Medical Acupuncture最新文献

Objective: Viability of inpatient acupuncture is limited by current hospital reimbursement structuring. Research has primarily focused on length of stay (LOS) instead of cost of stay (COS). This study evaluated acupuncture as an option for inpatient pain control, determined if acupuncture influenced patient satisfaction during hospitalization, and examined any effects on LOS and COS.

Materials and methods: In a quasiexperimental pilot research study, acupuncture was offered free of charge for 3 months on a single floor of an urban medical center. Pre- and postintervention scores, number of treatments, and diagnosis related groups (DRGs) of patients receiving acupuncture were tracked and then compared to a nonintervention, DRGs-matched group with overlapping hospital-floor and admission dates. LOS, COS, and patient satisfaction scores during the months of intervention were compared to the months before and after the intervention.

Results: Patients' pain significantly decreased each time they were treated. Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores increased to 85, 99, and 97 during the months of intervention and then returned to the lower, preacupuncture levels after acupuncture was no longer available. LOS was higher in the intervention group (+7.8 days), but acupuncture saved the hospital an anticipated $125,770 in the projected COS during that 3-month time alone.

Conclusions: Acupuncture was a potent pain-relief alternative for hospitalized patients, providing more satisfaction. Acupuncture resulted in longer LOS, but the aggregate COS was 86% less than expected. Acupuncture may be a financially viable, clinically impactful adjunct to hospital care.

Background: Sickle-cell diseases (SCD) are a group of hereditary disorders in which a specific mutation in the gene that encodes the hemoglobin ß chain leads to formation of an anomalous hemoglobin molecule (HbS) with high polymerization power. This leads to sickling of erythrocytes in situations of low oxygen tension, such as in microcirculation, resulting in peripheral microvasculature occlusion, chronic hemolysis, inflammation, and damage to several target organs. Malleolar ulcers are among the most-debilitating complications of the disease, as they are associated with significant pain, secondary infections, and social impact due to their aesthetic impairment. There are no completely satisfactory therapeutic options for this complication; local healing agents, antibiotics, and dressings are used, with high rates of recurrence and complications, such as osteomyelitis and even limb amputation.

Case: This case study evaluated the effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques on chronic malleolar ulcers in a 49-year-old male patient. Ten sessions of systemic acupuncture (combinations involving Source, Master, Energetic Action, and Extraordinary Vessels points), auriculotherapy, and dressing with magnets were conducted.

Results: Although the primary outcome sought was not reached (decrease in ulcer diameters), this patient had great reduction of local pain, a decrease in limb edema, and important reduction of his inflammatory condition, reflected in his decreasing blood levels of C-reactive protein.

Conclusions: These results show that acupuncture should be considered as an important auxiliary treatment for SCD complications.

Objective: The goal of this case series was to observe the effectiveness of acupuncture for reducing sympathetic stress and anxiety-related symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder. The effect of acupuncture on the balance of the autonomic nervous system was also examined.

Materials and methods: This was a case-series study with 10 participants enrolled. Each participant received acupuncture treatment 2 times per week for 4 weeks. Participants were evaluated with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and the Body Perception Questionnaire-Short Form (BPQ-SF) before and after the treatment program. Heart-rate variability heart-rhythm coherence (HRC) was also assessed during each acupuncture session.

Results: Five participants completed the program. Both GAD-7 and BPQ mean scores showed significant reductions. The mean HRC high-coherence ratio also increased significantly after acupuncture treatment. No adverse effects occurred.

Conclusions: Acupuncture may be an effective therapy for sympathetic stress and anxiety-related symptoms. The mechanism of action may be through activating the vagus nerve and improving the HRC high coherence ratio. It is feasible to conduct larger clinical trials with random controls, longer treatment durations, and long-term follow-ups to support the results of this study.

Qi continues to be questionably translated in the West as the biblical idea of lifeforce. The true meaning of qi may be closer to the Western scientific definition of energy as the material basis of everything in the Universe. To illustrate this, parallels are drawn between the writings of ancient Chinese thinkers and Western definitions of energy, including the laws of thermodynamics underlying Western scientific thought and yin-yang theory underlying Chinese scientific thought. The focus is on the similarities in theories of material reality while acknowledging how differences in cultural mindset create distinct styles of description of the same ideas. The purpose in establishing a more accurate translation of qi, by removing Western projections, is to improve patient-practitioner communication and to remove obstacles to the acceptance of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine as a mainstream medical intervention in the West.