Simple Acupuncture Research Articles

Acupuncture treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: an overview of systematic reviews based on evidence mapping.

The study attempted to evaluate the meta-analyses (MAs) of the acupuncture treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) to provide a basis for clinical decision-making. Eight databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, CQVIP, and CBM, were searched from database creation to December 22, 2023. The MAs of DPN treatment using acupuncture or acupuncture combined with conventional Western medicine were included. AMSTAR-2 and PRISMA 2020 helped evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of the included studies. The GRADE methodology helped assess the evidence quality of outcome indicators. Evidence mapping was performed to display evaluation results. A total of 18 MAs involving 23,240 DPN patients were included. Based on the methodological quality evaluation, four MAs were of "moderate" quality, seven had a quality grade of "low," and another seven were of "critically low" quality. The evidence quality evaluation showed that among studies of acupuncture vs. conventional Western medicine, four had an evidence quality of "moderate," 18 had an evidence quality of "low," and 17 had an evidence quality of "critically low" and that among studies of acupuncture + conventional Western medicine vs. conventional Western medicine, 12 had an evidence quality of "moderate," 29 had an evidence quality of "low," and 33 had an evidence quality of "critically low." Compared with conventional Western medicine, simple acupuncture and acupuncture + conventional Western medicine significantly improved total effective rate (TER) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV). Acupuncture treatment of DPN significantly improves TER and NCV with proven safety. However, the MAs of the acupuncture treatment of DPN must strictly refer to relevant standards and specifications regarding methodological and reporting quality, along with the design, execution, and reporting of primary randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Electroacupuncture for urinary retention after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background and purposeElectroacupuncture (EA) is one of the non-pharmacological therapies in traditional Chinese medicine to treat urinary retention. The objective of this meta-analysis is to assess the efficacy of electroacupuncture in the treatment of urinary retention after stroke. MethodsOverall, seven electronic databases were searched until December 31, 2023, and randomized control trials about EA for urinary retention after stroke were reviewed. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias for included studies. The meta-analysis was conducted by RevMan 5.4 and Stata/MP 17.0 software. ResultsEleven studies with a total of 856 participants were included in this meta-analysis. EA treatment yielded an improved reduction in the post-void residual (PVR) (mean difference [MD]: 37.85, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 55.09 to −20.61 p < 0.0001) and the weight of diaper pads (MD: 38.87, 95 % CI: 42.68 to −335.06). Further analysis indicated that EA improved the effectiveness ratio (risk ratio [RR]: 1.36, 95 % CI: 1.20 to 1.53, p < 0.00001), the function of the bladder (MD: 0.45, 95 % CI: 0.61 to −0.30), and the quality of life (MD: 1.15, 95 %: CI: 2.10 to −0.20) in comparison to normal treatment and simple acupuncture. ConclusionEA may be an effective way and reasonable modality to incorporate into the multiple prevention and therapy for urinary retention after stroke. The wide application of EA could be associated with the improvement of bladder and life quality and decline in the PVR for patients after stroke with urinary retention.

Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation

Objective: To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of LDH with Mongolian medical warm acupuncture were manually searched in the Chinese Journal of Ethnic Medicine, Chinese Journal of Mongolian Medicine, Journal of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, and Journal of Inner Mongolia Medical University. The search time limit was from January 2000 to October 2023. RevMan5.4 software was used to analyze the included and excluded literature. Results: A total of 8 RCTs involving 1,042 patients with LDH were included, with 551 patients in the observation group and 491 patients in the control group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that a total of 8 randomized controlled trials were included in the treatment of LDH with Mongolian medical warm acupuncture compared with simple acupuncture (RR = 1.18, 95% CI = [1.12, 1.23], P &lt; 0.00001). Conclusion: The total effective rate of Mongolian medical warm acupuncture for LDH is higher than that of simple acupuncture. However, due to the low quality of the literature included in this study, multi-dimensional, large sample size, and more rigorous clinical randomized trials are needed for further verification in the future.

