Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0025
Burak Tayyip Dede, Fatih Bağcıer
{"title":"<i>Letter to the Editor:</i> Is Using Ultrasound Necessary or Obligatory During Needling Biceps Brachii? An Important Neuroanatomical Site.","authors":"Burak Tayyip Dede, Fatih Bağcıer","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0025","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.0025","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"273-274"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606950/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.29241.rtl
Richard C Niemtzow, Matt Callison, Brian Lau, Benjamin Ingram, Ian Armstrong, Hannah Leahy, Anthony Von der Muhll
{"title":"A Virtual Roundtable Discussion: The Role of Acupuncture in Sports Injuries and Best Practices.","authors":"Richard C Niemtzow, Matt Callison, Brian Lau, Benjamin Ingram, Ian Armstrong, Hannah Leahy, Anthony Von der Muhll","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.29241.rtl","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.29241.rtl","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"210-219"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606943/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0031
Jordan Barber, Fabio Lodo, Andrew Nugent-Head, Xia Zeng
Background: Pain management is a great burden on society; therefore, cost-effective and nonaddictive treatments for pain are urgently required. Needling of painful spots has been applied in acupuncture along with dry needling
Methods: A narrative review of the literature on TrP physiology, its associated diagnostics, and the techniques of DN and acupuncture was performed.
Results: Diagnostic imagery may benefit the study and treatment of TrPs using needling. Acupuncture and DN techniques are similar in their applications. However, the warm needling technique is established in acupuncture but not in dry needling. Additionally, translational difficulties have inhibited crossdiscipline learning.
Conclusions: Historical evidence suggests a need to examine the use of heat in needling further. Additional research should be conducted on TrP categories to determine if a relationship with the needling technique can be established. Furthermore, interdisciplinary communication would benefit both modalities.
{"title":"Comparative Techniques of Acupuncture and Dry Needling Intersecting with Trigger Point Physiology and Diagnostics: A Cross-Discipline Narrative Review.","authors":"Jordan Barber, Fabio Lodo, Andrew Nugent-Head, Xia Zeng","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2023.0031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pain management is a great burden on society; therefore, cost-effective and nonaddictive treatments for pain are urgently required. Needling of painful spots has been applied in acupuncture along with dry needling <DN) to treat pain without opioids at minimal costs. However, no attempt has been made to examine DN, trigger point(TrP) physiology, and acupuncture to identify potential areas for pain-management research. This review compares the modalities of acupuncture and DN based on the current research on TrP physiology and diagnostics to advance both modalities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A narrative review of the literature on TrP physiology, its associated diagnostics, and the techniques of DN and acupuncture was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Diagnostic imagery may benefit the study and treatment of TrPs using needling. Acupuncture and DN techniques are similar in their applications. However, the warm needling technique is established in acupuncture but not in dry needling. Additionally, translational difficulties have inhibited crossdiscipline learning.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Historical evidence suggests a need to examine the use of heat in needling further. Additional research should be conducted on TrP categories to determine if a relationship with the needling technique can be established. Furthermore, interdisciplinary communication would benefit both modalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"220-229"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606949/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0060
Fatih Bağcıer, Ozan Volkan Yurdakul, Gamze Deniz, Ahmet Akbulut, Yusuf Çelik, Mustafa Hüseyin Temel
Objective: This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding dry needling (DN) treatment to conventional rehabilitation for pain, range of motion (ROM), and functionality in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP).
Materials and methods: Patients with HSP (n = 38) were divided into 2 groups. A multimodal rehabilitation protocol, including physical therapy and exercise treatments, was given to both groups (5 sessions per week for 15 sessions). In addition to this rehabilitation, 3 sessions of DN therapy were given to one of the 2 groups. Measurements were a visual analogue scale; ROM; and 2 other scales (Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, Hand; and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity). Evaluations were made before, after, and at the third month after treatment.
Results: While a statistically significant improvement was seen in both groups in all parameters after their treatments, a statistical superiority was found in the conventional treatment+DN group (P < 0.05). However, the differences were not greater than the minimal clinically important difference values (MCID). At the 3rd month follow-up, there was no difference in pain and functionality parameters between the groups, while flexion and abduction measurements were higher in the conventional treatment+DN group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Adding DN treatment to conventional rehabilitation did not show any difference except in some joint ROM measurements in the subacute time. Although the changes found were statistically significant, they were not clinically significant as they did not reach MCID values.This study was registered prospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov (ref. no: NCT04790071).
