Clinical Effect Of Acupuncture Research Articles

The Neuroscience of Nonpharmacological Traditional Chinese Therapy (NTCT) for Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Depression is a common disease affecting a large number of people across the world. Many researchers have focused on treatment for depression based on Western scientific approaches, but research based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions, studying its clinical effectiveness and the underlying mechanisms involved, has been limited. The aim of this review is to conduct a pioneering systematic review with meta-analysis of existing studies that investigate the neuroscience basis of nonpharmacological traditional Chinese therapy (NTCT). Methods Both English (Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO) and Chinese (China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)) databases were searched from inception to October 2018. The effects of NTCT on major depressive disorder, brain activity, and neurophysiological biomarker related outcomes were extracted. Study quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The effect size of each study was reported by the mean difference of change scores. Results Six of twelve eligible studies showed that there was a significant improvement in favor of acupuncture in depressive symptoms (SMD -0.69, 95% CI -1.09 to -0.28, p=0.002, I2 = 73%, p< 0.0008). Based on the available evidence, NTCT including acupuncture, Qigong, and Tai Chi was found to possibly improve brain metabolites, brain activity, and immune and endocrine systems in patients with major depressive disorder. Conclusions Acupuncture could effectively relieve depressive syndromes. The clinical effects of acupuncture might be attributable to their influence on three proposed pathways, namely, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the locus coeruleus (LC)-immunity pathway, and the negative feedback loop of the hippocampus. Nevertheless, conclusions are limited due to the small number of studies included and the low-quality of the study designs. In the future, a cross-sectional study is needed to test the proposed plausible pathways. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42017080937.

Clinical efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of sepsis with acute renal injury

Objective To explore the clinical effect of acupuncture on acute renal injury of sepsis. Methods From January 2015 to May 2017, adult patients with sepsis who received ≥ 7 days of treatment were collected from the Central Hospital of Zhuzhou. The participants were randomly divided into the control group (n=35) and the treatment group (n=37), and the control group was given routine treatment according to the sepsis guidelines. On the basis of control group, the treatment group was given acupuncture treatment, acupoints Shenshu and Sanyinjiao, Taixi, Zusanli. The clinical effects of the two groups of patients were compared. Results The levels of cystatin C, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P 0.05), while the frequency and time of blood purification treatment in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P 0.05). Conclusions Acupuncture of Shenshu, Sanyinjiao, Taixi, Zusanli can improve sepsis patients with acute kidney injury in renal function. Key words: Sepsis/CO/ZL; Kidney failure, acute/CO/ZL; ACUPUNCTURE POINTS△

Correlation analysis on clinical effects of acupuncture for elderly patients with sensorineural deafness and ear distending sensation

To investigate the relationship between clinical effects of acupuncture for elderly patients with sensorineural deafness and ear distending sensation. A total of 120 elderly patients with sensorineural deafness were randomly divided into a comprehensive treatment group, an acupuncture group and a Western medicine group, with 40 cases in each group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment, the Western medicine group received oral mecobalamin tablets and the comprehensive treatment group received acupuncture plus acupoint injection and auricular acupoint sticking. The values of pure tone hearing threshold test of the three groups were observed before and after treatment, and the relationship between clinical effects and ear distending sensation was compared. The total effective rate of the comprehensive treatment group was 82.5% versus 67.0% in the acupuncture group and 62.5% in the Western medicine group. The inter-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences in the comprehensive treatment group versus the Western medicine group (P 0.05). The comprehensive therapy is one of the effective methods to treat elderly patients with sensorineural deafness. In the three groups of elderly patients with sensorineural deafness, the relief of ear distending sensation and the hearing loss were basically simultaneous, and the hearing recovery in the patients with ear distending sensation may be slightly better than that in those without ear distending sensation. Nevertheless, further research is needed.

