Revista Internacional de Acupuntura最新文献

Objective

The aim of this work was to analyze the effect and effectiveness of electroacupuncture therapy in the treatment of dyslipidemia through a systematic review of the literature.

Methods

Three databases were searched from 2007 to 2020 for studies that included randomized clinical trials with patients with a diagnosis of hyperlipidemia and laboratory animal models induced to hyperlipidemia in English and Chinese language that were treated with electroacupuncture. The level of homogeneity was assessed, and studies were appraised using the STRICTA guidelines for acupuncture reporting and the NICMAN scale for acupuncture quality.

Results

Twelve studies were analyzed: 4 clinical trials and 8 animal models. The examination of these articles showed that electroacupuncture therapy had positive effects on pathology, which was proven by the decrease in biochemical parameters associated with the appearance of this disease, after therapeutic treatment in all the articles.

Conclusion

According to the analysis of these studies, electroacupuncture can act favorably on blood lipids, decreasing their blood concentrations by modulating parameters directly of the metabolic pathways related to lipid synthesis and degradation, and is an effective, safe and economical therapeutic method for the treatment of dyslipidemia.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain (NSLBP).

Methods

It is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. It was developed at the outpatient clinic of the physiotherapy department at the Federal University of Sergipe. 36 individuals were selected and allocated into 2 groups, but finalized 18 subjects in the Real Acupuncture group (RA) and 17 in the Placebo Acupuncture group (PA), due to an individual not completing the treatment with acupuncture or Placebo Acupuncture, being evaluated the intensity and characterization of pain. Subjects were treated three times a week, on alternate days, totaling 10 sessions.

Results

After each of session, pain intensity was significantly lower at rest (p < 0.028) and movement (p < 0.035) in the RA group. In the PA group, pain intensity at rest (p = 0.008) and movement (p = 0.038) were significantly lower after 10 sessions. There was a significant reduction in the number of words selected (NWC; Br-MPQ) in the RA group when comparing sessions 1 and 10 (p = 0.004). And there was a significant decrease in NWC between 1st and 10th session in the PA group (p = 0.017). Regarding the pain classification index (PCI), there was a significant reduction (p = 0.001) when comparing the 1st and 10th session in the RA group. When comparing RA and PA groups, the only significant difference was that CST of the right lower back was significantly lower in the AP group after the 1st and 10th sessions (p = 0.028).

Conclusion

It was concluded that acupuncture on NSLBP patients in the RA group decreased intensity of pain after each session, the NWC and the PCI in the measurement of pain. However, there was no evidence of improvement in sensory tests, psychoemotional aspects and quality of life.

Pre-exam anxiety is highly prevalent among students of all educational levels, leading to decreased performance. This anxiety causes psychological and physiological changes related to stress, which can affect the formation of self-efficacy beliefs. Studies have shown a correlation between pre-exam anxiety, self-efficacy and academic performance. Acupuncture (AC) has an anxiolytic effect recognized in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and anxiety in the pre-operative and pre-exam period. Stress-related variables such as cortisol level, blood pressure and heart rate can be modulated by AC. Brain regions related to the control of the autonomic nervous system, emotional, memory and cognitive processing are also modulated by AC. Therefore, the aim of this study is present a hypothesis about how the AC reduces anxiety and stress through neuroendocrine modulation, optimizing the formation of self-efficacy beliefs, which promote behaviors responsible for improved performance.

Objective

To compare the effect of laser beam application versus catgut implantation in reducing glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and body mass index in obese diabetic patients.

Design

We conducted a clinical, comparative, longitudinal, prospective, and quantitative study.

Location

clinic of the National School of Medicine and Homeopathy of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City.

Participants

The initial assessment was conducted with 73 patients, resulting in a sample size of 40 patients (20 per group) with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity grades I and II, males and females between 35 and 65 years of age, non-insulin dependent and with no clinical complication of their main comorbidity in the period from September 2019 to February 2020.

Main measurements

We performed simple random sampling to form two groups: group 1 laser, and group 2 catgut. Three elements were sampled (glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides) for blood chemistry, and weight and height were measured for body mass index. Then acupoint treatment was applied in the formula: Yishu (ext), Pishu (V 20), Shenshu (V 23), and Zusanli (E 36) per group for 3 months, and weight and height were measured when the final blood sample was taken.

Results

Various statistical tests were performed. No significant differences (p > .05) were found between group 1 laser and 2 catgut in any of the parametric Student's t-tests. In intra-group tests, at baseline and at the end of treatment there were significant differences only in HbA1c values in the overall group.

Conclusion

The overall objective was to compare the effect of laser beam application versus catgut implantation to decrease 3 variables, of which there was a significant difference only in the HbA1c of group 2, thus fulfilling the null hypothesis.

Evidence-based medicine aims to generate the archetype of the health professional in the “duty to be” and the “duty to do”. In this ideal, the physician should make judicious use of the best evidence in his daily practice. Evidence-based medicine practicing is based on the medical literature's systematic reviews to have the best evidence on specific clinical topics. Systematic reviews are the exhaustive search for evidence, organized, synthesized, evaluated, and critically analyzed. In the last two decades, several researchers published around 1000 acupuncture systematic reviews, which denotes the importance of systematic reviews. This article aims is to give an overview of the evidence-based medicine and the systematic reviews in acupuncture to give a series of publications in Spanish that make easer the generation of systematic reviews of this specialty.

