---
title: "Acupuncture‑Medicine Combination Therapy: Patterns of Enhanced Efficacy and Reduced Toxicity"
id: "pubmed-42908457"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42908457"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Pharmacology"
source_name: "PubMed / NCBI"
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/"
doi: "10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993"
published_at: "2026-10-25T00:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Article"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Acupuncture‑Medicine Combination Therapy: Patterns of Enhanced Efficacy and Reduced Toxicity
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42908457
- **Specialty:** [Pharmacology](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pharmacology.md)
- **Primary Source:** PubMed / NCBI
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/)
- **DOI:** [10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993](https://doi.org/10.13702%2Fj.1000-0607.20250993)
- **Published At:** 2026-10-25T00:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Article
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- The article is a review addressing the rationale for combining acupuncture with pharmacotherapy to treat complex diseases when monotherapy is insufficient. - Authors constructed a theoretical framework centered on **supplementation and regulation** to explain how the two modalities interact. - The review describes mechanisms of increased benefit through both **synergy** (same-effect reinforcement) and **complementarity** (different-effect compensation). - The paper analyzes how the combination can achieve **reduced toxicity** via antagonistic or counteracting mechanisms that mitigate drug adverse effects. - The authors reported conceptual characteristics of interaction rather than primary clinical trial data; no specific dosing, sample sizes, or quantitative outcomes were provided in the abstract. - The review aims to provide a theoretical foundation and to outline future research directions for the study of acupuncture-medicine combination therapy. - Article metadata: Review in Zhen Ci Yan Jiu, Chinese language with English abstract, authors affiliated with the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; PMID 42908457; DOI 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993. - Keywords listed include **acupuncture-medicine combination therapy**, **antagonistic effects**, **enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity**, and **synergistic effects**.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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Affiliations Expand ### Affiliations * 1 School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. * 2 School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. lcz623780@126.com. * PMID: **42908457** * DOI: [ 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993 ](https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993) Item in Clipboard Review # [Analysis of the patterns and characteristics of enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity of acupuncture-medicine combination therapy] [Article in Chinese] Nana Yang et al. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2026. Show details Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Zhen Ci Yan Jiu Actions * [ Search in PubMed ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Zhen+Ci+Yan+Jiu%22%5Bjour%5D&sort=date&sort_order=desc) * [ Search in NLM Catalog ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog?term=%22Zhen+Ci+Yan+Jiu%22%5BTitle+Abbreviation%5D) * [ Add to Search ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/) . 2026 Oct 25;51(10):1415-1419. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993. ### Authors [Nana Yang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Yang+N&cauthor_id=42908457)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/#short-view-affiliation-1 "School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China."), [Yiduo Liu](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Liu+Y&cauthor_id=42908457)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/#short-view-affiliation-1 "School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China."), [Cunzhi Liu](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Liu+C&cauthor_id=42908457)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/#short-view-affiliation-2 "School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. lcz623780@126.com.") ### Affiliations * 1 School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. * 2 School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. lcz623780@126.com. * PMID: **42908457** * DOI: [ 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993 ](https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250993) Item in Clipboard Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID Linked Discoveries ## Abstract in [ English, ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/#eng-abstract) [ Chinese ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42908457/#zho-abstract) Monotherapy often falls short in treating complex diseases effectively, prompting the emergence of integrated treatment models such as acupuncture-medicine combination therapy, which has gained recognition as a significant strategy to improve clinical efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. This paper systematically examines the necessity of integrating acupuncture with pharmacotherapy. By constructing a theoretical framework centered on supplementation and regulation, it delineates the operational principles of acupuncture-medicine combination therapy. It explores the mechanisms underlying the enhanced efficacy of acupuncture-medicine combination therapy from the perspectives of synergy and complementarity, and analyzes its characteristics in toxicity reduction via counteracting mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical foundation and future directions for research on acupuncture-medicine combination therapy. 面对复杂疾病，单一疗法往往难以取得理想效果，因而以针药结合为代表的综合治疗模式逐渐成为提升临床疗效、减少不良反应的重要策略。本文以针灸和药物治病的各自优势为出发点，系统阐述了针药结合的必要性，通过构建以补充与调衡为核心的理论框架来呈现针药结合的作用规律，从同效相须和异效互补两个角度探讨了针药结合增效的机制，从反效制约角度解析了其在减毒方面的作用特点，以期为未来针药结合研究提供理论依据与发展方向。. **Keywords:** Acupuncture-medicine combination therapy; Antagonistic effects; Enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity; Synergistic effects. [PubMed Disclaimer](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disclaimer/) ## Conflict of interest statement All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. ## References 1. 1. Han J W, Du Y H, Zhang J J. DU Yuan-Hao’s academic thoughts of the essence and law of acupuncture treatment(in Chinese)[J]. China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, 2021, 36(8):4701-4703. 2. 1. Zhu F, Ai B W. Thinking about the combination of acupuncture and medicine(in Chinese)[J]. Traditional Chinese Medicinal Research, 2008, 21(1):3-5. 3. 1. Ren S J, Lu H X, Su F. Comparison of effects and mechanisms of acupoint injection at different tissue levels and research progress(in Chinese)[J]. China Medical Herald, 2022, 19(2):29-32. 4. 1. Gao K, Zhou Y L, Yuan S X, et al. Discussion on the evolution of acupuncture and moxibustion based on the "combination of acupuncture and medicine"(in Chinese)[J]. China Medical Herald, 2021, 18(26):137-140. 5. 1. Chen H X, Yu B, Zhou Y, et al. Discussion on the effects of acupuncture-medication combination(in Chinese)[J]. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 2024, 44(7):838-844. 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