Observation on clinical effects of acupuncture plus external medicine application for cervical radiculopathy

To observe the clinical effects of acupuncture plus external medicine application for cervical radiculopathy. A total of 98 patients with cervical radiculopathy were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group based on the random digital table. The observation group (50 cases) was treated by acupuncture plus external medicine application and the control group (48 cases) was treated by acupuncture alone. The patients received the treatment every day. Ten sessions made a course. Cervical spondylosis symptom scale was used to assess the cases before and after the treatment. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups after the treatment. The total effective rate was 98.1% in the observation group versus 87.6% in the control group with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P 0.05). It increased with a significant difference in both groups after the treatment (both P<0.05), while a significant difference was found in the results between the two groups after the treatment (P<0.05). Acupuncture plus external medicine application is more effective than acupuncture alone for treating cervical radiculopathy. The method also effectively improves the clinical symptoms.

Clinical observation on the treatment of severe perennial allergic rhinitis with acupuncture on sphenopalatine ganglion

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture on sphenopalatine ganglion in the treatment of severe perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in a randomized controlled clinical trials. Methods A total of 81 patients with severe perennial allergic rhinitis were randomly divided into three groups: 27 in the observation group, 27 in the drug control group and 27 in the acupuncture control group. The patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture on sphenopalatine ganglion; and the patients in the drug control group took Desloratadine; and the patient in the acupuncture control group were treated with acupuncture on Yintang (GV 29) and Yingxiang (LI 20). All the groups were treated for 4 weeks. The TNNS and VAS score system were tested before and after the treatment, and the nasal exhalation of nitric oxide (eNO) concentration level wa detected at baseline and each week’s during treatments. Results After the treatment, the effective rate [80.8% (21/26) vs. 64.0% (16/25), 65.4% (17/26), χ2=13.811] of the observation group was significantly higher than either the drug control group or the acupuncture control group (P<0.01). Compared to the score of the three group before treatment, the TNNS score was significantly lower (P<0.01) after the treatment. Compared with the drug control group, the level of eNO in nasal exhalation air (265.377 ± 36.475 ppb vs. 281.769 ±45.823 ppb vs. 295.231 ± 24.595 ppb, F=4.247) of the observation group and the acupuncture control group were significantly higher (P<0.05). Conclusions Acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion can not reduce the eNO concentration level of nasal exhaled air in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, but it can improve the symptoms of rhinitis. The clinical effect of acupuncture on the sphenopalatine ganglion was better than the desloratadine and acupuncture on GV 29 and LI 20. Key words: Rhinitis, allergic, perennial; Acupuncture; Sphenopalatine ganglion block; Nitric oxide; Desloratadine

Clinical effect of acupuncture at Huatuo jiaji points combined with traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of lumbar degenerative osteoarthritis

Clinical effect of acupuncture at Huatuo jiaji points combined with traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of lumbar degenerative osteoarthritis

Efficacy observation on acupuncture plus moving cupping with compound white mustard oil for lumbar myofascitis

To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture plus moving cupping with white mustard oil to treat lumbar myofascitis. A total of 90 patients with lumbar myofascitis who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 45 cases in each group. The observation group received acupuncture and moving cupping with white mustard oil; the control group received acupuncture plus warm needling treatment. The treatment was given twice a week for a total of 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Chinese version of Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ) score of pain before the treatment, and respectively after 1-week and 4-week treatment were recorded for efficacy evaluation. After 4 weeks of treatment, the difference in total effective rate between the two groups was not significantly (P>0.05). After 1 week of treatment, there was no significant difference in VAS score between the two groups (P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the Chinese version of RMDQ scores of both groups were significantly decreased, there were statistical differences in comparing with those before treatment (both P<0.05). After treatment for 1 week and 4 weeks, the Chinese version of RMDQ score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, with significant differences between the two groups (all P<0.05). Acupuncture plus moving cupping and acupuncture plus warm needling both can relieve the pain of patients with lumbar myofascitis, improve the function of back muscles, while the curative effect of acupuncture plus moving cupping is better.

A clinical study on acupuncture in combination with routine rehabilitation therapy for early pain recovery of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome.