Objective

To verify the effectiveness of acupuncture using Traditional Chinese Medicine tools (pulse and tongue), for several clinical conditions, in the public health service. This is a retrospective clinical study running in a single healthcare referral center in Brazil. Seventy-two patients participated (retrospective review of medical records). Acupuncture treatment was provided at the referral center.

Material and methods

The main outcome measures included the patients' main complaints, sex, pain classification using the verbal rating scale (VRS), observation of the tongue (color change and presence of coating), and pulse palpation, which were used to assess the most affected San Jiao (SJ). The patients' energy status was classified by the acupuncturist as deficient or excessive in the first and last treatment sessions. Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and binomial proportion test were used for comparisons of data.

Results

Patients experienced significant analgesia at the end of treatment than that before treatment (p < 0.01). At the end of treatment, the tongue showed a greater amount of coating in patients with a deficient energy state (p = 0.02) than in those with excess energy (p = 0.70); however, there was no difference in the tongue color (p > 0.05) between both patient groups. Pulse analysis showed an initial difference according to energy status, with reduced pulse in a deficiency state (p < 0.05), and balanced pulse at the end of the treatment (p = 0.48).

Conclusions

Acupuncture is a therapeutic option for pain control and improved energy balance.

Introduction and objectives

Urinary incontinence is highly prevalent. The problem is not always solved with medication and/or surgery and they are not without side effects, which has led to the use of acupuncture for the condition. We compare electroacupuncture with pelvic floor muscle training in women with urinary incontinence.

Methods

This is a retrospective, randomised study of 71 women with urinary incontinence and 2 groups: 37 women received electroacupuncture at R 7 points plus pelvic floor muscle training, and another group of 34 women received only pelvic floor muscle training. Electroacupuncture was performed in one session per week for 12 weeks. All participants performed the exercises at home after prior training. Follow-up was conducted over 1 year. Efficacy was assessed using the Spanish versions of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form and the Bladder Control Self-Assessment Questionnaire. The questionnaires were conducted at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. The safety of electroacupuncture was also assessed.

Results

The reduced score in both questionnaires was clinically and statistically more significant in the electroacupuncture group.

Discussion

Electroacupuncture at the R 7 point was identified as more effective than pelvic floor muscle training in women with urinary incontinence, and with very few side effects.

Shen is a polysemous associative compound that is complex to define and difficult to interpret, as its meaning varies according to context. The present research study analyses the traditional characters of Shen and describes their implications in various texts, both traditional medical and philosophical. We propose that Shen constitutes an intrinsic property that extends to diverse levels of complexity (universal Shen, nature Shen, and individual Shen) and, in turn, dictates an order in the structure and function of everything in the universe. In humans, Shen determines the processes from prenatal gestation to the postnatal level, thus guiding the physiological and psychological development of the individual according to the designs of the celestial order. Disengaging from Shen generates disorder, overexploitation, egotism, apathy, violence, disease, and death. Allowing Shen to emerge encourages the spontaneous flow of Qi between the individual and the cosmic order, thus bringing health, harmony, well-being, virtue, and a sense of transcendence to their existence.

Introduction

Parkinson's disease is primarily triggered by the selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, alpha-synuclein protein clumps; genetic and systemic inflammatory processes are now known to be involved, the clinical manifestations of which include motor and non-motor symptoms. There is currently little information on the clinical impact of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Material and methods

Exploratory systematic review in PubMed and Scopus, covering publications with observational and interventional data, in English and Spanish, on acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Study records from 18 databases of the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were included.

Results

A total of 22 articles were included: 10 randomized controlled clinical trials, 5 cohort studies, 3 case–control studies, 3 uncontrolled clinical trials, and 1 case report, with a total study population of 645 patients. In addition, 2 clinical trial registries were included with a future study population of 204 patients. Overall, acupuncture, with and without pharmacological therapy, can control motor symptoms and improve quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Conclusion

Acupuncture may be a useful tool in improving motor symptoms and quality of life in Parkinson's patients. However, studies with a larger sample population, longer follow-up period, and standardized scales to assess the effectiveness of the therapy are needed to further investigate its impact on the disease.

Objective

To determine the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on lumbosacral pain in outpatients.

Material and methods

A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted based on the medical records of patients seen in a private acupuncture clinic. Specific points of traditional Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion were used.

Participants

We assessed a total of 74 patients with lumbosacral pain who met the study inclusion criteria, especially that related to pain intensity according to the verbal numerical scale for musculoskeletal pain.

Results

At the end of the treatment of 8 acupuncture sessions over 2 weeks, positive results were obtained in the control of pain intensity, in 81.08% of the patients, while 18.92% had no positive results.

Conclusions

Classical Chinese acupuncture is an effective therapy in the treatment of lumbosacral pain, regardless of whether it is acute or chronic. However, its effectiveness should be further investigated to unify application criteria.