目的:探讨在常规康复治疗基础上加用干针(DN)治疗偏瘫肩痛(HSP)患者的疼痛、活动范围(ROM)和功能的效果 = 38)分为2组。两组都接受了包括物理治疗和运动治疗在内的多模式康复方案(每周5次,共15次)。除此之外,两组中的一组接受了3次DN治疗。测量是视觉模拟量表;ROM;和2个其他量表(手臂、肩膀、手的快速残疾;以及Fugl-Meyer上肢评估)。在治疗前、治疗后和治疗后第三个月进行评估。结果:两组治疗后各项指标均有统计学意义的改善,但常规治疗+DN组有统计学意义(P P 结论:在常规康复基础上加用DN治疗,除亚急性期某些关节ROM测量值外,没有任何差异。尽管发现的变化具有统计学意义,但由于未达到MCID值,因此没有临床意义。本研究前瞻性地在ClinicalTrials.gov上注册(参考号:NCT04790071)。
{"title":"Is Dry Needling Treatment an Extra Contribution to Conventional Treatment for Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain? A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Study.","authors":"Fatih Bağcıer, Ozan Volkan Yurdakul, Gamze Deniz, Ahmet Akbulut, Yusuf Çelik, Mustafa Hüseyin Temel","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0060","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.0060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding dry needling (DN) treatment to conventional rehabilitation for pain, range of motion (ROM), and functionality in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Patients with HSP (<i>n</i> = 38) were divided into 2 groups. A multimodal rehabilitation protocol, including physical therapy and exercise treatments, was given to both groups (5 sessions per week for 15 sessions). In addition to this rehabilitation, 3 sessions of DN therapy were given to one of the 2 groups. Measurements were a visual analogue scale; ROM; and 2 other scales (Quick Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, Hand; and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity). Evaluations were made before, after, and at the third month after treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>While a statistically significant improvement was seen in both groups in all parameters after their treatments, a statistical superiority was found in the conventional treatment+DN group (<i>P</i> < 0.05). However, the differences were not greater than the minimal clinically important difference values (MCID). At the 3rd month follow-up, there was no difference in pain and functionality parameters between the groups, while flexion and abduction measurements were higher in the conventional treatment+DN group (<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adding DN treatment to conventional rehabilitation did not show any difference except in some joint ROM measurements in the subacute time. Although the changes found were statistically significant, they were not clinically significant as they did not reach MCID values.This study was registered prospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov (ref. no: NCT04790071).</p>","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"236-245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0043
Chi-Tsai Tang
Acupuncture can be used to treat athletes in an outpatient clinic setting, athletic training room, or even on a football field sideline. This article details 3 scenarios, in 3 illustrative cases, in which acupuncture was used for sports medicine in more unconventional settings. The author describes each case and shares his observations about them. First, acupuncture was used on a high-school football field sideline to help alleviate acute calf cramping in a player. Second, acupuncture was used in a division 2 college athletic training room to treat a player with subacute thoracic pain that was not improving with the usual treatments provided by the athletic trainers. Third, acupuncture was used to treat hamstring strain and tightness in a professional National Football League player to enhance his performance. These situations demonstrate the versatility of acupuncture in the realm of sports medicine. Acupuncture is an added-value service for athletes, and acupuncture providers should not be afraid to promote it in this population that is always looking for a competitive advantage.
{"title":"Practicing Outside the Lines: Using Acupuncture in the Athletic Training Room and on the Field.","authors":"Chi-Tsai Tang","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0043","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.0043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acupuncture can be used to treat athletes in an outpatient clinic setting, athletic training room, or even on a football field sideline. This article details 3 scenarios, in 3 illustrative cases, in which acupuncture was used for sports medicine in more unconventional settings. The author describes each case and shares his observations about them. First, acupuncture was used on a high-school football field sideline to help alleviate acute calf cramping in a player. Second, acupuncture was used in a division 2 college athletic training room to treat a player with subacute thoracic pain that was not improving with the usual treatments provided by the athletic trainers. Third, acupuncture was used to treat hamstring strain and tightness in a professional National Football League player to enhance his performance. These situations demonstrate the versatility of acupuncture in the realm of sports medicine. Acupuncture is an added-value service for athletes, and acupuncture providers should not be afraid to promote it in this population that is always looking for a competitive advantage.</p>","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"266-269"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606945/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0017
Poovadan Sudhakaran
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is estimated that half of the people in the world will experience at least 1 episode of TBI during their lifetimes. While the primary injury to the brain parenchyma is usually irreversible, the secondary effects, which involve cellular dysfunction, derangement of blood flow, and blood-brain barrier changes in ionic flux and elevated levels of free radicals are potentially amenable to treatment. At present, there are no neuroprotective agents in mainstream medicine to interrupt these secondary processes and improve the patient's neurologic outcome. Acupuncture holds promise to fill this gap and scientific evidence to that effect is presented. Sports-related brain injury is discussed in detail.
