Acupuncture improved symptoms of ataxia after stroke

Acupuncture techniques such as “3 acupoints regulating balance”, “3 acupoints regulating tremor” and “3 acupoints regulating movement” significantly improved symptoms of ataxia. A case report was published in the journal of Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

Ataxia is a term used to describe a group of neurological disorders. It usually results from damage to the cerebellum which plays an essential role of body’s co-ordination, and/or other parts of nervous system. The symptoms of ataxia include difficulties with walking, balance, speaking, vision and many more. Treatment is complicated and difficult depending on types of ataxia, such as hereditary ataxia, acquired ataxia etc. 

Recently doctors in China treated a 68-year old, male patient with 2-year history of ataxia after stroke. The patient had extreme difficulty in walking and needed two people to support him while standing or walking. He was treated by specific acupuncture techniques called “3 acupoints regulating balance” – 1.5 cun below the lower edge of occipital protuberance, “3 acupoints regulating tremor” – chorea-tremor control area and “3 acupoints regulating movement” – motor area; plus acupoints GB12, GB20, GV16, BL10 and C3-C6 Jiaji acupoints. Acupuncture stimulation on above acupoints for 30 min, once daily, 5 days a week.

One month after acupuncture, the patient’s condition such as walking and balance was improved. He could walk steadily up to 50 to 100 meters, supported by onlyone person. Two-month following acupuncture treatment, the patient could walk alone without any help and lived independently. One-year follow-up found the improvement was still maintained.

Reference:

Zhang SL.[Professor ZHANG Yu-Lian's experiences in treatment of post-stroke ataxia by regulating marrow sea acupuncture]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Aug;34(8):807-9.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25335266

Acupuncture improved psychological profiles of migraine patients while reducing migraine attack

Acupuncture has been reported to be very effective in treating migraine. Now it is found that acupuncture also improve psychological profiles of patients with migraine according to a study published in the journal of Indian J Physiol Pharmacol.

Psychological problems are prominent among migraine patients with severe headache, especially among those with chronic daily headache. A very high percentage of patients with chronic daily headache are depressed. Some patients also suffer from paranoia, hypomania and many others. Conventional approach such as painkillers only temporarily relief headache and do not have effect on the psychological profiles of migraine patients.

Dr. Vijayalakshmi and colleagues in India investigated effect of acupuncture on psychological profiles of migraine patients. Sixty patients with migraine were randomly divided into acupuncture group and drug treatment group. Patients in the former group received 10 sessions of electroacupuncture treatment within 30 days. Patients in late group were given oral flunarizine 20 mg daily along with paracetamol 500 mg when it is necessary for 30 days. Assessment was carried out before and after completion of treatment, including quality of life questionnaires and migraine disability questionnaires.

It was found that both acupuncture and drug treatments markedly relieved headache compared with prior treatment scores. Acupuncture significantly improved psychological profiles such as depression, anxiety and hypomania. However pain relief drugs did not affect psychological profiles of migraine patients.

Authors conclude that acupuncture is a better treatment option than the conventional therapy. It not only relieves pain also improved psychological profiles in patients with migraine.

Reference:

Vijayalakshmi I et al., Comparison of effectiveness of acupuncture therapy and conventional drug therapy on psychological profile of migraine patients. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2014 Jan-Mar;58(1):69-76.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25464680

Acupuncture complements with Western medicine in treating with hypertension and psychological symptoms

Acupuncture treatment, alongside with conventional medicine, helps reduce higher blood pressure, calm the patient’s fear and other psychological symptoms and enhance recovery of a patient treated in the intensive care unit of the hospital. According to a case report published in the journal of Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

The report recorded the extreme physiological and emotional shifts manifested in the patient’s tongue on a daily basis which was rarely observed in other hospital settings.

Dr. Kreindler and colleagues, in the Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Israel, reported a case study of individualized acupuncture treatment according to the changes in the tongue of the patient. They reported that an 85-year-old female patient suffering from hypertensive crisis was administered into intensive care unit. Her doctor requested acupuncture treatment in order to provide integrative care for her. The changes in patient’s tongue and pulse were recorded on the daily basis. During the course of medication, cardiac catherterization and recovery, different acupoints were selected according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, including main symptoms, tongue and pulse diagnosis.

It was found that blood pressure of patient normalized within hours after acupuncture and medication. Acupuncture markedly reduced pain, anxiety and improved the wellbeing during the course of treatment and recovery.

The authors suggest that combination of conventional medicine and TCM carries potential to supplement each other and to provide a better patient care.

Reference:

Kreindler GM et al., A tongue’s tale — A case report of traditional Chinese medicine integration in the cardiology department. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Volume 22, Issue 6, Pages 1041–1046, December 2014.   http://www.complementarytherapiesinmedicine.com/article/S0965-2299%2814%2900156-3/abstract

Acupuncture effectively reduced symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder

Acupuncture treatment to veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly reduced PTSD severity and improved pain, depression and physical and mental health functioning. It was reported in the journal of Med Care.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder and develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved the physical harm or the threat of physical harm, such as serious road accidents, violent personal assault, warfare and natural disasters e.g. earthquake. PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to military combat veterans. Someone with PTSD will often relieve the traumatic event through nightmare and flashback, and may experience the feeling of irritability, guilty and isolation. These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on person’s day-to-day life. The common treatments include psychotherapy e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy and medication such as antidepressants. Those treatments are not always satisfactory.