Research Progress of Acupuncture Treatment of Neurogenic Bladder after Spinal Cord Injury

Neurogenic bladder (NB) mainly occurs in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The pathological basis of NB is the occurrence of lesions in the urination control center, which requires systematic treatment. Western medicine has many treatment methods for this disease, which can alleviate the symptoms of the disease. However, the radical effect is not ideal and there are many adverse reactions. In comparison, acupuncture can improve the residual urine volume of NB patients and regulate the related indexes of urodynamics. There are many kinds of acupuncture therapies, such as simple acupuncture and moxibustion, which can comprehensively improve the therapeutic effect and obtain a better disease prognosis. Therefore, this article elaborates on the pathogenesis of SCI complicated with NB, the treatment mechanism, and treatment methods of acupuncture and moxibustion to provide a reference for clinical treatment.

Clinical research and the rules of acupoint selection on acupuncture treatment of psoriasis in the past 20 years

To sum up clinical researches and the rule of acupoint selection on the treatment of psoriasis by acupuncture and moxibustion in the past 20 years, so as to provide new ideas and reference for improving the clinical effect of acupuncture for psoriasis. Research papers, published from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2022 in both Chinese and English, were searched from databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform (WanFang), and Chinese Science and Technology Journal (CSTJ), PubMed, Embase and Web of Science by using key words of psoriasis, psoriases, psoriasis vulgaris, acupuncture, needle, acupoint and moxibustion. Then, Microsoft Excel 2021 was used for data entry, extraction and sorting of the included literature, data extraction mainly includes diagnostic criteria, treatment methods, treatment frequency, total course of treatment, selection of acupoints, efficacy evaluation and outcomes. SPSS Modeler 18.1 software was used to make analysis on the association rules of acupoints. A total of 26 papers were included, and the diagnostic criteria of clinical studies on acupuncture treatment of psoriasis are constantly updated. Of the 26 clinical studies, 23 had both treatment group and control group, 21 were randomized controlled trials. The main methods for treatment of psoriasis included fire needle, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupuncture combined with moxibustion or fire needle, fire needle plus western medicines, etc. with the acupuncture combined with moxibustion, and fire needle combined with western medicines being most frequently used. The observation index and clinical efficacy evaluation were effective rate, psoriasis area and severity index, dermatology life quality index, Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome score, etc., with the effective rate being about 40% to 100%. Comparison of clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treating psoriasis showed that the simple fire needle, simple acupuncture, acupuncture combined with moxibustion, fire needle or acupuncture combined with western medicines were superior to simple western medicines, etc. In regard to acupoint selection, a total of 35 acupoints were found in the 26 studies included, among which the top 5 frequently used were Ashi points (skin lesion region), Geshu (BL17), Feishu (BL13), Ganshu (BL18) and Quchi (LI11), and there were strong association rules among BL17, BL13, BL18 and Shenshu (BL23). Acupuncture is safe and effective in the treatment of psoriasis, and acupuncture combined with moxibustion and fire acupuncture needle combined with western medicines are recommended as the main intervention method, with Ashi-point, BL13, BL17, BL18 and BL23 as the main acupoints.

WITHDRAWN: Effect of electroacupuncture on chest circumference, breast volume and Breast-Q: A randomized clinical trial

