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
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