The clinical effect of acupuncture in combination with rehabilitation therapy for post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) was explored. Patients (178) with post-stroke SHS who received treatment in the Dalian Second Hospital from March 2012 to March 2016 were included in this study. The patients were divided into experimental group (89 cases) and control group (89 cases). Patients in the control group received rehabilitation therapy, while those in the treatment group received acupuncture treatment in addition to rehabilitation therapy. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was applied to assess the pain degree of patients. Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), functional comprehensive assessment (FCA) and assessment of quality of life (QoL) were used to evaluate rehabilitation condition of the patients. Early pain relief, rehabilitation of upper extremity motor function and improvement of QoL after treatment were compared between the two groups. The scores of VAS, FMA, FCA and QoL showed obvious differences between the two groups after treatment (P<0.05). The scores of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group, and the improvement in upper extremity motor function of the patients in the experimental group was better than that of the patients in the control group. The total effective rate of the patients in the experimental group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05). The effect in improving the upper extremity motor function of the patients in the experimental group was better than that of control group. The scores of QoL of the patients in the experimental group were better than that of the patients in the control group (P<0.05). In conclusion, acupuncture in combination with rehabilitation therapy can improve early pain and rehabilitation significantly and enhance QoL for patients with post-stroke SHS, which is worthy of being widely used in clinical practice.

Clinical study on acupuncture for primary insomnia

To observe the clinical effect of Acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Anmian [Extra, locates at the midpoint between Yiming (EX-HN 14) and Fengchi (GB 20)] for primary insomnia. A total of 112 patients with primary insomnia were randomized into an acupuncture group and a medication group according to the visiting sequence, 56 cases in each group. The acupuncture group was intervened by acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Anmian [Extra, locates at the midpoint between Yiming (EX-HN 14) and Fengchi (GB 20)], and points selected based on syndrome differentiation, while the medication group was by oral intake of zopiclone tablet. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was measured before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was compared after 1 month of treatment. After treatment, subscales of PSQI and global score in the acupuncture group were improved, and intra-group comparisons showed statistical differences (all P<0.05); subscales of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration and global score of PSQI in the medication group were improved, showing statistical differences (all P<0.05). Inter-group comparison of global and subscales scores of PSQI showed statistical differences (all P<0.05). The total effective rate in the acupuncture group was 92.9%, higher than 67.9% in the medication group, and between-group comparison showed a statistical difference (P<0.05). Acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Anmian [Extra, locates at the midpoint between Yiming (EX-HN 14) and Fengchi (GB 20)] as the main treatment method can produce a better effect than oral intake of zopiclone tablet.

Influence of acupuncture combined with enema on uterine hemodynamics and HMGB1, TLR4 in the patients with acute pelvic inflammatory

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of acupuncture combined with enema in the treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory, and its effects on uterine hemodynamics and seurm levels of high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Methods A total of 66 patients with acute pelvic inflammatory were enrolled in the study, randomly divided into the combination treatment group (n=33) and conventional treatment group (n=33). The patients in the combination treatment group were given with acupuncture combined with enema on the basis of conventional therapy. After 10 d treatment, the effective rate was observed. The changes of serum HMGB1 and TLR4 were compared and analyzed. Results After 10 d treatment, the total effective rate was 90.91% (30/33) in the combination treatment group, and 69.70% (23/33) in the conventional treatment group. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups (χ2=8.246, P<0.05). After treatment, the left Vmax (39.16 ± 0.73 cm/s vs. 35.47 ± 0.83 cm/s), right Vmax (41.23 ± 1.12 cm/s vs. 36.24 ± 0.75 cm/s), left PI (2.23 ± 0.25 cm/s vs. 3.11 ±0.45 cm/s), right PI (2.17 ± 0.22 cm/s vs. 2.62 ± 0.23 cm/s), left RI (0.48 ± 0.08 cm/s vs. 0.73 ± 0.13 cm/s) and right RI (0.43 ± 0.11 cm/s vs. 0.71 ± 0.16 cm/s) of the combined treatment group were significantly superior to the conventional treatment group (all P<0.01). The levels of serum HMGB1 (17.45 ± 5.01 ng/ml vs. 21.32 ± 6.15 ng/ml, t=2.803) and TLR4 (1.05 ± 0.64 ng/ml vs. 1.75 ± 0.91 ng/ml, t=3.614) in the combination treatment group were significantly lower than those in conventional treatment group (all P<0.01). Conclusions Acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine enema treatment of acute pelvic inflammatory disease is better, improve the uterine hemodynamics. The mechanism may be related to inhibit the release of HMGB1, TLR4 and its induced inflammatory response. Key words: Pelvic inflammatory disease; Acute disease; Hemodynamics; High mobility group proteins; TLR4