: To determine the clinical effect and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) for the the breast appearance improvement so as to explore the effective approaches to the appearance improvement in female breasts and provide the reliable evidences. : Randomised, controlled clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment, and statistician. : Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, September, 2020 to the cut-off of March, 2021. : Fifty subjects who met the inclusion criteria of flat chest/small breasts were divided into an EA group and a manual acupuncture(MA) group according to the random number table, 25 cases in each one . : In the EA group, EA was the intervention measure. In the MA group, the simple acupuncture therapy was adopted. In both groups, four-breast points (bilateral) (Extrapoints), Guanyuan (CV4) and Danzhong (CV17) were selected as the basic prescription. One week before menstruation, Hegu (LI4) (bilateral) and Taichong (LR3) (bilateral) were added. The treatment discontinued during menstrual flow. On the 2nd day after menstruation, the treatment restarted and lasted about 2 weeks, with Zusanli (ST36) (bilateral) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) (bilateral) supplemented. The treatment was given three times per week, once every two days (discontinuity on Sunday). The treatment for 1 menstrual cycle was taken as one course and 2 courses of treatment were required. : Before and after treatment, chest circumference, breast volume and Breast-Q score were the indicators for the effect assessment in two groups. The main outcome was chest circumference and breast volume. Blood and urine routine tests, liver and kidney functions, as well as the adverse effects were the indicators for safety evaluation. Eventually, the clinical effect and safety of EA could be determined for the improvement of the breast appearance. : A total of 46 cases were included finally, 25 cases in the EA group and 21 cases in the MA group. The difference in the total effective rate had no statistical significance between two groups (P > 0.05), but the remarkably effective rate was different with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the difference in the chest circumference had no statistical significance between two groups (P > 0.05). In 8 weeks of treatment, compared with the value before treatment, the chest circumference was different with statistical significance in either group (both P < 0.05). At each time point after treatment, the differences in the chest circumference presented statistical significance between two groups (all P < 0.05). Before treatment, the difference in breast volume had no statistical significance between two groups (P > 0.05). In 8 weeks of treatment, breast volume was different with statistical significance as compared with the value before treatment in each group (both P < 0.05). At each time point after treatment, the differences in breast volume presented statistical significance between two groups (all P < 0.05). Before treatment, Breast-Q score was different, but without statistical significance between two groups (P > 0.05). At each time point after treatment, the differences presented statistical significance between two groups (all P < 0.05). After treatment, Breast-Q score in the EA group was higher than the MA group (P < 0.05). In the whole process, there were no obvious adverse reactions and adverse events in the two groups. : EA therapy may effectively improve the breast appearance and is of high safety in treatment.

Moxibustion at Baihui combined with acupuncture for cervical vertigo: a Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion at Baihui (CV20) combined with acupuncture in treatment of cervical vertigo. From the databases, such as CNKI, VIP, WanFang, CBM, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase, the studies of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on moxibustion at CV20 combined with acupuncture for cervical vertigo were searched from inception to September 15th, 2021. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was utilized to evaluate the quality of the included literature. Using RevMan5.3, Stata12.0 and TSA0.9.5.0 10 Beta software, the Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were performed. Seventeen RCTs with 1 232 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that in the trial group (moxibustion at CV20 combined with acupuncture), the total effective rate (RR=1.17, 95%CI［1.12, 1.22］, P<0.000 1), the curative and remarkably-effective rate (RR＝1.28，95%CI［1.20，1.36］，P<0.000 1) and the score of cervical vertigo (WMD=2.88, 95%CI［1.87, 3.89］, P<0.000 1) were all better when compared with the control group (simple acupuncture or electroacupuncture group). The results of trial sequential analysis indicated that for the cumulative Z-score of each RCT, the Z-curve crossed the conventional test boundary and TSA boundary, which further confirmed the clinical efficacy of moxibustion at CV20 combined with acupuncture on cervical vertigo. The clinical efficacy of moxibustion at CV20 combined with acupuncture is determined in treatment of cervical vertigo.

Acupuncture for Plantar Fasciopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Plantar fasciopathy has a lifetime prevalence of 10% in the general population and can have a significant impact on quality of life. This research was conducted determine if a quick and simple acupuncture technique + a home-exercise program would reduce pain and improve function more than a home-exercise program alone. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at 2 U.S. Air Force military treatment facilities. Department of Defense beneficiaries ≥18 years' old with PF were recruited; 94 subjects were randomized to home exercise only (control) or home exercise + acupuncture (intervention). The intervention group had a acupuncture every 2 weeks for 4 treatments. There was no blinding. Patients initially in the control group were allowed to cross over to acupuncture after the initial 12-week study. Primary outcomes were pain reduction and improved functioning. Scores were obtained at baseline, each visit, and 6 weeks post-treatment. Results: The control group had a 21% reduction in pain scores (p < 0.05) at the study's end. The intervention group had a >50% reduction in pain score immediately after acupuncture during the visits (p < 0.05) and a 37% reduction at the study's end (p < 0.01). Subjects who crossed over to acupuncture had a >50% reduction of pain score acutely and a 30% reduction at 12 weeks post-acupuncture (p < 0.05). Function scores improved but were not statistically different (p = 0.535). Conclusions: A simple acupuncture technique acutely reduced pain by >50% in plantar fasciopathy and, when combined with a home-exercise program, achieved greater sustained clinically significant reduction in pain at 12 weeks than a home-exercise program alone.

