Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies最新文献

Background: Electroacupuncture is one of the most popular physical treatments for clinical pain, but the potential influence of a patient's age on the effectiveness of electroacupuncture treatment has not been clearly established. Objectives: The present study aimed to detect a potential difference in electroacupuncture- induced analgesia between juvenile and adult rats.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of electroacupuncture treatment on the nociceptive jaw-opening reflex evoked by tooth-pulp stimulation in juvenile and adult rats.

Results: Our results showed there were age differences in electroacupuncture-induced analgesic effects in rats, especially with naloxone antagonization. The ratio of naloxonereversibility against electroacupuncture analgesia was greater in adult rats than in juvenile rats.

Conclusion: These results suggest that electroacupuncture analgesia is produced mainly by the non-opioid system in juvenile rats and by the opioid system in adult rats.

Background: To investigate the analgesic effects of vibro-acupuncture (VA), a novel acuvibrator was developed. Objectives: To compare the analgesic effects of VA with those of manual acupuncture (MA) and placebo acupuncture (PA) on subjects with normal sensory perception (Study I), experimentally induced acute pain (Study II), and clinical chronic pain (Study III).

Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers (21 males, age: 20-30 years) participated in Study I. Fourteen healthy volunteers (8 males, age: 20-32 years) participated in Study II in which experimental pain was induced by injection of hypertonic saline. Fourteen patients suffering from unilateral epicondylalgia (9 males, age: 30-61 years) participated in Study III. All participants received VA, MA, and PA at LI4 and LI10 points in a randomized, crossover, and double-blinded manner. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) was performed on the ipsilateral forearm before and after each treatment. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures (RM) ANOVA.

Results: A significantly higher vibration detection threshold (VDT) was observed after treatment of VA than after MA and PA (p < 0.001). No significant treatment effect on experimental pain intensity was detected (p > 0.086). Significantly lower pain intensity (p = 0.005) and a smaller drawing area (p = 0.011) of unilateral epicondylalgia were found after VA treatment than after PA.

Conclusion: A specific effect on the VDT beyond that of MA and PA was evoked by VA. Patients with epicondylitis showed significantly lower pain intensity during VA than during PA. This study indicated that VA may be beneficial in individuals with clinical chronic musculoskeletal pain; however, further studies are needed.

Background: Excessive competitive anxiety induces adverse effects on athletic performance and planning efficient management methods is crucial. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on competitive anxiety.

Methods: In this cross-over study, 20 male soccer players under 21 years (U-21) were randomized equally into acupuncture or control groups. The acupuncture group received acupuncture on fifteen anxiety-related points and the control group received acupuncture on fifteen points unrelated to anxiety for thirty minutes. We measured the participants' resting heart rate and galvanic skin conduction and asked them to answer the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) questionnaire at baseline and the end of the intervention.

Results: We detected a significant treatment effect in the cognitive anxiety level (-1.05 ± 0.91; p = 0.02) but not in the somatic anxiety level (-0.46 ± 1.68; p = 0.43), Sport Self-Confidence (-1.06 ± 2.21; p = 0.11), heart rate (0.20 ± 2.2; p = 0.93), and skin conductance (-0.50 ± 0.77; p = 0.19).

Conclusion: Based on these results, acupuncture might decrease cognitive anxiety but might not affect somatic anxiety.

Background: Hyperactive heart fire syndrome is characterized by anxiety, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, tongue ulcers, heat in the hands, and palpitations. However, syndrome differentiation is often subjective due to a lack of objective, quantifiable variables. Objectives: To identify changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and psychometric analysis in patients with hyperactive heart fire syndrome.

Methods: Healthy controls (n = 33) were compared to patients with hyperactive heart fire syndrome (n = 48) from the Integrative University Clinic of the State University of Ecatepec Valley (CIU-UNEVE). Physiological outcome measures included heart rate (HR), the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals (SDNN), low (LF) and high frequency (HF) power, and the LF/HF ratio. Psychometric outcome measures included the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS).

