Reclassifying therapeutic strategies: The 5R model and role of acupuncture

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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences. 2025 Dec 11;. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2025.12.003

Reclassifying therapeutic strategies: The 5R model and role of acupuncture Dudman Lab

Pan Weixing

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Abstract

Mainstream medicine commonly categorizes acupuncture as “alternative and complementary,” a designation that reflects conceptual gaps in existing treatment classification systems. Integrating complementary medicine into the mainstream medical system requires a conceptual adjustment. Here, I propose a mechanism-based 5R classification—Removing, Repairing, Replacing, Replenishing, Regulating—to systematically categorize therapies. Based on this classification, acupuncture and its related interventions fall under functional regulation therapy. This framework offers a unified, functional perspective that facilitates the integration of complementary medicine into mainstream medical taxonomy.

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Reclassifying therapeutic strategies: The 5R model and role of acupuncture

Abstract

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