Analysis of Clinical Research Trends for Thread Embedding Acupuncture of Cervical Radiculopathy

In this study, the evidence of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) in treating cervical radiculopathy in randomized controlled trials was investigated. We searched 16 databases up to August 22, 2022. Of the 2,644 studies retrieved, 22 randomized controlled trials (2,483 participants) were selected. Quality assessments were performed using Cochrane’s risk-of-bias tool and RevMan 5.4 software. Outcome measures in the included studies typically showed TEA had a significant therapeutic effect compared with simple acupuncture and other remedies, and TEA was better than sham TEA. Catgut and polydioxanone had no difference in effectiveness, however, catgut was considered to be less safe. TEA was shown to be more therapeutic when inserted deeper into the skin. Ultrasound guided TEA was more effective and safer than conventional TEA, and using a flat blade needle was better than conventional needles for TEA. No serious adverse events were reported from using TEA, and only a few mild side effects were observed. However, the limited number and heterogeneity of the included studies, together with the unclear methodological quality, indicate that higher-quality studies need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness and safety of TEA for cervical radiculopathy.

Effect of acupuncture preconditioning combined with PI3K blocker LY294002 on airway inflammation in asthmatic rats

To observe the effect of acupuncture preconditioning combined with PI3K blocker LY294002 on the expression of PI3K and Akt proteins and genes in the lung tissue and the contents of serum IL-12 and IL-13 in asthmatic rats, so as to explore its preprotective mechanism underlying improving asthma. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, acupuncture pretreatment + blank, acupuncture pretreatment, acupuncture pretreatment + LY294002 and LY294002 groups (n=10 in each group). The asthma model was established by intraperitoneal injection of mixture solution of OVA and Al(OH)3 and followed inhalation of 1%OVA for 30 min, once daily for 7 days. Rats of the blocker groups received inhalation of atomized LY294002 solution for 30 min before inhalation of 1% OVA, and acupuncture was applied to "Feishu"(BL13), "Dazhui"(GV14) and "Fengmen"(BL12) for 20 min, once daily for 7 days before modeling. H.E. staining was used to assess histopathological changes of the lung tissue, and ELISA was used to detect the contents of serum IL-12 and IL-13. The immunoactivity of PI3K and Akt and expression of Akt mRNA of the lung tissue were detected by using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR, separately. Compared with the blank control group, the content of serum IL-12 was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the content of serum IL-13, the expression levels of PI3K, Akt protein and Akt mRNA were remarkably increased (P<0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the content of serum IL-12 in the pretreatment, pretreatment + LY294002 and LY294002 groups was significantly increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the content of IL-13 and the expression levels of PI3K, Akt protein and Akt mRNA were considerably decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the acupuncture pretreatment, acupuncture pretreatment+LY294002 and LY294002 groups. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture pretreatment+LY294002 was obviously superior to that of simple acupuncture pretreatment and LY294002 (except PI3K and Akt in the LY294002 group) in up-regulating serum IL-12 level, and in down-regulating serum IL-13, and PI3K and Akt protein levels in the lung tissue (P<0.01). H.E. staining showed severe inflammatory factor infiltration in the bronchus and pulmonary interstitium, and obvious bronchial lumen narrowing with increased exudate in rats of the model group, which was relatively milder in rats of the acupuncture pretreatment, acupuncture pretreatment+LY294002 and LY294002 groups. There were no significant diffe-rences between blank control and pretreatment+blank groups in all of the above indicators （P>0.05）. Acupuncture preconditioning can inhibit airway inflammation in asthmatic rats, which may be associated with its functions in down-regulating the levels of pulmonary PI3K and Akt and serum IL-13 and up-regulating the content of serum IL-12. Acupuncture preconditioning combined with LY294002 has the best effect.

Effect of electroacupuncture on gastrointestinal function of patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia

To observe the effects of electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanli(ST36), Shangjuxu(ST37), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints on gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia. A total of 150 patients(American Society of Anesthesiologists［ASA］ grades Ⅰ and Ⅱ) undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were randomly assigned into three groups: electroacupuncture group (n=50), simple acupuncture group (n=50), and control group (n=50). Patients in the control group received routine treatment；on the basis of routine treatment, patients in the simple acupuncture group were acupunctured at bilateral ST36, ST37 and SP36；patients in the electroacupuncture group were treated with electroacupuncture at bilateral ST36, ST37 and SP36（50 Hz，5 mA）. In both simple acupuncture group and electroacupuncture group, the corresponding treatments were conducted 1 h after surgery, Patients as well as in the morning (8:00-10:00) and afternoon (14:00-16:00) on the first day after surgery, 30 min each time. The time of bowel sound recovery, the time to the first postope-rative exhaust and defecation, the time of postoperative fluid diet recovery, abdominal pain score, and gastrointestinal reaction score were recorded and analyzed. Compared with the control group, the electroacupuncture group and the simple acupuncture group showed shortened time of bowel sound recovery, shortened time to the first postoperative exhaust and defecation, and shortened time of postoperative liquid diet recovery (P<0.01), as well as decreased postoperative abdominal pain score and gastrointestinal reaction score (P<0.01). Furthermore, the time of bowel sound recovery, the time to the first postoperative exhaust and defecation, and the time of postoperative liquid diet recovery were shortened in the electroacupuncture group compared with those in the simple acupuncture group (P<0.01). The total effective rate of electroacupuncture group was 94.0% (47/50), the total effective rate of simple acupuncture group was 88.0% (44/50), significantly higher than 78.0% (39/50) in the control group (P<0.05). Both electroacupuncture and simple acupuncture can promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia, and electroacupuncture is superior to simple acupuncture,but they have no significant difference in alleviating postoperative abdominal pain and gastrointestinal reactions.

Deep Learning-Based CT Imaging to Evaluate the Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy on Knee Osteoarthritis.

The study was aimed at analyzing the application value of deep learning-based computed tomography (CT) in evaluating the effect of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Specifically, 124 patients with KOA were selected in the test group (warm acupuncture and moxibustion) and the control group (simple acupuncture), with 62 cases in each group. Deep learning-based CT scanning was performed before and after treatment to compare the Lequesne-Mery, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC), Hospital Special Surgery (HSS), and Knee Society Score (KSS) scores as well as the overall effective rate. The results showed that the trabecular thickness, quantity, bone mineral density (BMD), connection density, structural model index, and articular cartilage thickness were different significantly between the two groups (P < 0.05). After treatment, the Lequesne-Mery was 4.78, the VAS was 0.87, and the WOMAC score was 14.89 of the test group, which were reduced (P < 0.05). The KSS and HSS scores of the test group were improved significantly after treatment (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of the test group was 85.48%, and that of the control group was 51.61%; the former was significantly higher than the latter (P < 0.05). In conclusion, acupuncture could improve the clinical effect on KOA patients, and CT scanning under deep learning algorithm could evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture for KOA.

Clinical study on acupuncture and moxibustion for frozen shoulder: an evidence map

The clinical evidences on acupuncture and moxibustion for the treatment of frozen shoulder were sorted and summarized systematically. The relevant articles of frozen shoulder treated with acupuncture and moxibustion were searched from PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane database of systematic review (CDSR), Cochrane database of controlled trials register (CENTRAL), China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, and Chinese biomedical literature databases (SinoMed), from database inception to May 31, 2021. Using AMSTAR-2, the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was evaluated. With evidence map, the current status of clinical evidence was summarized on acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of frozen shoulder. A total of 266 original studies and 6 systematic reviews were included finally. At present, many randomized controlled trials are designed with small sample size and the simple acupuncture and moxibustion therapy is dominant as the intervention, e.g. warm acupuncture, acupuncture with filiform needle, acupotomy and electroacupuncture. The outcomes considered in the current trials focus on clinical effective rate, the score of shoulder pain, the score of shoulder function and the score of quality of life. Most of the studies have shown that acupuncture and moxibustion is advantageous as an adjunctive therapy for frozen shoulder, but its clinical evidence is few in terms of the recurrence rate and safety. Moreover, it needs to improve the evidence quality of the relevant studies on acupuncture and moxibustion for frozen shoulder.

