Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Research Articles

Acupuncture and tuina knowledge graph with prompt learning.

Acupuncture and tuina, acknowledged as ancient and highly efficacious therapeutic modalities within the domain of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), have provided pragmatic treatment pathways for numerous patients. To address the problems of ambiguity in the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture and tuina treatment protocols, the lack of accurate quantitative assessment of treatment protocols, and the diversity of TCM systems, we have established a map-filling technique for modern literature to achieve personalized medical recommendations. (1) Extensive acupuncture and tuina data were collected, analyzed, and processed to establish a concise TCM domain knowledge base. (2)A template-free Chinese text NER joint training method (TemplateFC) was proposed, which enhances the EntLM model with BiLSTM and CRF layers. Appropriate rules were set for ERE. (3) A comprehensive knowledge graph comprising 10,346 entities and 40,919 relationships was constructed based on modern literature. A robust TCM KG with a wide range of entities and relationships was created. The template-free joint training approach significantly improved NER accuracy, especially in Chinese text, addressing issues related to entity identification and tokenization differences. The KG provided valuable insights into acupuncture and tuina, facilitating efficient information retrieval and personalized treatment recommendations. The integration of KGs in TCM research is essential for advancing diagnostics and interventions. Challenges in NER and ERE were effectively tackled using hybrid approaches and innovative techniques. The comprehensive TCM KG our built contributes to bridging the gap in TCM knowledge and serves as a valuable resource for specialists and non-specialists alike.

Effectiveness of dry needling on the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis: systematic review

Aim: The aim of this study is to review the effectiveness of dry needling in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from its inception until July 2023 and the reference lists of the articles obtained were manually searched. Studies examining the effectiveness of dry needling treatment alone or in combination with a different protocol in individuals diagnosed with MS, regardless of type, were included. The systematic review included quasi-experimental studies and case reports. Studies involving traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture applications, conference abstracts, and protocol records were excluded. Methodological quality assessments were carried out independently by two authors using tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Results: A total of 130 studies were found in the searches. Some studies were excluded due to duplication, protocol registration, conference abstract, and content outside the scope of the study and 7 studies were included in the review. In total, 33 individuals were included in this review, 22 of whom were women. Four studies specified the MS type of the patients, while the other studies did not specify MS type. Conclusions: Despite some limitations, this is, to our knowledge, the first review summarizing studies evaluating the effectiveness of dry needling in MS patients. The dry needling technique alone or in a combination of treatments was effective in improving pain, spasticity, range of motion, dexterity, mobility, limb function, and quality of life in MS patients. However, these results should be treated with caution due to the small number of included studies and the lack of randomized controlled trials. Although it is too early to talk about the positive effects of the dry needling technique in MS patients, the study results are promising. More randomized controlled trials should be conducted on this topic.

Standardization of acupuncture and moxibustion technique in traditional Chinese medicine: taking Gua Sha therapy as an example

Gua Sha (also known as scraping) therapy, one of the important external treatment techniques in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has developed into a mature system of technical standards through long-term clinical practice. In this paper, the development process of Gua Sha technical standardization is reviewed and the characteristics of the current standards system are accordingly analyzed. It turns out that standardization plays a vital role in promoting the inheritance and innovation of the Gua Sha technique. As a typical case of TCM standardization, the construction of the standardization system of Gua Sha provides valuable inspiration for further improving the TCM standardization system. For future TCM standardization, it is suggested that the problem-oriented principle should be adhered to and the formulation of standards should be based on China’s national conditions and demands; the top-level design should be strengthened and the standardized system should be perfected; the implementation of standards should be enhanced and international exchange and cooperation should be promoted. The standardization of TCM has a long way to go and needs the joint efforts of all stakeholders.

Retracted: Effect of Medical Image Fusion in the Treatment of Poststroke Limb Dysfunction with Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Retracted: Effect of Medical Image Fusion in the Treatment of Poststroke Limb Dysfunction with Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Clinical Study of Acupuncture Combined with Emotional Intervention in Patients with Post-Stroke Depression

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with emotional intervention in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD). Methods: A total of 100 patients with PSD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into an experimental group (50 cases) and a control group (50 cases) using the random number table method, and the enrollment was in order of admission time. The control group used conventional treatment of oral antidepressant Deanxit tablets (0.5 mg flupenthixol + 10 mg melitracen) with the dose appropriately adjusted according to the patient’s medication effect, and modern rehabilitation treatment given selectively according to the patient’s condition. The experimental group had similar treatment as the control group with the addition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture combined with emotional intervention. The application effects of both groups before and after treatment were verified using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and Activities of Daily Living (ADL), serotonin levels were measured, and statistical analyses were carried out. Results: The total effective rate of patients in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the Ham-D score, NIHSS score, ADL score, and serotonin level after treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: For patients with PSD, adding TCM acupuncture with emotional intervention on top of conventional treatment significantly improve the clinical efficacy and better improve the daily life ability of patients.