Dr. Engel and colleagues in the United State carried out a randomized clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with PTSD. Fifty-five patients with PTSD were divided to two groups, one was treated with acupuncture plus usual PTSD care, and another group was only treated with usual PTSD care as a control. Acupuncture lasted ca. 60 min each time, twice weekly for 4 weeks. Primary outcome measurements include the changes in PTSD symptom improvement on PTSD checklist and the Clinician-administered PTSD scale. The secondary outcomes include improvement in depression, pain severity, mental and physical health functioning. The outcomes were monitored at the end of treatment, 4 and 8 weeks following treatment.

It was reported that acupuncture significantly reduced PTSD severity compared with usual PTSD care alone. Acupuncture also markedly improved the symptoms in the secondary outcome measurements such as pain severity, depression and mental and physical health functioning. The therapeutic effects of acupuncture maintained to the last follow-up monitoring.

The study indicates that acupuncture is very effective in treating PTSD and associated symptoms.

Reference:

Engel CC et al., Randomized Effectiveness Trial of a Brief Course of Acupuncture for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Med Care. 2014 Dec;52 Suppl 5:S57-64.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25397825

Acupuncture helps reverse symptoms of multiple system atrophy

Although there is no cure for multiple system atrophy (MSA) also called shy dragger syndrome, alternative medicine such as acupuncture is very effective in relieving many symptoms or even reverse them.

Dr. Colet Lahoz in the United State has had success in treating patients with MSA using acupuncture treatment, plus herbal medicine and dietary supplements. She found that patients responded well to aggressive acupuncture therapy, incorporating with electrical stimulation.

Within 32 MSA patients treated, 30 patients experienced improvement in their symptoms. Patients showed varying degrees of improvement, some as early as 2 weeks after starting treatments and continued to gain improvement as long as they stayed with the program. This is an important since MSA is characterized by rapid deterioration, resulting in death usually within 7-10 years following diagnosis.

It was noted that patients who were not taking prescription medications responded faster than those who were taking drugs. For example, the patients who were not taking blood pressure medication experienced better results from the acupuncture than those who were taking drugs for orthostatic hypotension.

Although the cause of MSA is unclear, inflammation, dysfunction in immune system and autonomic system are all believed to be involved in the development of MSA. Acupuncture as many preclinical and clinical studies reported that it reduces inflammation, modulates immune system and autonomic system, leading to normalizing haemostasis and improve many conditions.

Reference:

Lahoz SC, Shy dargger syndrome demonstrate syndrome reversal using acupuncture, herbal medicine and hypnotherapy.  http://eastwest-mn.home.comcast.net/~eastwest-mn/Shy_Drager_Syndrome.htm

Acupuncture significantly reduced pain caused by orthodontic adjustment

Acupuncture treatment performed before orthodontic therapy markedly reduced post-adjustment pain in patients with fixed appliances, according to a report published in the Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics.

It has been acknowledged that dental therapy including orthodontic treatment, even if analgesic and anaesthetic medication are used, by most people, cause pain or even light distress. Considering high rate of patients complaining about pain suffered during orthodontic therapy, different methods have been considered for its pain control, such as Lower-power laser application, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation etc. However, the results in many cases are not satisfactory.  

Doctor Boleta-Ceranto and colleagues in Brazil carried out small clinical study, performed acupuncture before orthodontic adjustment in orthodontic patients to assess its pain control effect. Eleven patients with fixed appliance who needed monthly adjustment were treated acupuncture at acupoints LI4 and ST6 for 20 mins before orthodontic adjustments. Analogue Visual Scare was used to measure the level of pain three months without acupuncture and 3 months following acupuncture treatment.

It was found that acupuncture treatment produced a statistically significant reduction in pain level index for all patients. No incidence was reported.

The study concluded that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment in reducing pain caused by orthodontic post-adjustment procedure.

Reference:

Boleta-Ceranto et al., Orthodontic post-adjustment pain control with acupuncture. Dental Press J. Orthod. vol.19 no.4 Maringá July/Aug. 2014.   http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S2176-94512014000400100&script=sci_arttext

Acupuncture plus massage help improve pain, sleep in a patient with lupus erythematosus

Acupuncture plus massage helped improve pain, sleep and quality of life in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to a case report, recently published in the Journal of Ayurveda Integration Medicine.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a auto-immune disorder characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of various tissues and organs of body. SLE causes various symptoms, the common being joint pains, skin rashes and tiredness, which greatly impacted sleep and quality of life of patients. The exact cause of SLE is not yet known; however, the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues and causes damages. The course of disease is unpredictable, with periods of illness alternating with remission. There is no cure for SLE. The common treatment includes immusuppressive medication aiming to relieve symptoms and protect organs by decreasing inflammation and the level of autoimmune activity in the body.

Recently Dr. Dr. A. Mooventhan and colleagues in India used acupuncture and massage to treat a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. Acupuncture was given at acupoints GV-20, GV-6, LI-11, HT-7, GB-34, and KI-3 for 20 min, once a day for 15 days, and then a 7 day rest followed by another 15 sessions of acupuncture. Level of pain was assessed by Visual Analog Scale. Quality of sleep was measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Short form-36 version 2 Health Survey was used to measure the general quality of life.

