Acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic prostatitis-chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Acupuncture therapy is very effective in treating patients with chronic prostatitis-chronic pelvic pain syndrome and its effect is even better than conventional medication according to a report published in the journal of Urology.

Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP-CPPS) is characterized by at least 3 month of pain in the perineum or pelvic floor, often associated with low urinary tract symptoms and sexual dysfunction. CP-CPPS is being categorized in main 4 categories. CP-CPPS affects 2-14% of male population and are normally treated by pharmacologic such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents which are always associated with adverse effect when being used for long time.

Recently a randomized non-blinded clinical study was performed in Turkey to compare acupuncture with medication on pain control, urinary symptoms and quality of life of patient with category IIIB CP-CPPS. Fifty-four patients with category IIIB CP-CPPS were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: acupuncture group (n=26) and medication group (n=28). In acupuncture group patients were given electroacupuncture at BL32 and BL33 acupoints, 30 mins a day, twice a week for 7 weeks. Patients in medication group were given levofloxacin 500 mg daily and ibuprofen 200 mg twice a day for 6 weeks. The changes in National Institute Health of Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index scores were monitored before and after treatment.

It was observed that pain was markedly reduced in two groups; however reduction was statistically significantly higher in acupuncture group than medication group. Similarly decrease in urinary symptoms and improvement in quality of life in acupuncture group was significantly higher than medication group.

The authors suggest that acupuncture is a very effective alternative treatment for patients with CP-CPPS.

Reference:

Küçük EV, et al.,  Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Chronic Prostatitis-Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Category IIIB Patients: A Prospective, Randomized, Nonblinded, Clinical Trial. Urology. 2015 Mar;85(3):636-40.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25582816

Acupuncture significantly reduced pain associated with scar tissue

Manual acupuncture treatment significantly relived pain associated with scar tissue, a case report published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies.

Scar tissue usually forms after deep trauma, such as burns and surgery to the dermis. Excessive scar also known as hypertrophic scar are benign fibrotic proliferation due to the overproliferation of fibroblasts. Current treatments include intralesional corticosteroid injection, radiotherapy and surgical manipulation which are associated with adverse effects.

Dr. Sheng Fang in the United State treated a female patient with a surgical scar on the upper right thigh for a year and wrote a case report. The scar was about 3 inches long, 1/4 inch wide, red colour, tough, and hard. It was very sensitive to touch. Patient mentioned she felt a stabling pain in the scar area for 3 months. The pain intensity level was 7 on the Likert Scale of 0-10 (0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain). Acupuncture treatment consisted of Wei Ci points in the local scar area (8 needles) plus bilateral LI4, LIV3 and ST36 acupoints. Treatments lasted 20 mins each time, twice a week for 3 weeks. After second treatment patient reported a decreased pain associated with scar. At the end of 3 week treatment patient only occasionally pain. The pain intensity level dropped to 1-2 on a scale of 0-10. Then treatment was once a week for further two weeks. Patient felt the pain maintained at the similar level as the third week treatment. No further follow-up was carried out.

The case report suggests that acupuncture markedly reduced pain associated with scar tissue.

Reference:

Fang S, The successful treatment of pain associated with scar tissue.  J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2014;7(5):262-264.   http://www.jams-kpi.com/article/S2005-2901(14)00092-2/abstract

Catgut embedding acupuncture significantly improves irritable bowel syndrome

Catgut embedding, a special type of acupuncture technique markedly relived the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a report recently published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences.

Catgut is a type of cord that is made from the natural fibres in the wall of goat or sheep intestines. Catgut is embedded on the acupoints for 7-10 days. It exerts continuous stimulation on the acupoint and enhances and prolongs its therapeutic effect. It is believed that catgut embedding acupuncture can improve body immune function, promote metabolism and is used to treat many conditions including body weight loss.

Researchers in Isfahan, Iran carried out a double blinded randomized clinical study to assess the effect of catgut embedding acupuncture on the patients with IBS. Sixty patients with IBS were recruited for the study and randomly divided into 3 groups. Real acupuncture group, catgut embedded on acupoints UB17, UB23, UB25. DU3, SP9, SP15, ST25, ST36, Ren12, and 4 and Kid15. Sham group, catgut embedded on sham acupoints GB26, SP8, 1 inch ST25, UB22, and Ren5. Medication control group. IBS symptoms such as pain, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea and constipation were assessed prior to and after the treatment.

Following 2-week treatment, patients in real catgut embedded acupuncture group reported a significant improvement in all symptoms compared with sham acupuncture and medication group. In addition, patients in real acupuncture group showed an average 2 kg weight loss.

 The study provided evidence that catgut embedded acupuncture is effective in treating patients with IBS.

Reference:

Rafiei R et al., A new acupuncture method for management of irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized double blind clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. Oct 2014; 19(10): 913–917.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25538771

Acupuncture treatment ameliorated cataplexy and narcolepsy

Cataplexy is a sudden and temporary episode of muscle weakness or loss of muscle control, typically manifested as the head slumping down, the jaw dropping, slurred speech etc, triggered by emotional reaction such as laughter and anger.

Cataplexy is one of the symptoms of narcolepsy. Other narcoleptic symptoms include sleep paralysis, excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep attack. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder due to the inability of part of brain to regulate the sleep-wake cycle normally. 

Cataplexy affects around 70% of people who have narcolepsy. It is believed that the changes in body immune system that leads to the destruction of neurotransmitter hypocritin resulting in the occurrence of cataplexy. Because the attack of cataplexy could be sudden, lasts just a few seconds or many minutes when patient is still conscious, a full-blown cataplectic attack could be quite frighten. Family members should learn to recognize the onset of attack, to help prevent the falls or injuries. There is present no cure for cataplexy. Medication is only for symptomatic relief; however the prolonged use can induce many side effects.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that ying-qi and wei-qi disharmony and imbalance of yin and yang. Ying-qi is running though Yin Qiao vessel and wei-qi is running though Yang Qiao vessel. Both Yin Qiao vessel and Yang Qiao vessel are part of body defence system, equal to immune system in Western medicine. Modulation the activity of both vessels by stimulating acupoints on the vessels leads to rebalance body’s ying-qi and wei-qi and yin and yang and improve cataplectic symptoms.

Reference:

Zheng H et al., [Thirty-two cases of narcolepsy treated by acupuncture of regulatimg nutrient qi and defense qi]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Feb;34(2):197-8.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24796068