Retracted: Analysis of the Effect of Acupuncture and Pressing of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Recovery of Delayed Muscle Soreness in Athletes.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/7875068.].

A Miniature Multiaxis Force/Torque Sensor for Acupuncture

To realize the quantitative analysis and research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture manipulations, miniaturized multidimensional force sensors are necessary to measure the lifting–thrusting force and twisting torque in the process of acupuncture, which records the manipulations of excellent physicians for relevant physicians to learn and improve their manipulations. A miniature multiaxis force/torque ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${F}/{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) sensor for acupuncture is developed in this article. The elastomer of the design adopts hollow thin-wall cross beam structure with inverted <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> floating beam, which retains the space for the strain gauge to be pasted, reduces the coupling between dimensions, and improves the sensitivity and accuracy. This design has the advantages of miniaturization, lightweight, high precision, and convenient needle substitution. The elastomer is processed with polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material to reduce the mass. First, the feasibility of the hollow thin-wall cross beam structure with inverted <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> floating beam is verified by ANSYS finite element simulation. Then, the hardware system based on STM32 is designed to realize signal acquisition, amplification, and transmission. Next, the static calibration and decoupling of the sensor are accomplished with the calibration device. The calibration results indicate that the accuracy of the sensor is high (the coupling error is less than 2%). Finally, the acupuncture force measurement system is constructed to complete the acupuncture manipulation experiment. The experimental results demonstrate that our system can accurately obtain the needle force information and can distinguish different acupuncture manipulations, which verifies the feasibility of the sensor while realizing the quantitative characterization of acupuncture manipulations.

Research Progress in Diagnosis and Treatment of Postpartum Depression by Traditional Chinese Medicine

In this paper, by analyzing a large number of domestic and foreign literatures on the treatment of postpartum depression in recent years, the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of postpartum depression was systematically reviewed. Sum up after a postpartum depression of the most common etiology and pathogenesis, from the compound Chinese medicine, acupuncture, needle medicine use, massage, music therapy and traditional Chinese medicine fumigation treatment, according to the basic theory of TCM in detail its historical source, choose party on the basis of TCM syndrome differentiation, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy in a variety of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of forms, and other characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine therapy. Literature review shows that: The doctor of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of postpartum depression, with overall concept as guiding ideology, thus improve the systemic symptom of patients, improve the quality of life, and there are diversified TCM therapies, patients and their families have high acceptance, small side effects, make up the deficiency of western medicine, not only in the clinical practice to improve the curative effect of treatment of postpartum depression, also for the general medical compatriots to broaden the diagnosis and treatment method of postpartum depression, provide evidence for the selection of treatment for such patients.

Supporting Cities towards Carbon Neutral Transition through Territorial Acupuncture

Since a solution towards carbon neutrality in already highly populated territories that does not profoundly alter the territories has not yet been found, territorial acupuncture, a new methodology presented in this paper, proposes a solution to this challenge and simultaneously helps to counter the dysfunctional dichotomy between large urban centres and small towns. The aim of this study is therefore to present this new concept and its operation. Hence, a phased study was carried out. Territorial acupuncture is the result of merging different theories and practices, such as Biourbanism, urban acupuncture, and energy community design. For Territorial Acupuncture, the territory is conceived as a single organism and, just like acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine, punctual interventions (in this case, interconnected energy communities) would benefit the entire territory organism. To make the theory work properly, it will be necessary to carry out multi-scalar and multi-disciplinary analyses over the entire territory to identify the intervention points and then proceed to the design and interconnection of the individual district. Thus, Territorial Acupuncture provides a new approach to the resilience of densely populated territories, which, through punctual interventions on a district scale, benefits the entire territory by modifying energy, socio-economic, and environmental dynamics.

中医针灸治疗偏头痛研究进展

中医针灸治疗偏头痛研究进展

Exploring the Clinical Application of Danshen Injection Combined with Acupuncture Based on Modern Pharmacology

Danshen contains salvianolic acid, tanshinone, volatile oil and inorganic elements, which are widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in modern clinical practice. The main water-soluble component of Danshen has various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, neuroprotection, myocardial protection and immunity enhancement. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current status of pharmacological research on Danshen, discuss the clinical efficacy of Danshen injection combined with acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension, coronary angina and rheumatoid arthritis, combine traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture therapy with the pharmacological mechanism of Danshen, and provide a new direction for the treatment of clinical diseases.