To be, or not to be: The calculated politics of acupuncture in JAMA.

Ten acupuncture-related articles were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) between 1998 and 2017. Five studies showed positive results in terms of the effectiveness of acupuncture/Chinese medicine (CM); five studies showed negative results. This article summarizes the acupuncturerelated clinical trials published over the last 20 years in JAMA, and addresses what seems to be a fundamental ambivalence in Western medical journals regarding the scientific validity of acupuncture/CM. As yet there has been no consensus on the role of acupuncture in healthcare in Western countries. This is hardly surprising, considering the conflicting evidence found in published studies. Skepticism regarding acupuncture/CM is largely grounded in the fact that an accurate model for assessing the true clinical effects of acupuncture has yet to be created. This article discusses some of the pitfalls which result from applying Western-based scientific principles to CM, and suggests that in many cases, "negative" studies have been misinterpreted. The clinical experience of acupuncture practitioners is often in direct conflict with many of the negative conclusions published in journals. We are in need of an accurate model for sham and placebo treatments, and must analyze all published studies for design flaws and faulty conclusions.

Influence of the patient-practitioner interaction context on acupuncture outcomes in functional dyspepsia: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIn the treatment of functional dyspepsia, the placebo effect has been reported to be high, and the influence of the patient-practitioner relationship may be a major component of this effect. The specific and non-specific effects of acupuncture cannot be easily distinguished, and the patient-practitioner relationship may influence the total therapeutic effect in clinical practice. There have been no studies that investigate the influence of patient-practitioner relationship on acupuncture treatment for patients with functional dyspepsia.MethodsPatients with postprandial distress syndrome, a functional dyspepsia subtype, will be recruited at three hospitals (two in Korea and one in USA) for an international, multi-center, randomized, patient/assessor-blinded, clinical trial. The total anticipated sample size is 88. The participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: an augmented interaction group and a limited interaction group. Acupuncture, with total 12 acupoints, will be performed twice weekly for 4 weeks in both groups. Trained practitioners will provide an “augmented” or “limited” interaction context, as determined by random allocation. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of responders, the proportion of participants who answer “yes” to more than half of the adequate relief questions during the study. Secondary outcome measures include questionnaires for quality of life and symptoms of dyspepsia, and maximum tolerable volume of nutrient drink test. Data will be collected at baseline and following 4 weeks of acupuncture.DiscussionThis study will evaluate the influence of the patient-practitioner interaction on clinical effects of acupuncture in patients with functional dyspepsia.Trial registrationCRIS Identifier: (KCT0002229).