At the end of treatment, it was reported that acupuncture significantly reduced pain, improved the quality of sleep and general quality of life of the patient. Although this is a case report, the results are quite encouraging and prove the effectiveness of acupuncture and massage in relieving the symptoms of SLE.

Reference:

A. Mooventhan & L. Nivethitha, Effects of acupuncture and massage on pain, quality of sleep and health related quality of life in patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2014 Jul-Sep; 5(3): 186–189.   http://www.jaim.in/article.asp?issn=0975-9476;year=2014;volume=5;issue=3;spage=186;epage=189;aulast=Mooventhan

Mechanism underlying the effect of acupuncture on stroke

Acupuncture stimulation at acupoints one day after cerebral ischemia significantly reduced the cerebral infarct area and neurological deficit scores accompanied by increasing release of neurotrophic factors and activating anti-apoptosis process in the brain of stroke model according to a study recently reported in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

It has been reported here before that earlier acupuncture as an adjunct helped improve symptoms of patients with early stage stroke. However, how acupuncture exerts its therapeutic effect is not clear.

Recently researchers in Taiwan investigated the effect of early acupuncture stimulation on stroke model and the mechanism of action of acupuncture. Electroacupuncture stimulation at GV20 and GV14 was applied on mild cerebral ischemia injury rat, a mild stroke model, one day after ischemia formation for 2 days. Neurological functions such as motor, sensory, balance and reflex were assessed before and after acupuncture.

It was found that acupuncture stimulation significantly improved neurological functions and reduced cerebral infarct area compared with baseline and non-acupoint treated group. Biochemical studies showed that acupuncture markedly increased the release of neurotrophic factors and initiated anti-apoptotic process compared with controls. Blockers of neurotrophic factors stopped the neuroprotective effect of acupuncture in the stroke model.

The study suggests that early acupuncture use may act as neuroprotective therapy in the treatment of stroke.

Reference:

Cheng et al., Electroacupuncture-like stimulation at Baihui and Dazhui acupoints exerts neuroprotective effects through activation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-mediated MEK1/2/ERK1/2/ p90RSK/bad signaling pathway in mild transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine2014,14:92    http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/14/92

Acupuncture improves school success in children with various conditions, including ADHD

Acupuncture therapy has improved mathematics, social studies and Turkish language in children with various conditions; many of them are with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Children’s development and achievement in the school are affected by many factors including their physical and mental conditions. Helps from health care professionals may assist the children with various conditions to improve their school success.

Based on the reports from the patents of children receiving acupuncture treatment that suggested a decrease in symptoms, researchers in Ulus State Hosptial, Turkey conducted a study to assess the effect of acupuncture on school success in children with various conditions including ADHD (21 cases), enuresis nocturna (8 cases), migraine (2 cases), obesity (2 cases), atopic dermatitis (1 case), alopecia areata (1 case) and Tourette’s syndrome (1 case). Total 36 children aged from 7-16 year old were treated with acupuncture for 20 min/session, twice a week for the first two weeks, then once a week for following 6 weeks. While children with ADHD were treated at acupoint GV20, LI4, HT7, PC6, ST36, LV3, EX-HN-3, children with other conditions were treated with acupuncture according to their symptoms.

The grades in math, social studies and Turkish shown on report cards of the patients before acupuncture and 10-week after acupuncture were compared. It was found that after acupuncture treatment there was a statistically significant improvement in average grades in all three courses compared with the grades obtained before acupuncture. For 21 children with ADHD, there was a statistically increase in school success when their grades were compared. No adverse effect was reported by the end of acupuncture treatment.

The study suggests that acupuncture has a positive effect on learning and recollection. It confirms the results from other studies that acupuncture positively affect memory and ability to learn.

Reference:

Tas D, Acar HV., Does acupuncture have a positive effect on school success in children? J Tradit Chin Med. 2014 Aug;34(4):450-4.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25185363

How does acupuncture help heal tendon injury?

Acupuncture therapy increased the diameter and reorganization of tendon fibrils during tendon healing in a rat model.

Many people participating in physical and recreational activities experienced some forms of soft tissue injuries, including tendon laceration or rupture. In many cases surgical intervention is required to direct the natural process of healing which is a slow and complicated process.

Acupuncture has been used to treat tendon injury for pain relieving. Many studies showed that acupuncture stimulation increases releasing of analgesic substance such as adenosine locally and endorphin in the brain. It is also believed that acupuncture increase local blood flow and nutrients which enhances healing process.

Recently Dr. de Almeida and Colleagues in Brazil conducted an experimental study to assess the effect of acupuncture on the changes in collagen fibrils in rat tendon injury model. The model subjects were given manual acupuncture at acupoints ST36 or BL57, or ST36+BL57, or electroacupuncture at ST36+BL57 acupoints once a day for 21 days. The concentration, mass-average diameter and the reorganization of collagen fibril diameter were measured at 7, 14 and 21 days after acupuncture. It was found that acupuncture increased the concentration, mass-average diameter and reorganization of collagen, indicating the strengthening of tendon structure.

The authors suggest that acupuncture may offer the therapeutic benefits for tendon injury by increasing concentration of collagen and by inducing a better organization of collagen fibres, which may improve the mechanical strength of the tendon after injury.