Enlightenments of DITTO framework and its application for setting up mock acupuncture in clinical research

How to set up a placebo control scientifically and effectively is a problem in clinical research on acupuncture therapy. In 2020, the UK National Institute of Health Research established a standardized methodological framework DITTO, that is, "Deconstruct""Identify""Take out""Think" and "Optimize" to standardize the setting of invasive console-control intervention. Acupuncture therapy theoretically belongs to the category of invasive therapeutic intervention, and the percutaneous puncture therapy was also considered when the DITTO framework was developed. Therefore, this framework can be applied to clinical research of acupuncture, and may provide a reference for the appropriate setting of simulated acupuncture. In this article, we introduce the formulation process and main contents of the DITTO framework, and analyze the adjustments needed to be made and possible problems encountered in the application of each part of the framework in acupuncture clinical research through medical cases. The DITTO framework can guide and standardize the design of mock acupuncture control in acupuncture clinical research to a certain extent, which is conducive to finding a more suitable implementation method of mock acupuncture, thus promoting the improvement of the quality of acupuncture clinical research. However, because there is no precedent in the field of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine, further research is needed in the future practical application so that it can be better combined with the characteristics of acupuncture and the purpose of clinical research.

Paradigm transformation from structural meridians to functional meridians：a hypothesis of "the brain controls the meridians"

The "meridian" is the core concept of acupuncture medicine. It can be said that almost all the theories and clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine are based on this concept. However, up to now, scientists have failed in finding the "meridian" described in Chinese classic textbooks and fall into the dilemma of the meridian essence research. In fact, the meridian is independent of currently known anatomical tissues. Nevertheless, researches obtained highly valuable outcomes of life science through long-term studies, especially the cerebral science endowed the meridian theory with new connotations. The modern meridian theory is composed of new knowledge and traditional meridian knowledge. In the present paper, we put forward a new hypothesis that "the brain controls the meridians", and a new academic paradigm, that is, the meridians research should turn from looking for the structure of meridian to exploring the functions of meridian, which can be realized with the help of brain function.

Current status, challenges and countermeasures of acupuncture data mining literature researches

Data mining is an analytical method for revealing the implicit internal relations among the data elements, and is also widely used in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine. However, there exist some significant deficits in the rationality of design and implementation, preciseness, repeatability, comprehensiveness, objectivity and depth of insights in some current acupuncture data mining researches. In the present paper, we summarized the literature on acupuncture data mining published in the past five years, and analyzed their common shortcomings in the design, implementation and reporting process, including too broad research scope, fuzzy and limited descriptions about the inclusion criteria, not definite retrieval scope and strategy, rarely seen original researches about the assessment of the report quality, lack of detailed descriptions about the literature screening and data processing procedure, incomplete narration about the research outcomes and their clinical significance, and lack of comprehensiveness and subjectiveness and available coping strategies in the discussion of the research papers, etc., in order to promote the improvement of literature methodology and quality of acupuncture data mining research, and then improve the reliability and clinical reference value of such research results.

Electroacupuncture Activates Neuroplasticity in the Motor Cortex and Corticospinal Tract via the mTOR Pathway in a Rat P-MCAO Model.

Electroacupuncture (EA) combines traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture theory with modern scientific technology. It is a promising therapy for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral infarction. A large number of clinical studies have shown that EA promotes recovery of neurological function after cerebral infarction, however, the underlying mechanisms behind its effects remain unclear. We tested whether EA stimulation of the Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) acupoints activates neuroplasticity in rats with ischemic stroke and whether this involves the regulation of axonal regeneration through the mTOR pathway. 24 h after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (p-MCAO) in rats, EA treatment was started for 20 min, daily, for 14 days. We found that EA significantly reduced Modified Neurological Severity Scores (mNSS), cerebral infarct volume, and apoptosis of neuronal cells. EA also significantly increased the expression of the neuroplasticity-associated proteins GAP-43 and SYN and upregulated the phosphorylation levels of AKT, mTOR, S6, and PTEN to promote CST axon sprouting in the spinal cord at C1-C4 levels. The positive effects of EA were blocked by the administration of the mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin. In short, we found that EA of the Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) acupoints in p-MCAO rats induced neuroprotective and neuroplastic effects by regulating the mTOR signaling pathway. It promoted neuroplasticity activated by axon regeneration in the contralateral cortex and corticospinal tract. Activation of such endogenous remodeling is conducive to neurological recovery and may help explain the positive clinical effects seen in patients with infarcts.