Clinical observation on Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture combined with warming acupuncture for postoperative urinary retention

To compare the therapeutic effect of Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture (acupuncture for unblocking governor vessel and regulating qi ) combined with warming acupuncture, Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture, abdominal moxibustion and oral tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release capsule on postoperative urinary retention. A total of 120 patients with postoperative urinary retention were randomized into an acupuncture-moxibustion group, an acupuncture group, a moxibustion group and a medication group, 30 cases in each group. Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture combined with warming acupuncture were applied in the acupuncture-moxibustion group. Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture was applied at Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (CV 26) etc. in the acupuncture group. Moxibustion was applied at Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao (ST 28) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in the moxibustion group. Tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release capsule was given orally in the medication group. The treatment was once a day, and 5-day treatment was required in each group. Before and after treatment, the residual urine volume of bladder, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the time of first urethral catheter removal were observed, and the clinical efficacy was compared in the 4 groups. After treatment, the residual urine volume of bladder was decreased compared before treatment in the 4 groups (P<0.05), and that in the acupuncture-moxibustion group was less than the other 3 groups (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores were decreased compared before treatment in the acupuncture-moxibustion group, the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group (P<0.05), and those in the 3 groups were lower than the medication group (P<0.05). The time of first urethral catheter removal in the acupuncture-moxibustion group was earlier than the other 3 groups (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the acupuncture-moxibustion group, which was superior to 63.3% (19/30) in the acupuncture group, 60.0% (18/30) in the moxibustion group and 66.7% (20/30) in the medication group (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of Tongdu Tiaoqi acupuncture combined with warming acupuncture on postoperative urinary retention is superior to simple acupuncture, abdominal moxibustion and tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release capsule.

Research progress of acupuncture in the treatment of depression in adolescents

In recent years, the incidence of depression has tended to be increasingly younger. The incidence of depression in adolescents is increasing year by year, and depression has become one of the most serious psychological disorders affecting the physical and mental health of adolescents nowadays. In this paper, by investigating and studying the research progress of acupuncture for adolescent depression, we compare and analyze the characteristics of TCM treatment for adolescent depressed patients by combining the theoretical knowledge of TCM from simple acupuncture for adolescent depression, acupuncture combined with psychotherapy for adolescent depression, and acupuncture combined with drugs for adolescent depression and other comprehensive therapies, and at the same time, carry out In-depth analysis was conducted to clarify effective treatment options and to provide an important theoretical basis for further development and treatment of this disease.

Effect of rehabilitation robot rehabilitation training synchronizing acupuncture exercise therapy on postoperative rehabilitation with hip fracture

To compare the therapeutic effect between rehabilitation robot rehabilitation training synchronizing acupuncture exercise therapy and simple acupuncture exercise therapy on lower limb function and life activity ability for postoperative patients with hip fracture. A total of 50 elderly postoperative patients with hip fracture were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 25 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with acupuncture at hip three points of the affected side and lateral line 1 of vertex, anterior oblique parietotemporal line of the healthy side, hip three needles were retained for 30 min. The scalp acupuncture needles were continue retained, the observation group was given acupuncture exercise therapy to synchronize lower limb rehabilitation robot rehabilitation training, and the control group was given acupuncture exercise therapy. The two groups were treated once a day, 7 times as a course of treatment, and totally 4 courses were required. The Harris score, Barthel index score and quadriceps femoris isokinetic muscle strength indexes [peak torque (PT), average power (AP), flexor peak torque/extensor peak torque (F/E)] were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. After treatment, the Harris score, Barthel index score, PT and AP were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and F/E was lower than that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05). After treatment, the Harris score, Barthel index score, PT and AP in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the F/E in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Rehabilitation robot rehabilitation training of lower limbs synchronizing acupuncture exercise therapy could enhance the hip joint activity function and quadriceps muscle group function of elderly postoperative patients with hip fracture, and effectively improve the lower limb function and life activity ability.

Simple acupuncture combined with fluoxetine in the treatment of poststroke depression: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Poststroke depression is a common secondary mental disorder after stroke, which increases the recurrence rate and mortality rate after stroke and hinders the recovery of function. As a combination therapy, simple acupuncture combined with fluoxetine has achieved good clinical effect, but there is a lack of evidence-based medicine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with fluoxetine in the treatment of poststroke depression by meta-analysis.Methods:Search Chinese and English databases: China national knowledge infrastructure, VP information Chinese Journal Service Platform, Wanfang, the China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and web of science. A randomized controlled trial of simple acupuncture combined with fluoxetine in the treatment of poststroke depression will be selected. The retrieval time is of the establishment of the database in January 2021. Selected literature is extracted and deleted by 2 researchers, and the quality of the included literature is evaluated. The included literature is analyzed by Meta with RevMan5.3 software.Results:In this study, the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with fluoxetine in the treatment of post-stroke depression are evaluated by Hamilton Depression scale (HAMD) and its reduction rate, Treatment Emergency Symptom Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Activities of Daily living scale.Conclusion:This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for the clinical application of acupuncture combined with fluoxetine in the treatment of post-stroke depression.OSF Registration number:DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/5J896.