Reference:

De Almeida MD et al., Acupuncture increases the diameter and reorganisation of collagen fibrils during rat tendon healing. Acupunct Med. 2014 Aug 19.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25138672

Acupuncture help relieve pain and improve bone density in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Acupuncture treatment relieves pain, improves bone density and rebalances immune responses in postmenopausal osteoporosis according to a study published in journal Zhongguo Zhen Jiu (Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is one of most common of osteoporosis. It is closely associated with the changes in the hormone. Hormone replacement therapy is effective in relieving osteoporosis but it has many unwanted effects. Acupuncture is used to treat the condition but the mechanism of its action is not clear.

Scientists in China conducted a randomized clinical study to compare the efficacy of different acupuncture techniques with conventional treatment. Patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis were divided into three groups: warm acupuncture, electroacupuncture and medication groups (n=30 each group). The subjects were given warm acupuncture or electroacupuncture at acupoints BL11, BL23 and GB 39 for 30 mins daily for 30 days. Bone density value, Visual Analogue Scale and inflammatory indicators such as interlukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha were measured before and after treatment.

Although pain was markedly reduced in three groups warm acupuncture was significantly more effective than other modalities. Warm acupuncture also produced a significant increase in bone density value and anti-inflammatory effect, followed by electroacupuncture and medication.

The study suggests that warm acupuncture has better efficacy in relieving pain and improving bone density than electroacupuncture and conventional medication.

Reference:

Cai GW et al., [Clinical research on warm acupuncture therapy for pain in postmenopausal osteoporosis]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Jan;34(1):25-7.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24673048

How does acupuncture improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Acupuncture has been shown to improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis or even helped a patient remission for over 2 years in a case study reported here before. However the mechanism of acupuncture’s effect is not clear. Recently it was reported that anti-inflammatory effect of acupuncture was associated with the release of β-endorphin that balances immune cell response in a multiple sclerosis model.

Multiple sclerosis is caused by the dysfunction of immune system that attacks the myelin sheath of nerve fibre in the nervous systems leading to the symptoms occurring in multi body systems. It is believed that acupuncture therapy is able to modulate immune responses to relieve the symptoms. However the mechanism of its action is not clear.

Researchers in China conducted a basic research to explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture on a model of multiple sclerosis. They found that β-endorphin, a neuropeptide with immune modulatory and analgesic properties, was significantly reduced in the multiple sclerosis models. Acupuncture stimulation in the model once a day for 21 days attenuated the symptom-like severity and reversed the decreased β-endorphin levels and increased the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the brain. Further studies found that β-endorphin modulated the abnormal ratios of immune T subtype cells back to normal levels in the lymphocytes.

Authors suggest that acupuncture stimulation in the multiple sclerosis model increased β-endorphin expression and adrenocorticotropic hormone level leading to rebalance immune T cells response and attenuated the symptoms.

Reference:

Liu Y et al., The mechanism of effective electroacupuncture on T cell response in rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e51573.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23382807 

Acupuncture treatment improves immune system of patients with colorectal cancer

Acupuncture treatment reduced anxiety, depression and improved immune system by increasing natural killer cells, white blood cells and other body defence cells of patients with colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy, according to a study reported in the journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of common treatments for colorectal cancer. One of main adverse effects of chemotherapy is suppression of body immune system which has a major prognostic and predictive impact on the fate of cancer patients. How to improve immune system of cancer patients is very important.

Dr. Irene Pais and colleagues in Portugal conducted a randomized pilot study to assess immumodulative effect of acupuncture on colorectal cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. The cancer patients were given acupuncture at acupoints LV3, ST36, SP3, GB39, LI4, PC5, TB5, and LU7 for 45 min, during which moxibustion was applied on following acupoints SI6, TB5, ST32 and CV6 for 2 min, twice a week for total 6 sessions. Blood tests were carried out prior, during and following acupuncture treatment. Anxiety and depression scores were also evaluated before and after acupuncture.

It was found that acupuncture treatment reduced anxiety and depression and increased natural killer cells by twofold, produced a positive trend on the levels of white blood cells, total lymphocytes, T and B cells compared with baseline and control group. The authors also noticed a tendency for decreasing certain symptoms such as gastrointestinal and urological symptoms and chemotherapy side-effects within acupuncture-treated patients.

The authors suggest that acupuncture may stimulate anticancer immunity, promote a myeloprotective effect and minimize chemotherapy side effect.

Reference:

Pais I et al., Effects of Acupuncture on Leucopenia, Neutropenia, NK, and B Cells in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol. 2014, Article ID 217397,9 pages.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/217397/

Scalp acupuncture treatment cures anxiety disorders – a case report

Scalp acupuncture with electronic stimulation produces remarkable immediate and long-term therapeutic effects on patients with general anxiety disorders or posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a report published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine.

Anxiety disorders are one of most common psychiatric disorders in Western countries. In the United States, around 40 million adults aged 18 or over have suffered from the condition. Anxiety disorders include general anxiety disorders, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and many others. It is believed that genetic inheritance, abnormal brain neurotransmissions are involved in development of the disorders. Conventional approaches include cognitive behavioural therapy and medication. The latter has many adverse effects. Acupuncture is a popular alternative treatment for the condition.

