Revista Internacional de Acupuntura最新文献

Objective

To determine the analgesic effect of acupuncture in outpatients with headache.

Material and methods

A longitudinal, descriptive study of clinical cases of patients who attended a private acupuncture clinic was carried out. Specific points of traditional Chinese acupuncture were used.

Participants

Sixty-three patients with headache were evaluated between men and women who met the study inclusion criteria.

Results

At the end of the 2-week treatment, complete remission of pain was obtained in 77.7% of patients, while in 8% there was no improvement.

Conclusions

Chinese classical acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the treatment of headache in the control of its main symptoms such as pain. Despite this, in the present study about a quarter of the patients did not achieve total cure, although they did achieve symptom relief.

Objective

To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture at low frequencies in a murine model using a modified depression model with the forced swimming test for seven weeks.

Material and methods

12 mice of the CD-1 strain, two groups (n = 6), a group with electroacupuncture (EA) treatment (4–6 Hz, 14 sessions of 20 min, for seven weeks) and a group of sham acupuncture (Sham), using a modified depression model, with the forced swim test.

Results and conclusions

In this study, in the EA group a significant effect on depression was shown using the forced swim test. It was determined that the group with EA increased their body weight (on average by 4 g), which could be interpreted as a behavior that seeks to preserve life and therefore mice retain their appetite toward achieving adequate growth and development. In this way, it can be shown that EA has an antidepressant effect, favoring increased motivation to survive and reducing behaviors corresponding to states of depression.

Facial paralysis is a neurological condition characterised by a sudden paralysis of the muscles innervated by the seventh cranial nerve. Although it is more common in adults, the paediatric population is not exempt from presenting with it, and the bilateral form being even rarer. The case is presented of a 13-year-old boy with bilateral facial paralysis. The enzyme markers suggested cholestasis, but otherwise asymptomatic. It was resolved completely by exclusive treatment with acupuncture.

Objective

Evaluate the most used acupuncture points in the treatment of depression by the Argentine Acupuncture Society (SAA) and in the current bibliography.

Justify the use of the heart meridian (C-7 Shenmen point) for the treatment of depression.

Methods

Retrospective observational study of the most used points by the SAA for heart disharmonies between October 2015 and December 2017 and comparing them with 9 randomised controlled studies of the “Acupuncture for depression” Review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Results

An evaluation was made of 118 clinical histories from the outpatient department of the SAA were evaluated. They included 47 patients with Heart Disharmony Patterns, 33 patients with biomedical diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or insomnia. Points used: C-7 Shenmen (75%), DU20 Baihui (70%), V15 Xinshu (61%), PC6 Neiguan (45%).

Compared to the 9 randomised controlled studies of “Acupuncture for depression”, the selection criterion was the use of distance points. Points used: DU20 Baihui, C7 Shenmen, PC6 Neiguan, H3 Taichong, R3 Taixi, V62 Shenmai, E36 Zhusanli, B6 Sanyinjiao, and IG4 Hegu

In both populations, the most commonly used distal point was the C7-Shenmen, the meridian point of the heart, showing the heart-brain interaction. Studies with functional Magnetic Resonance demonstrated brain modulation at the level of functional neural networks in the case of depression, with C7 Shenmen.

Conclusions

There was a high level of agreement between the points used by the SAA and the current bibliography: DU20-Baihui, C7-Shenmen, and PC6-Neiguan

The relationship between the brain-heart and the concept of “interoception” and “Embodied cognition” explain the modulation of the C7-Shenmen point at the level of neural networks in the case of depression.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a disease caused by a defect in the enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase which catalyses the third stage of haem synthesis. Acupuncture could be a complementary mechanism in the treatment of porphyria patients because of its self-regulatory mechanism.

To evaluate the therapeutic response to the treatment of catgut implantation in acupuncture points in a patient with Intermittent Acute Porphyria.

A clinical case is presented on patient whose debut was made during the postpartum period by presenting with sensory motor polyneuropathy, waking-up depression, and hyponatraemia, and required admission to intensive care.

The immunological diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of porphyrins in the urine. Hospitalisation time at the time of diagnosis was 30 days. There was an average of two 7-day hospital stays per year during the first three years. She had a good response to haematin. She also received a diet rich in carbohydrates as maintenance treatment. Atenolol 50 mg day, folic acid, vitamin b, clonazepam and chlorpromazine.