Case studies of Chinese acupuncture’s comprehensive effectiveness on knee pain

Conventional Western medicine (CWM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have different approaches and lead to different practices in experimental design, research methodology, regulation, and standards. TCM emphasizes on the optimal or holistic health. In contrast, CWM is an allopathic medicine primarily based on anatomy, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and modern technology, and rejects the concept of invisible substances and quantum entanglement. Consequently, CWM emphasizes on abnormal lab tests or obvious diseases. In the early 1970s, TCM and acupuncture quickly emerged as an alternative to CWM as Westerners explored new TCM concepts while questioning the side effects of CWM. Many countries accept traditional acupuncture as a legal alternative medical practice. Some CWM physicians nowadays are more enthusiastic and are receptive to learning and practicing acupuncture. The common goal of CWM and TCM is to enhance human health, but problems arise over differences in approach. As a response to some Western journal papers that failed to validate the real acupuncture effect because of their incorrect methodologies and their ignorance of the holistic acupuncture approaches, the authors hereby present a group of case studies to demonstrate the real and unique effects of genuine acupuncture. The objective was to explore the clinical effects of acupuncture for knee pain. Thirty-six patients with knee pain were divided into five groups based on age. Holistic TCM diagnosis was performed at the beginning of each case and then made a personalized acupuncture treatment prescription according to the root of illness found by the diagnosis. The symptoms and signs were recorded before and after every treatment, and the treatment effects were assessed based upon the self-reported feeling and the observed changes of the patient following the numeric rating scale (NRS). The results were summarized after the completion of the minimal 5 acupuncture treatments or the standard 10 acupuncture treatments. Among the 36 patients who participated in the cases studies, 17 patients reported a complete healing for knee pain (47.2%). About 60 kinds of illness other than knee pain were improved (98.9%) and the complete healing rate was about 44.2%. This leads to the conclusion that TCM acupuncture is remarkably effective in treating knee pain. TCM and CWM share a common goal in promoting the health of human being. The efficacy of TCM acupuncture in treating knee pain shouldn’t be denied or distorted.

Acupuncture combined with ganglioside and mecobalamine injections can relieve the symptoms of idiopathic facial palsy

Objective To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with ganglioside and mecobalamine injections on idiopathic facial palsy (IFP). Methods A total of 120 IFP patients were divided into a ganglioside group, a mecobalamine group and a consociation group, each of 40. All were given routine drug and acupuncture treatment, while the ganglioside and mecoblamine groups were additionally provided with the corresponding injections of ganglioside and mecobalamine, respectively. The treatment was administered once daily for a total of 14 days. All the groups were evaluated using the House-Brackmann facial nerve grading system before and after the interventions of 14 days ended. The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) wave amplitude and R1 incubation, the motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and the sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) of the affected facial nerves were observed and compared before and after the 14 days of treatment. Results The total effectiveness rate of the consociation group (95.0%) was significantly higher than that of the ganglioside (90.0%) or the mecobalamine group (87.5%). After the treatment the CMAP wave amplitude had improved significantly and the R1 latency had shortened significantly in the consociation group compared to the other 2 groups. The average MCV and SCV of the consociation group had also improved significantly compared with the other two groups. Conclusion Acupuncture combined with ganglioside and mecobalamine injections is an effective therapy for idiopathic facial palsy. It can improve the patient′s clinical symptoms, shorten the CMAP wave amplitude and R1 latency on the affected side and improve MCV and SCV. Key words: Acupuncture; Gangliosides; Mecobalamine; Idiopathic facial palsy; Muscle activation potentials; R1 latency; Nerve conduction velocity

Clinical effectiveness of acupuncture on Parkinson disease: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second-most-common chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease. The long-term use of levodopa leads to a loss of efficacy and to complications. Therefore, many patients with PD have turned to complementary therapies to help relieve their symptoms. Acupuncture is most commonly used as a complementary therapy in patients with PD. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of acupuncture for patients with PD. This study was performed to summarize and evaluate evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture in the relief of PD symptoms. Seven databases, namely, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], and three Korean medical databases, were searched from their inception through August 2015 without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they contained reports of acupuncture compared with no treatment and conventional treatment alone or acupuncture plus conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment alone for PD symptoms. Assessments were performed with the unified PD rating scales (UPDRS) I, II, III, and IV and the total score, the Webster scale, and effectiveness rating. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB). In all, 982 potentially relevant articles were identified; 25 RCTs met our inclusion criterion, 19 of 25 RCTs were high-quality studies (i.e., a score of 6 or higher). The included RCTs showed favorable results for acupuncture plus conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment alone in the UPDRS II, III, and IV and the total score. Acupuncture was effective in relieving PD symptoms compared with no treatment and conventional treatment alone, and acupuncture plus conventional treatment had a more significant effect than conventional treatment alone. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the use of acupuncture for relief of PD symptoms and found that acupuncture has significant positive effects. Acupuncture can be considered as a combination treatment with conventional treatment for patients with PD. Further studies on this topic should be carried out according to rigorous methodological designs in both the East and the West.