Dr. Y He and colleagues in the United States designed a scalp acupuncture treatment with two new stimulation areas, one is between Yintang (M-HN-3), Shangxing (DU-23) and Shenting (DU-24) and another is between Taiyang (M-HN-9), Tianchong (GB-9) and Shuaigu (GB-8), to treat the patients with anxiety disorders. They reported two cases with remarkable therapeutic achievement.

The case one was a 70-year-old male with general anxiety disorder and panic attack at night. He was given scalp electroacupuncture for 45 min once a week. After 4 sessions of treatment patients was free of panic attack at night and of anxiety during the daytime. A 4-week follow up found he was still resolved from the condition.

The case two was a 35-year-old male veteran, diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder with symptoms of severe anxiety, insomnia, nightmare, etc plus multiple joint pains. He was treated with scalp electroacupuncture for his mental disorder and body acupuncture for his pain 30 min once a week. After two sessions of treatment, the patient reported that he felt less anxiety and had a better sleep. Following 6 sessions of treatment, patient completely recovered from his mental disorder and went back to work and lived a happy and healthy family life.

The study suggests that acupuncture is very effective in treating anxiety disorders.

Reference:

He Y et al., Scalp acupuncture treatment protocol for anxiety disorders: a case report. Glob Adv Health Med. 2014 Jul;3(4):35-9. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25105075  

Acupuncture plus moxibustion is an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease

Acupuncture plus moxibustion significantly improved the symptoms and quality of life of patients with Crohn’s disease according to a report published in the journal World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Researchers in China conducted a randomized controlled clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture plus moxibustion for the treatment of active Crohn’s disease. Ninety-two patients were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in group 1 were treated at acupoints ST36, ST37, SP4, SP6, KI3 and LV3; plus herb moxibustion applied at acupoint CV6, CV12 and ST25. Patients in group 2 were treated at placebo acupoints and sham moxibustion. Acupuncture treatment was 30 min/session, three times a week for 12 weeks. Crohn’s disease active index (ADAI), haemoglobin, quality of life and indicators of intestinal inflammation such as C-reactive protein were evaluated before, after and 12-week follow up.

It was found that although acupuncture group and control group showed significant improvement in ADAI scores compared with baseline, the improvement was markedly greater in acupuncture group and maintained in follow-up evaluation. Further, biochemical studies showed a reduced intestinal inflammation and increased in haemoglobin in acupuncture group compared with control group.

The study demonstrated efficacy of acupuncture plus moxibustion for the Crohn’s disease.

Reference:

Bao CH et al., Randomized controlled trial: Moxibustion and acupuncture for the treatment of Crohn's disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Aug 21;20(31):11000-11.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25152604

Auricular acupuncture treatment reduce craving and anxiety in substance use disorder

Auricular acupuncture treatment significantly reduces craving and anxiety among military veterans in recovery from substance use disorder.

Substance use disorder is a complex brain condition and includes such problems as alcoholism and drug addiction. It occurs when a person has a dependence on alcohol and or drugs that is accompanied by intense or sometimes uncontrollable craving and compulsive behaviour to obtain the substance. Persistence use of substance has dangerous and negative consequence on personal relationship, employment and public safety.

Drs. BH Chang and E Sommers in the United States conducted a randomized controlled clinical study to assess the effect of auricular acupuncture on craving and anxiety of veterans in recovery from substance use disorder. Twenty-three subjects were treated with auricular acupuncture at acupoints Shen Men, Sympathetic, Kidney, Lung and Liver for 30 min, twice a week for 10 weeks. The control group (n=21) were given usual care. Degree of craving for substance on a scale of 1-10 and anxiety level on a scale of 1-4 were rated by each participant before and after acupuncture session.

It was found that auricular acupuncture produced a significantly immediate reduction in craving and anxiety after one acupuncture session compared with baseline, and continued treatment induced a markedly cumulative reduction in craving and anxiety compared with control group. Relaxation-response therapy also reduced craving and anxiety.

The study provided scientific evidence of auricular acupuncture, a non-pharmaceutical approach for treatment of substance use disorder.

Reference:

Chang BH & Sommers E, Acupuncture and relaxation response for craving and anxiety reduction among military veterans in recovery from substance use disorder. Am J Addict. 2014 Mar;23(2):129-36.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25187049

Acupuncture is effective in relieving constipation

Constipation is a common problem that affects people of all ages. Although constipation is not a life-threatening condition it could significant impact people’s daily life when it is not treated. Unhealthy life style, chronic medication and other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, Parkinson’s and many others can cause constipation. Changes in life style and medications such as laxatives are effective in treating constipation. For many people who prefer to alternatives acupuncture is a popular choice for constipation treatment.

Recently researchers in China conducted a randomized clinical study to assess the efficacy of different acupoint prescriptions on constipation. One hundred and four patients with functional constipation were divided into group 1 (n=19) treated with electroacupuncture at acupoints bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Dachangshu (BL 25). Patients in group 2 (n=34) were treated at bilateral Quchi (LI 11) and Shangjuxu (ST 37). Acupoint prescription in group 3 (n=26) was Tianshu (ST 25), Dachangshu (BL 25), Quchi (LI 11) and Shangjuxu (ST 37). Patients in group 4 (n=25) were given mosapride citrate tablets, 5mg/each, 3 times daily for 4 weeks. Electroacupuncture treatment was given 5 times a week for the first two weeks, then 3 times a week in the following two weeks. The weekly defecation frequency and life quality scores were evaluated before, at the end of treatment and a 4-week follow-up.