After starting treatment with catgut implants in acupuncture points, the patient had an attack in the first 6 months of treatment, remaining asymptomatic since then, and now 5 years without symptoms.

In addition to the absence of painful and neuropathic symptoms, she obtained benefits in the regularisation of her menstrual cycles, better tolerance to stress, and a significant improvement in her quality of life. She is currently functioning in full at a personal, family, and professional level.

At present, the situation of global fight against COVID-19 is serious. WHO (World Health Organization)-China Joint Mission fully confirms the success of “China's model” against COVID-19 in the report. In fact, one particular power in “China's model” is acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine. To better apply “non-pharmaceutic measures” —the external technique of tradicional Chinese medicine, in the article, the main content of Guidance for acupuncture and moxibustion interventions on COVID-19 (Second edition) issued by China Association of Acupuncture-Moxibution is introduced and the discussion is stressed on the selection of moxibustion device and the duration of its exertion.

The theory of latent pathogenic fu qi energy is little known and understood by Western scholars of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Many patients are affected by the reactivation of this harmful energy that remains latent and when Fu qi is expressed may be responsible for many pathologies, among which are autoimmune diseases, certain viral diseases, cancer, and others. The fu qi takes relevance during the Ming dynasty when studying the science that studies the development of febrile epidemic diseases (wen bing xue). This fundamental specialty of TCM considers that the febrile pathogenic energy has an evolutionary process in four stages: wei, qi, ying, and xue. The energy remains latent or crouched-hidden in the deepest layer, the xue. When the latent energy reappears, it does so from the inside, evolving, and expressing itself towards the outside. While remaining inside it can be practically inactive, or with low intensity activity, causing or facilitating some deficiencies, such as yin and related to the generation of fire. A historical and bibliographical review is presented on this pathogenic energy, including a discussion on the causes and effects that can be triggered, the general scheme for its diagnosis, as well as the prevention and possible control and treatment.

The basic theory of TCM does not consider the inheritance of diseases. It is thought that the tendency to inherit the development of certain diseases is transmitted through the latent energy (that energy that our ancestors acquired and that predisposes us to certain diseases).Thus, the fu qi must be located in the deepest layer, the shaoyin, so that it can be inherited.

At the same time, it is mentioned that psychic trauma can also be considered as an “emotional energy”, since it has a physiopathological behaviour similar to the biological one. This approach allows a better understanding of the psycho-biological alterations, which occur after child abuse, and which facilitate the development of many diseases such as psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunological dysfunctions where biological fu qi and emotional fu qi can be combined (depression, autoimmune diseases, etc.). Since the latent energy is located in the shaoyin layer, the control, the prevention of the diseases that result from the expression of fu qi, will mainly depend on the optimal state of the yin and yang of the kidney.

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and heterogeneous endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women. Tung's acupuncture, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, is widely used for SOP in East Asia, but evidence on its efficacy is rare. The aim of this ECA study was to examine whether the Tung's acupuncture could be a complementary treatment method for PCOS.

Methods

A total of 60 PCOS patients were randomly assigned to a Tung's acupuncture group (n=30) or a cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol (CPA/EE) group (n=30). Each participant received treatments for 12 weeks to assess the short-term treatment efficacy and then followed up for another 12 weeks to assess the long-term treatment efficacy. The primary outcome examined was change in the ratio of luteinizing hormone (HL) to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH); the secondary outcomes examined were changes in body mass index (BMI), LH, FSH, total testosterone (TT), ovarian volume, polycystic ovary number and menstrual frequency.

Results

Both groups showed significant reductions in the LH/FSH ratio, LH and TT after 12-week treatment (p<0.001) and 12-week follow-up (p<0.05). No significant differences existed between the two groups (p>0.05). Both groups showed significant improvement in IMC, menstrual frequency and polycystic ovary number after 12-week treatment (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Compared with CPA/EE, Tung's acupuncture showed no better improvement on HL/FSH ratio for PCOS although it could reduce the ratio. Tung's acupuncture might have some effect on long-term weight control and menstruation frequency. Further studies addressing this study's limitations are recommended.