Clinical study on acupuncture combined with western medication for diabetic peripheral neuropathy: 针刺结合西药治疗糖尿病性周围神经病变临床研究

ObjectiveTo compare the clinical effect differences between western medication, acupuncture, and acupuncture combine with western medication in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. MethodsNinety-three patients were randomized into western medication group, acupuncture group, and combination group, with 31 cases in each. The patients in western medication group were treated with lipoic acid injection and mecobalamin injection/ tablets. The patients in acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture, and the acupoints were selected according to the symptoms. The needles were retained for 30 min, once a day. The patients in combination group were treated with both western medication and acupuncture, specific methods as the above. The treatments were for 18 days in succession in all of three group. The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of median nerve and common peroneal nerve, as well as the changes of symptoms and signs of patients were observed before and after treatment. The clinical effect was evaluated. ResultsAfter treatment, the median nerve MNCV in the three groups, the median nerve SNCV and common peroneal nerve MNCV in acupuncture group and combination groups, and the common peroneal nerve SNCV in acupuncture group were all higher than those of before treatment, with significantly statistical differences (all P<0.05). After treatment, the MNCV and SNCV of median nerve and common peroneal nerve in combination group were higher than those in western medication group and acupuncture group, with significantly statistical differences (all P<0.05). After treatment, the number of patients in the three groups with the symptoms and signs was lower than that of before treatment. The effective rate in combination group was 96.8% (30/31), higher than those of western medication group, 74.2% (23/31), and acupuncture group, 83.8% (26/31), with significantly statistical differences (both P<0.05). ConclusionAcupuncture combined with western medication in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy can improve the nerve conduction velocity and improve the symptoms and signs of diabetic patients, with a better effect than those of western medication and simple acupuncture.

Advances in Acupuncture and its Associated Therapies for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Obesity type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disease in clinical practice, and its prevalence is increasing rapidly with the aging of the population and changes in lifestyle. Acupuncture, as a distinctive therapy, has its unique advantages in the treatment of obesity type 2 diabetes and has an irreplaceable role in a variety of treatment methods. The author organized the literature on acupuncture and its related therapies to prevent and treat obesity type 2 diabetes in recent years and found that acupuncture and its associated therapies to prevent and treat obesity type 2 diabetes mainly include: simple acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupoint catgut embedding therapy, auricular-plaster therapy and other treatments, all of which can safely and effectively improve clinical symptoms, acupuncture and its related therapies to treat obesity type 2 diabetes has a broad prospect, worthy of further clinical promotion.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in post-stroke depression (PSD): Protocol for a Bayesian analysis.

Background:Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common emotional problem after stroke. It can lower the quality of life and increase the recurrence and mortality. Pharmacological agents have been shown to treat PSD. However, the benefits of pharmacotherapy are debatable and the side-effects are significant. More and more clinical trials suggest that acupuncture plays an important role in patients with PSD. The primary purposes of the study are to conduct a Bayesian analysis of randomized trials to determine the effect of acupuncture and investigate the effect of several acupuncture therapies on PSD.Methods:We will retrieve articles from 5 English databases [PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry (TCTRP)] and 4 Chinese databases [Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM)]. The publication period will be from inception to January 2019. All randomized controlled trials that evaluate the safety and efficacy of acupuncture on PSD will be included. The primary outcomes will be the change in the degree of depression as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Two reviewers will separately extract the data and assess the risk of bias by using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Bayesian analysis will be conducted to pool the effects of several acupunctures. The ranking probabilities for several acupunctures (simple acupuncture, fire needle, warm acupuncture, auriculo-acupuncture, or electroacupuncture) will be estimated by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.Result:This study will provide reliable evidence for acupuncture on PSD.Conclusion:The results of this review will introduce a safe and effective treatment and provide reliable evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of several acupuncture therapies on PSD.Trial registration number: CRD42019132725