{"title":"Traumatic Brain Injury: Acupuncture Treatment.","authors":"Poovadan Sudhakaran","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0017","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.0017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is estimated that half of the people in the world will experience at least 1 episode of TBI during their lifetimes. While the primary injury to the brain parenchyma is usually irreversible, the secondary effects, which involve cellular dysfunction, derangement of blood flow, and blood-brain barrier changes in ionic flux and elevated levels of free radicals are potentially amenable to treatment. At present, there are no neuroprotective agents in mainstream medicine to interrupt these secondary processes and improve the patient's neurologic outcome. Acupuncture holds promise to fill this gap and scientific evidence to that effect is presented. Sports-related brain injury is discussed in detail.</p>","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"251-256"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606947/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.29240.editorial
Anthony Von der Muhll
{"title":"Sports Acupuncture's Roles in Innovation and Integration.","authors":"Anthony Von der Muhll","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.29240.editorial","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.29240.editorial","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"208-209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606942/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.0042
Chaney G Stewman
Background: Rotator cuff (RTC) tendinopathy is a common painful condition of the shoulder that impairs function and quality of life. Nonoperative treatments when physical therapy and oral medications have not resolved the issue often consist of different strategies to improve blood flow and promote growth factors, thereby creating regeneration and healing of injured tissue in the RTC tendons. Acupuncture could serve in a similar role when needles are strategically targeted into injured tissue utilizing ultrasound visualization.
Case: A 58-year-old male presented with over 1 year of symptomatic RTC tendinopathy involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons. He had not gotten sustained pain relief with physical therapy or a corticosteroid injection to the subacromial bursa and was not a surgical candidate for RTC repair due to only having small partial tearing of the tendons. He wanted to consider alternative treatment options and it was decided that he could pursue ultrasound-guided electroacupuncture.
Results: Treatment was successful and completed within 4 weekly sessions. He reported 85% improvement in symptoms two months after starting treatment and is now over 1 year out from treatment, with what the patient states as "minimal" residual discomfort with one stretching movement.
Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance of acupuncture needles into areas of RTC tendon injury simulates many of the current nonoperative treatment modalities sports medicine has to offer for RTC tendinopathy. This short- and long-term successful case report provides a steppingstone for future research into this area.
{"title":"Ultrasound-Guided Electroacupuncture Treatment for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: Proposing an Effective Alternative to Nonoperative Medical Treatments.","authors":"Chaney G Stewman","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.0042","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.0042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rotator cuff (RTC) tendinopathy is a common painful condition of the shoulder that impairs function and quality of life. Nonoperative treatments when physical therapy and oral medications have not resolved the issue often consist of different strategies to improve blood flow and promote growth factors, thereby creating regeneration and healing of injured tissue in the RTC tendons. Acupuncture could serve in a similar role when needles are strategically targeted into injured tissue utilizing ultrasound visualization.</p><p><strong>Case: </strong>A 58-year-old male presented with over 1 year of symptomatic RTC tendinopathy involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons. He had not gotten sustained pain relief with physical therapy or a corticosteroid injection to the subacromial bursa and was not a surgical candidate for RTC repair due to only having small partial tearing of the tendons. He wanted to consider alternative treatment options and it was decided that he could pursue ultrasound-guided electroacupuncture.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Treatment was successful and completed within 4 weekly sessions. He reported 85% improvement in symptoms two months after starting treatment and is now over 1 year out from treatment, with what the patient states as \"minimal\" residual discomfort with one stretching movement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Ultrasound guidance of acupuncture needles into areas of RTC tendon injury simulates many of the current nonoperative treatment modalities sports medicine has to offer for RTC tendinopathy. This short- and long-term successful case report provides a steppingstone for future research into this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"257-261"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606951/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2022.0076
Mustafa Hüseyin Temel, Fatih Bağcıer
{"title":"<i>Letter to the Editor:</i> Trigger Points in Shoulder Pain: The Importance of Myofascial Pain Syndrome Perception and Dry Needling Treatment Protocols.","authors":"Mustafa Hüseyin Temel, Fatih Bağcıer","doi":"10.1089/acu.2022.0076","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2022.0076","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"270-272"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606948/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-01Epub Date: 2023-10-17DOI: 10.1089/acu.2023.29239.editorial
Richard C Niemtzow
{"title":"Medical Acupuncture and Sports Injuries: Ancient Wisdom for the Twenty-First Century.","authors":"Richard C Niemtzow","doi":"10.1089/acu.2023.29239.editorial","DOIUrl":"10.1089/acu.2023.29239.editorial","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45511,"journal":{"name":"Medical Acupuncture","volume":"35 5","pages":"207"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10606946/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71414611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}