most common hematologic condition, affecting more than 1.8 billion people worldwide, its oxygen transport mechanisms, types, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.
Rheumatology
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand rheumatoid arthritis — a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints — including its early diagnosis and modern treatments.
Rheumatology and Chronic Pain
Fibromyalgia: Why It Hurts Everywhere — and What Works
Understand fibromyalgia — a syndrome of chronic widespread pain, its central mechanisms, diagnosis, and multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches.
Geriatrics
Acupuncture for Older Adults: Pain, Falls, Sarcopenia, and Frailty
In geriatrics, acupuncture is one of the few therapies that combines a high safety margin with clinically meaningful effect. Learn how it fits into the management of chronic pain, falls, sarcopenia, and frailty — and why it reduces polypharmacy.
Pain Medicine
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) for Pain
Ibuprofen, naproxen, ketoprofen, nimesulide, celecoxib: when to use them and what the risks are
Stretching and Mobility for Pain
What science says about flexibility, stretching, and pain — myths and facts
Simple Analgesics (Acetaminophen and Dipyrone) for Pain
Acetaminophen and dipyrone: efficacy, safety, and current positioning on the analgesic ladder
Topical Analgesics: Capsaicin, Lidocaine and Topical NSAIDs
Current evidence on topical analgesics in neuropathic pain and localized musculoskeletal pain
Anticonvulsants for Neuropathic Pain
Gabapentin, pregabalin, carbamazepine and topiramate: evidence by type of neuropathic pain
Antidepressants in the Treatment of Chronic Pain
Amitriptyline, nortriptyline, duloxetine, and venlafaxine: analgesic mechanisms beyond depression
Corticosteroids for Pain
Prednisone, dexamethasone, and injections: SHORT use, specific indications, and the risks of prolonged use
Aerobic Exercise and Chronic Pain
Central pain modulation by aerobic exercise: evidence in fibromyalgia, low back pain, and depression
Eccentric Exercise for Tendinopathies
Alfredson, HSR, and variant protocols: evidence by tendon
Other
Taste Alterations: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand taste alterations (dysgeusia) — their causes, gustatory mechanisms, nutritional impact, and how acupuncture can support recovery.
Night Sweats: Clinical Evaluation and Management
Understand night sweats — episodes of excessive sweating during sleep, their causes, thermoregulatory mechanisms, and the role of acupuncture in treatment.
Xerostomia (Dry Mouth): Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Understand xerostomia (dry mouth) — its causes, salivary production mechanisms, consequences, and how acupuncture can stimulate salivary gland function.
Research
Acupuncture and Research: Why Studying Acupuncture Is Hard
Methodological limitations of acupuncture trials: the placebo problem, the impossible blind, and what the current evidence really tells us
Acupuncture and Research
Effects of Acupuncture on Functional MRI (fMRI)
What two decades of neuroimaging show about the central effects of acupuncture — activated brain networks, modulation of key pain regions, and the real vs sham debate in light of the data.
Muscles
Levator Scapulae: Neck Pain and Pain Between the Shoulder Blades
Levator scapulae: trigger points, neck and shoulder blade pain, and treatment with acupuncture
Scalenes: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Arm Pain
Scalene muscles and their trigger points: referred pain in the arm, hands, chest, and thoracic outlet syndrome
Sternocleidomastoid: The Muscle of Headache and Vertigo
Trigger points in the SCM: frontal headache, dizziness, facial pain, and myofascial torticollis
Gluteus Medius: Trigger Points and Hip Pain
Lateral hip pain, Trendelenburg gait, and trigger points in the gluteus medius: causes, diagnosis, and treatment with medical acupuncture
Gluteus Minimus: Trigger Points and Pseudo-sciatica
Trigger points in the gluteus minimus: the most common myofascial cause of pain that mimics sciatica — differential diagnosis, referred pain, and treatment with medical acupuncture
Infraspinatus: Trigger Points and Anterior Shoulder Pain
Trigger points in the infraspinatus: the posterior cause of anterior shoulder pain — diagnosis, referred pain, and treatment with medical acupuncture
Pectoralis Minor: Trigger Points and Anterior Chest Pain
Trigger points in the pectoralis minor: chest pain that mimics a heart attack, neurovascular compression, and treatment with medical acupuncture
Piriformis: Gluteal Pain and Myofascial Sciatica
Piriformis syndrome: deep gluteal pain, pseudosciatica, and dry needling — complete clinical guide
Psoas Major: The Muscle of Posture, Low Back Pain, and Stress
Psoas major: anatomy, trigger points, low back pain, hip-flexion posture, and medical acupuncture
Pain Patterns
Head and Neck Pain: Map of Causes and Treatment
Why you have headache and neck tension — a complete map of muscular, neural, and articular origins
Generalized Chronic Pain: Fibromyalgia and Sensitization
When pain is throughout the body — central mechanisms, fibromyalgia, sensitization syndrome, and a multimodal approach
Knee Pain: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Anterior, medial, lateral, and posterior knee pain: a map of causes and treatment with acupuncture
Lumbar and Gluteal Pain: Complete Map of Causes
Why the lower back and buttocks hurt together — muscular, discal, articular, and neural structures
Shoulder and Arm Pain: Map of Origins and Diagnosis
Shoulder pain that goes down the arm: how to identify the origin — rotator cuff, cervical spine, bursitis, or musculature
Foot and Ankle Pain: Diagnostic Guide
Plantar fasciitis, neuropathies, tendinopathies, and sprains — complete map of foot pain causes
Hip and Thigh Pain: Diagnosis by Location
Lateral, anterior, posterior, and inguinal hip pain — how each location points to a different structure
Chest and Back Pain: From the Spine to the Heart
How to distinguish musculoskeletal pain from cardiac, pleural, and visceral causes — a complete diagnostic guide
Pain Education
Acupuncture in Multimodal Pain Treatment
How medical acupuncture integrates with pharmacology, rehabilitation, and psychology in the management of complex pain
Amitriptyline and Duloxetine in Chronic Pain: Synergy with Acupuncture
How antidepressants modulate pain through the descending serotonin-norepinephrine pathway, their limits, and why combination with electroacupuncture potentiates clinical results.