Effect of Medical Image Fusion in the Treatment of Poststroke Limb Dysfunction with Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

According to relevant data, the morbidity and mortality of strokes in China remain high. Without effective treatment, stroke morbidity and mortality will continue to rise, which may become the second leading disease in the world. With the nonstop advancement and improvement of clinical innovation in China, the death pace of stroke patients has dropped altogether. After clinical treatment, the patient actually showed a progression of sequelae, which made it challenging to work on the personal satisfaction of the patient. The purpose for this paper was to concentrate on the impact of medical image fusion in the treatment of poststroke appendage brokenness with TCM needle therapy. The related concepts of medical image fusion and the meaning of acupuncture and moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine, stroke, and limb dysfunction were introduced. In this study, acupuncture and moxibustion were analyzed to explore the therapeutic effect of this type of therapy on upper extremity dysfunction caused by phlegm and blood stasis blocking collaterals and to provide a scientific method for the treatment and efficacy judgment of upper extremity motor dysfunction after stroke. Before the treatment measures were taken, there was no significant difference in the general data and all index scores between the two groups (P > 0.05), and there was no significant difference in the baseline data, reflecting high balance and comparability. In the following 3 months of treatment, the FMA score, NIHSS score, BI list, and VAS score of the two groups of patients were essentially not quite the same as those before treatment (P < 0.05). When treatment, there was a huge contrast between the trial group and the control group (P < 0.05). The finish of the trial in this paper is that needle therapy joined with pricking and measuring can essentially work on the engine capability of stroke patients with furthest point brokenness brought about by mucus and blood balance impeding securities.

Study on the Prescription of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy Based on Computer Vision Image Analysis.

Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a common clinical orthopedic disease. Among cervical spondyloses, cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) is the most common. Its clinical manifestations are localized neck pain and radial numbness of the shoulder, upper arm, forearm, and even fingers. As far as the status quo is concerned, with the change of lifestyle and working style, the popularity of computer and other entertainment devices, people's neck flexion time has increased significantly compared with the past, the incidence rate of CSR has also increased year by year, and the group of onset has become younger and younger. According to the symptoms, CSR in Chinese medicine belongs to the category of “arthralgia syndrome” and “bone arthralgia.” Western medicine has many side effects in the treatment of CSR, while surgical treatment is painful and expensive. Most patients are not willing to accept it. Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture can relieve the pain, numbness, and other discomforts of CSR, and the acupuncture treatment has less trauma and is a simple operation. At present, there are few acupoint prescriptions for acupuncture in the treatment of CSR. Therefore, the analysis of acupuncture point selection based on computer vision image has important practical significance for the scientific and progressive exploration of CSR acupuncture treatment. In this paper, the etiology, pathology, and clinical manifestations of radical treatment of CS are deeply studied by using literature data and mathematical statistics. The prescription research experiment of acupuncture in the treatment of CSR based on computer was established, and the treatment method was studied by observing VAS, NPQ, and other indexes. The total effective rate was 95.13% in the experimental group and 85.72% in the control group. It is hoped that the research direction of this paper can provide reference for the diversified development of acupuncture and moxibustion and for the treatment ideas and methods of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.

Analysis of Meridian Flow Direction by Electrical Stimulation Method

Meridians constitute the theoretical foundation of acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and they have been described for 2000 years. Classical TCM advocates for the directionality of meridians. Finding an accurate method to verify this directionality is an important goal of TCM doctors and researchers. In this study, we objectively explored the physical properties of meridians, such as response current from electrical stimulation, to explore their directionality. The Agilent B1500A semiconductor measurement analyzer was utilized to input the alternating current waveforms and detect the response current on the meridians. The results showed that the direction of the meridians influences the intensity of the response current. Therefore, the mechanisms behind the directions of ion transportation and the meridians were investigated using the response time and the intensity of the response current. Thereafter, we propose a model to explain this mechanism. Afterward, a comparison between the direction of the meridian in this experiment and ancient Chinese medicine classics was performed.

Clinical Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Combined with Rehabilitation Nursing in the Treatment of Peripheral Facial Paralysis in Acute Stage

Clinical Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Combined with Rehabilitation Nursing in the Treatment of Peripheral Facial Paralysis in Acute Stage

Application of the Prevention of Disease Concent in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Acupuncture Rehabilitation Treatment of Chronic Diseases： Take Vascular Dementia as an Example

The concept of rehabilitation prevention is one of the basic theories of rehabilitation medicine of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), early rehabilitation intervention will help to prevent or reduce the loss of function or disability of patients. This is similar to the theory of preventive treatment of disease in TCM and three-level prevention in modern preventive medicine. Acupuncture and moxibustion has a long history and plays an important role in the preventive treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD) and other senile diseases. Taking VD as an example, this paper discussed the rehabilitation treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion of VD and its possible mechanism, which explained that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy played a preventive and therapeutic role in the early stage of dementia, and embodied the TCM concent of "prevent before the disease arises and prevent disease from exacerbating". The early intervention of TCM rehabilitation technology can transform forward the focus of prevention and control of chronic diseases. To construct a new model of intelligent rehabilitation of TCM based on the theory of preventive treatment of disease, and develop a standardized acupuncture and moxibustion rehabilitation technology with the assistance of internet and information construction, which will help to improve the effectiveness, safety and patient compliance of TCM acupuncture and moxibustion rehabilitation services, and will contribute to advancing the healthy China.