The results showed that 3 acupuncture-treated and drug-treated groups all significantly improved weekly defecation frequency. However, only patients in group 2 reported that defecation difficulty and life quality scores were markedly improved compared with other groups.

The study suggests that acupuncture stimulation at Quchi (LI 11) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) has super therapeutic effect on constipation.

Reference:

Wu JN et al., [Comparison of efficacy on functional constipation treated with electroacupuncture of different acupoint prescriptions: a randomized controlled pilot trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Jun;34(6):521-8.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25112080

Acupuncture as an adjunct improves symptoms of patients with early stage stroke

Acupuncture in combination with route treatments for early stage stroke significantly reduced the blood pressure, hematoma volume in the brain and improved neurological deficits of haemorrhagic stroke patients.

The early stage stroke is a critical period for any better recovery. Immediate access to high quality stroke specialist care is paramount importance. Early multidisciplinary therapies that would help earlier recovery should be considered in stroke treatment.

Doctors in China conducted a clinical study to assess the impact of acupuncture as an adjunct on patients with early stage stroke. Fifty-four patients with small amount of cerebral haemorrhage were randomly divided into conventional treatment group and conventional plus acupuncture group. Patients in conventional group were treated with stroke special care, oxygen therapy, never nutrition and symptomatic support, antihypertension and other treatments when necessary. Patients in conventional plus acupuncture group were given additional acupuncture treatment at 4h, 6h and 12h after disease onset respectively. Blood pressure including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), hematoma volume and neurological deficits were assessed at different time points.

It was found that blood pressure including SBP, DBP and MAP were significantly increased 12h after stroke onset in conventional treatment group. Additional acupuncture significantly decreased blood pressure at 12h compared conventional treatment alone. This improvement in blood pressure by acupuncture lasted to 24h. Acupuncture significantly decreased hematoma volume at 6h after stroke onset compared with conventional treatment and this improvement maintained up to 24h. Evaluation of neurological deficits revealed that acupuncture markedly reduced neurological deficit scores compared with conventional treatment alone group.

The study suggests that acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in early stage stroke treatment should significantly improve the symptoms within 24h and has potential for a better recovery.

Reference:

Tao WQ et al., Impacts of acupuncture on blood pressure and hematoma in patients of cerebral hemorrhage at the early stage. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 May;34(5):426-30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25022108

Acupuncture produces a sustainable symptom relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Acupuncture treatment of the knee osteoarthritis not only relieves pain and improves joint flexibility but induces a sustainable therapeutic effect, according to a study published in the journal Zhongguo Zhen Jiu (Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Conventional treatment to knee osteoarthritis often includes pain killer which only temporarily reliefs the symptoms and has many adverse effects with prolonged use. Many patients with the condition often seek alternative therapies. Acupuncture is a very popular choice.

Scientists in China conducted a non-randomized clinical study to assess the efficacy of acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis. Ninety-seven patients with knee osteoarthritis were given acupuncture at acupoints ST34, ST35, ST36, GB33, GB34, SP9, SP10 and EX-LE4, for 30 min, once a day for 4 weeks. Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the changes in stiffness, physical function and pain intensity prior and following the treatment and at 4-week follow-up. It was found that stiffness, pain intensity and physical function were all significantly improved compared with baseline and control groups by the end of 4-week acupuncture. A 4-week follow-up assessment showed that all improvements were sustainable and were not significantly different from the end of treatment evaluation. There was no adverse effect reported.

The study provides evidence that acupuncture exerts a sustainable therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis.

Referece:

Dai Z et al., [Efficacy evaluation on knee osteoarthritis treated with acupuncture: non-randomized concurrent control trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Apr;34(4):329-33.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24946628

Acupuncture therapy significantly improves quality of life of patients with breast cancer

Patients with breast cancer suffer a lot during treatment both physically and mentally that have significant impact on the quality of life of patients. Recently a randomized placebo-controlled clinical study showed that electroacupuncture (EA) is able to markedly improve fatigue and psychological symptoms of patients with early stage breast cancer. This is the first demonstration of efficacy of EA on such a study reported in the journal Cancer.

Around 50% of breast cancer patients are treated with aromatase inhibitor to prevent disease recurrence. Although the drug is effective many patients experience joint pain and associated fatigue and other psychological symptoms that may cause them stop taking medication. In fact nearly 50% of patients with breast cancer do not complete their recommended treatment courses. This puts those patients in a higher risk of dying both breast cancer and other causes.

Dr. Jun Mao and colleagues in the Abramson Cancer Centre in the United States conducted a randomized placebo-controlled clinical study to assess the efficacy of EA on fatigue and other psychological symptoms of breads cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor-related joint pain. Sixty-seven breast cancer patients who were treated with aromatase inhibitors were divided into three groups, EA group, sham EA group and medication alone group. Patients were given EA and sham EA twice weekly for 2 weeks, then weekly for 6 more weeks, for a total 10 treatments over 8 weeks. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depression were assessed before, during and after treatment using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). It was found that EA produced a significant improvement in fatigue, anxiety, depression and a non-significant improvement in sleep disturbance during 8-week treatment and 4-week follow-up compared with drug alone group. Sham electroacupuncture only markedly improved depression compared with medication alone group.