The Problem of Chronic NSAID Use in Pain
Gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs — and how medical acupuncture offers inflammatory modulation without the side effects of prolonged use.
Pain Catastrophizing: Recognize and Overcome
What catastrophizing is, how it amplifies chronic pain, and cognitive strategies to reduce it
Acute Pain versus Chronic Pain: Why Are They Different?
Understand the fundamental distinction between protective acute pain and chronic pain as a disease — and why treatments differ
Emotions and Pain: How Psychology Modulates Chronic Pain
Anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress: why emotions amplify pain and what to do about it
Sleep Ergonomics and Pillow Selection After Acupuncture
How sleep position perpetuates cervical trigger points, the biomechanics of the cervical spine during sleep, and practical guidance to maximize treatment results.
Exercise after Dry Needling: Strength and Eccentric Loading
Why stretching and eccentric strengthening after trigger point needling are essential to prevent recurrence — evidence-based protocols.
Fascia: The Connective Tissue and How the Acupuncture Needle Acts on It
Anatomy of the myofascial fascia, viscoelastic properties, mechanotransduction, and how needling modifies the extracellular matrix — the science behind 'needle grasp.'
Myofascial Pain
The Diaphragm: Breathing, Chest Pain, and Low Back Pain
Diaphragm: trigger points, breathing dysfunction, referred pain, and the connection with low back pain and reflux
Forearm Flexors: Medial Epicondylitis and Myofascial Carpal Tunnel
Forearm flexors: golfer's elbow, myofascial carpal tunnel syndrome, and acupuncture
Gastrocnemius and Soleus: Cramps, Calf Pain, and Plantar Fasciitis
Gastrocnemius and soleus: trigger points, nocturnal cramps, heel pain, and treatment with acupuncture
Hamstrings: Posterior Thigh Pain and Tendinopathy
Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus: trigger points, pain on sitting, proximal tendinopathy, and acupuncture
Temporalis and Masseter: TMD, Bruxism, and Headache
Trigger points in the temporalis and masseter: temporal headache, facial pain, TMD, and bruxism — treatment with acupuncture
Tibialis Anterior: Shin Splints and Anterior Leg Pain
Tibialis anterior: trigger points, shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome), weak dorsiflexion, and acupuncture
Chronic and Multidisciplinary Pain
Chronic Pelvic Pain: Multidisciplinary Approach
Understand the multiple causes of chronic pelvic pain — from endometriosis to pelvic floor dysfunction.
Auriculotherapy
Auriculotherapy for Anxiety: What the Evidence Shows
Auricular acupuncture is one of the most studied applications for acute anxiety — particularly in the perioperative setting. Review the proposed mechanisms, the current state of the evidence, and the role of the technique in generalized anxiety.
Auriculotherapy with Seeds: How It Works and What to Expect
A modality of auriculotherapy that requires no needles and allows continuous stimulation between sessions. Learn how it works, which applications have stronger support, daily care, and the limits of what we know.
Auriculotherapy for Chronic Pain: What the Evidence Shows
Auricular acupuncture has been studied across multiple chronic pain conditions — low back pain, fibromyalgia, cancer pain, and postoperative pain. Understand the current state of the evidence, the expected magnitude of effect, and where this technique fits within multimodal plans.
Auriculotherapy for Smoking Cessation: What the Evidence Shows
Auricular acupuncture is one of the most sought-after options among those trying to stop smoking. But what do the clinical studies say? Understand the state of the evidence, the role of the technique within multimodal plans, and realistic expectations.
Battlefield Acupuncture: The 5 Points for Acute Pain — What the Evidence Shows
Auricular protocol developed by the United States armed forces for rapid relief of acute pain in operational settings. Today applied in emergency departments, postoperative care, and acute musculoskeletal pain. Understand the mechanisms, evidence, and limits.
NADA Protocol: The 5 Auricular Points — Origins, Uses, and Evidence
A standardized auricular acupuncture protocol created in the 1980s for support in chemical dependence, today applied in anxiety, trauma, and group-care settings. Understand the state of the evidence and the limits of what we know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Acupuncture Hurt? What You Actually Feel During a Session
The question we hear most from people who have never received acupuncture. Learn the difference between an acupuncture needle and an injection needle, what deqi is, and what to expect before, during, and after your session.
Is Acupuncture Harmful? Side Effects and Safety
Acupuncture performed by a physician has a safety profile superior to that of many medications. Learn which reactions are expected, which are rare, and when a real contraindication exists.
Acupuncture in Pregnancy: What Is and Is Not Allowed
Acupuncture is safe in pregnancy when performed by a physician with proper training. Learn which symptoms can be treated, which points are avoided, and how the approach changes in each trimester.
SPECIALIZED GUIDES
View all →Electroacupuncture
Technique, mechanisms, frequencies, and clinical indications
GUIDEDry Needling
The definitive guide to myofascial pain with trigger points
GUIDENeurofunctional Acupuncture
Neuromodulation and endogenous opioids
GUIDEPatient Journey
Before, during, and after the session
GUIDEMultimodal Treatment
Shockwave, laser, botulinum toxin, and acupuncture
GUIDEAcupuncture Safety
Risks, side effects, contraindications