Effect of acupuncture combined with conventional therapies for the patients with post-stroke motor aphasia language function and hemorheology

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with conventional therapies for the patients with post-stroke motor aphasia language function and hemorheology. Methods One hundred and sixty patients with post-stroke motor aphasia language function and hemorheology were divided into 2 groups (80 patients in each group). Conventional therapy with language rehabilitational training and controling of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid to the normal levels was used inthe control group. Acupuncture treatment on the basis of the control group was used inthe treatment group. The whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity wered tested by the LBY-N6A self-cleaning rotary viscosimeter. Red blood cells deposited was tested by the Winchester points vascular method. The language function and neural function defect scale were detected before and after treatment. Results The total effective rate in the treatment group was 88.8% (71/80), and the control group was 70.0% (56/80). The difference between of two groups was statistically significant (χ2=8.590, P=0.003). After treatment, the needle transmitte nerve function score (5.5 ± 1.6 vs. 7.5 ± 1.5, t=6.893) in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The needle transmitte written (44.7 ± 2.5 vs. 39.1 ± 2.4, t=2.198), retelling ability (47.1 ± 4.4 vs. 35.9 ± 3.6, t=4.433), reading (77.2 ± 7.6 vs. 65.2 + 6.9, t=3.677) and listening comprehension (45.2 ± 2.4 vs. 38.9 ± 2.5, t=2.150) score after treatment were signigicantly higher than those before treatment (P<0.05). The high shear viscosity (2.7 ± 1.0 mPa•s vs. 4.1 ± 1.1 mPa•s, t=4.197), low shear viscosity (13.9 ± 2.0 mPa•s vs. 20.1 ± 2.1 mPa•s, t=3.011) in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusions Acupuncture combined with conventional therapy can improve the language function and blood rheologyin the patients with post-stroke motor aphasia. Key words: Stroke; Aphasia, broca; Acupuncture; Integrated Chinese traditional and western medicine therapy; Rehabilitation of speech and language disorders; Hemorheology

Observation on clinical effects of acupuncture plus cupping therapy for cervical radiculopathy

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of acupuncture plus cupping therapy and Western medication alone for cervical radiculopathy.

The Clinical Effect of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose. This study aims to determine the clinical efficacy of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Methods. A systematic literature search was conducted in five databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Wanfang, and CNKI to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of acupuncture therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. Meta-analysis was conducted using the RevMan version 5.3 software. Results. Six RCTs involving 362 subjects were included in our study. Compared with control groups, manual acupuncture (MA) was more effective in the improvement of apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), apnea index, hypopnea index, and mean SaO2. Electroacupuncture (EA) was better in improving the AHI and apnea index when compared with control treatment, but no statistically significant differences in hypopnea index and mean SaO2 were found. In the comparison of MA and nasal continuous positive airway pressure, the results favored MA in the improvement of AHI; there was no statistical difference in the improvement in mean SaO2. No adverse events associated with acupuncture therapy were documented. Conclusion. Compared to control groups, both MA and EA were more effective in improving AHI and mean SaO2. In addition, MA could further improve apnea index and hypopnea index compared to control.

Acupuncture in the treatment of patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome

In the review article analyzes the literature on the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). Most studies have shown the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture in these patients. It shows that acupuncture is perceived to be effective in treating IC, reducing symptoms of pain, frequency, urgency and nocturia by around half. The main advantage of acupuncture is the absence of side effects.

Efeito clínico da acupuntura em cães com distúrbios neurológicos

Efeito clínico da acupuntura em cães com distúrbios neurológicos