The study demonstrated that EA is very effective in reducing fatigue, sleep disturbance and psychological distress related to pain in patients with early stage breast cancer and its effect maintained 4 weeks after intervention.

Referecen:

Mao J et al., Electroacupuncture for fatigue, sleep, and psychological distress in breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor-related arthralgia: A randomized trial. Cancer. 2014 Jul 30. doi: 10.1002/cncr.28917.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25077452

Copper coil handle of acupuncture needle is more prone to buckling than plastic handle

Compared with plastic handle of acupuncture needle, copper coil handle is far more susceptible to buckling according to a study reported on the journal Acupuncture in Medicine.

When the acupuncture needle is inserted into the body, in particular with long needle, it can easily bend or buckle. One of the ways to prevent the buckling is for acupuncturist to hold the needle body to assist the needle insertion, which has potential to cause infection. So avoiding needle buckling will reduce the risk of infection and enhance patient comfort and safety. Cooper coil handle and plastic handle are the two most commonly used acupuncture needle handles. Which one is more prone to buckling?

Recently Dr. Zhang and colleagues in Australia conducted a study to assess the strength and weakness of both cooper coil handle and plastic handle for needle buckling. Using a digital scale needles with two different types of handles, of the size of 0.25 mm×30 mm and 0.25 mm×60 mm were indiscriminately selected for buckling tests of acupuncture needles. Also needle body stiffness is also measured using a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. It was found that plastic handle showed a significantly greater buckling resistance than cooper coil handle, while the stiffness of two types of needle bodies is similar.

The study demonstrated that the difference of buckling resistance between two types of needles was in the handle design. The handle of cooper needle is comprised of a cooper coil tightly wound around the upper part of the stainless steel needle, while plastic needle handle is made of plastic stick.

Although it is suggested replacing of cooper coil handles with plastic one would save tones of cooper metal, plastic handle, at present, is not suitable for use with moxibustion and less easy to use for electroacupuncture.

Refrence:

Zhang CS et al., Relationship between buckling of acupuncture needles and the handle type. Acupunct Med doi:10.1136/acupmed-2014-010586.   http://aim.bmj.com/content/early/2014/07/14/acupmed-2014-010586

Acupuncture technique, Qin’s eight scalp needles helps relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Qin’s eight scalp needles, another acupuncture technique is reported improved both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, in the journal Zhonggou Zhen Jiu (Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion).

The term, the eight scalp needles, has been developed by Professor Qin Liang-Fu. It includes bilateral GB8 (Shuaigu), GB15 (Toulinqi) and GB20 (Fengchi), as well as Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (Ext2). Based on his years of clinical experience, he observed the importance of Governor Vessel meridian for limb disorders and miscellaneous diseases and that the similarity between the cephalic motor region distribution and relevant scalp acupoints of many meridians. Professor Qin then proposed the eight scalp needles which, in combination with different body acupoints, has been shown effectively in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’ and multiple sclerosis.

Qin’s eight scalp needles in combination with other body acupoints has been show improving tremor, rigidity, slow movement, anxiety and depression, and enhanced memory function, sleep quality and decreased UPDRS scores in Parkinson’s patients.

Qin’ eight scalp needles and “the seven acupoint of cranial base” reported here before show the diversity of acupuncture techniques used to treat Parkinson’s in China.

Reference:

Dong J & Cui HS, Clinical experience of Qin’s eight scalp needles for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 May;34(5):491-4.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25022128

Acupuncture helps recovery of abducens palsy-induced diplopia

A patient with diabetes mellitus had abducens palsy-induced diplopia for one and half months and recovered completely from the condition after only 4 sessions of acupuncture treatment, according to a case report published in the journal Global Advances in Health and Medicine.

Abducens nerve palsy, also called sixth nerve palsy is a condition associated with the dysfunction of the cranial (VI) nerve, which innervates the lateral rectus muscle, responsible for turning eyeball outward from nose. Any condition that causes damage of blood vessels close to abducens nerve in the brain, such as stroke, diabetic neuropathy etc, may cause abducens nerve palsy. When abducens palsy occurs, a person’s eye begins to point inward toward the nose, often resulting in double vision. Although a double vision is not a serious problem it can significantly impact the person’s quality of life, making simple everyday tasks, such as reading, walking and driving, difficult to manage. Normally abducens palsy, in many patients resolves itself on its own once the underlying condition is treated. However, if the underlying cause is chronic e.g. diabetes, its manifestation may last much longer.

Recently Dr. Do and colleagues in the United States reported a case study of acupuncture treatment of abducens palsy. A 58-year-old male patient with diabetes mellitus had a left diplopia and was diagnosed as “isolated left sixth cranial nerve palsy”, and was treated with an eye patch and temporary prism. One and half months after onset of diplopia the patient felt double vision getting worse and a stabling clusters of pain behind both eyes. Then he was treated with acupuncture at the following acupoints, LI4, LV3, Taiyang, SP6, ST36, GB32, and GB20 for 30 mins each time for 4 times within 11 weeks. After last acupuncture treatment the patient stopped using prism and believed his sight had returned to normal.

The authors suggest that acupuncture helps reduce recovery rate due to abducens palsy.

Reference:

Do A et al., acupuncture treatment of diplopia associated with abducens palsy:

a case report. Glob Adv Health Med. Jul 2014; 3(4): 32–34.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4104568/

Acupuncture therapy has a long-lasting effect in alleviating depression and anxiety

Therapeutic effect of 8-week acupuncture to psychologically distressed patients lasted 24 weeks according to a report published in journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Anxiety and depression are the most common psychological disorders. They have markedly impact on the quality of life of suffers and are a substantial source of medical economic costs. Conventional treatment is not always satisfactory and has many adverse effects. Acupuncture is getting increasingly popular in treating psychological disorders.

Researchers in Sweden conducted an open, randomized controlled clinical study to evaluate the intermediate effects (24 weeks) of 8-week treatment on depression and anxiety. One hundred fifty four patients with psychological distress were randomly allocated to three groups. One group was treated with acupuncture for 45 mins, another was treated with acupuncture plus a person-centred salutogenic dialogue for 60 mins and the third group was given conventional treatment. The treatment was once a week for 8 consecutive weeks. Anxiety and depression were measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales. Mental health status was assessed with the standard Swedish version of Short Form-36. All assessments were performed before, at the end of treatment and 24-week follow-up.

It was found that all treatment groups showed improvement compared with baseline scores. Evaluation of 24-week follow-up demonstrated that acupuncture group and acupuncture plus dialogue group maintained the improvement seen after 8-week treatment; while conventional treatment showed a declined efficacy.

The study suggests that acupuncture has a long-lasting therapeutic effect on anxiety and depression.

Reference:

Arvidsdotter T et al., Six-month effects of integrative treatment, therapeutic acupuncture and conventional treatment in alleviating psychological distress in primary care patients - follow up from an open, pragmatic randomized controlled trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014, 14:210.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24980440

Why some people do not respond well to acupuncture-induced analgesia?

A gene called 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), in the hypothalamus of brain is found to determine your responsiveness to acupuncture analgesia, according to a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Although acupuncture is now widely used to treat a range of pain conditions, there are some subjects, in many acupuncture analgesia experimental and clinical studies did not respond well, which is difficult to explain.

Researchers in Korea conducted an experimental study to find the factors in the brain determining the sensitivity to acupuncture analgesia in a pain model. Using molecular biotechnologies such as cDNA microarray analysis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, they looked the expression levels of different genes in the hypothalamus, a pain responder region in brain of the subjects. It was found that the levels of gene AMPK was significantly higher in the pain responder subjects than those of non-responder subjects. Further studies showed that inhibition of AMPK expression in the brain attenuated acupuncture-induced analgesic effect in responder subjects.

The studies demonstrated that the levels of AMPK gene expression in the hypothalamus region of brain may determine the individual differences in the sensitivity to acupuncture-induced analgesia.

Reference:

Kim SK et al., Expression levels of the hypothalamic AMPK gene determines the responsiveness of the rats to electroacupuncture-induced analgesia. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014, 14:211 doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-211.   http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/14/211

Acupuncture helps improve symptoms of cervical spondylosis

Acupuncture alone or in combination with moxibustion significantly alleviated neck pain and improved the disability of patients with cervical spondylosis as reported in journal Zhonggou Zhen Jiu (Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion).

Cervical spondylosis is a condition that affects the bone and tissues in the neck. The most common symptoms of the condition are neck pain, stiffness and headache. If nerves are trapped in the neck the pain can radiate to the arms and an abnormal feeling of pins and needles occur in the arms and legs. Cervical spondylosis often occurs in old people as we get old tissues in the neck such as vertebrae and discs suffer from wear and tear and cause stiffness and pain. Conventional treatment include muscle relaxation, painkillers both oral or local injection, and surgery for severe cases. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been used to treat cervical spondylosis in China for a very long period of time.

Researchers in China conducted a clinical study to compare the efficacy of acupuncture plus moxibustion with acupuncture alone or moxibustion alone treatment for cervical spondylosis. Patients with cervical spondylosis were randomly allocated to combination group, acupuncture alone group and moxibustion alone group (n=48 each group). The acupoints Bailao (Extra), Dazhui (GV 14), Jianzhongshu (SI15) and Zhongzhu (TE 3) were used in all treatment groups. The patients were given treatment for 20 mins daily, once every 3 days for total 10 treatments within 4 weeks. Northwick Park Pain Questionnaire (NPPQ) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were used to assess the pain intensity and disability before, after treatment and 3-month follow-up.  

 

At the end of treatment, evaluations showed a significant decrease in both NPPQ and MPQ scores respectively compared with baseline in each group. The 3-month follow-up assessment with NPPQ and MPQ scores respectively presented that therapeutic improvement was sustainable in each group. Group comparisons revealed that acupuncture plus moxibustion achieved more significant improvement in terms of NPPQ and MPQ evaluations than acupuncture alone and moxibustion alone treatment.  

 

The study suggests that although acupuncture and moxibustion exert significant therapeutic effect on cervical spondylosis respectively, combination of both modalities has achieved much better efficacy.

Reference:

Di Z et al., [The short-term and long-term effects on neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis treated with combination of acupuncture and moxibustion with seed-sized moxa cone]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Apr;34(4):325-8.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24946627