Results: Compared to controls, hyperactive heart fire patients had higher HR (9.6 ± 2.62%), LF (22 ± 4.21%) and LF/HF ratio (23 ± 3.14%), and lower SDNN (21 ± 2.33%) and HF (18 ± 4.61%). Patients showed increased anxiety, both with somatic (33 ± 11.2%) and psychic symptoms (39 ± 10.5%) with more difficulty falling asleep (47 ± 9.9%) and diurnal impact of sleep (31 ± 9.6%).

Conclusion: Hyperactive heart fire patients may have a sympathovagal imbalance due to a reduced parasympathetic tone and/or adominant sympathetic tone, which may be at the origin of the observed symptoms of insomnia and anxiety.

Background: Bee venom has been used as a therapeutic compound for various human diseases in oriental medicine; however, it can induce anaphylaxis in hypersensitive patients during treatment. Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction that occurs after allergen exposure. IgE is released from immune-related cells such as mast cells and basophils during anaphylaxis. Various inflammatory mediators are also released into the bloodstream during the acute response.

Objectives: We aimed to identify specific proteins from bee venom-hypersensitive patients.

Methods: We analyzed the blood serum of control and bee venom-hypersensitive patients using two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis.

Results: An interesting protein spot with a molecular size of 10 kDa was identified at an isoelectric point (p.I.) of 5.5. Spots detected both before and after sweet bee venom therapy were not proteins induced by sweet bee venom. The 10 kDa protein was identified as the cleaved form of haptoglobin through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Statistical analysis indicated that the presence of the spot was highly significant in the bee venom-hypersensitive group.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that cleaved haptoglobin may be a significant diagnostic protein for anaphylaxis. In addition, a high incidence of bee venom hypersensitivity may be associated with the haptoglobin genotype.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are treated by different modalities including splints, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Although all of these offer evidencebased benefits to the patients, avoiding overtreatment is of paramount importance.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of muscle pain treatment with acupuncture combined with or without occlusal splints.

Methods: Recruited patients were allocated to G1 (acupuncture) and G2 (acupuncture and occlusal splint) groups and treated in four consecutive weekly sessions (P1, P2, P3, and P4). The reported pain (RP) and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the masseter and temporalis muscles were assessed before and after each session.

Results: RP decreased after each session in G1, except at P4. In G2, the RP decreased only after the first session, and the PPT did not vary.

Conclusion: The assessed treatments did not influence the PPT levels of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles in patients with temporomandibular disorders. Our findings suggest that occlusal splints may not be mandatory along with the acupuncture treatment.

Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) is a novel acupuncture approach. Although it has been popularized and widely used by acupuncture practitioners, theoretical research on its mechanism of action remains lacking. This study establishes an immunological hypothesis for the efficacy of FSN basis existing knowledge in biomedical science, histology and physiology, and traditional acupuncture mechanisms. The theoretical inference indicates that FSN treatment may affect the body's immune system through subcutaneous connective tissue, similar to triggering a cobweb-like system. This article also proposes possible clinical implications of this theory, which require further studies to validate.

Background: Nursing students experience clinical stress frequently and severely. The application of acupressure is reported to be effective in stress management.

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effects of acupressure on reducing the stress of nursing students in clinical practice.

Methods: This study was carried out using a single-blind randomized controlled experimental design. The experimental and control groups were randomly determined by using a previously prepared randomization checklist. A Participant Information Form, VAS, and the State Anxiety Inventory were applied to all students before practice. Acupressure was performed on the HT7 point and Yintang point (EX-HN3), respectively, every five minutes for a total of 30 minutes in the experimental group.

Results: The level of stress experienced by the students in the experimental group before the intervention according to VAS was 6.95 ± 1.57, and it was determined as 2.82 ± 1.94 after the third application (p < 0.05). The mean clinical stress score before the application was 46.54 ± 3.81, and after the 3^rd week of application, it was 25.15 ± 5.26 (p < 0.05). It was observed that the students' stress levels decreased in all measurements made after the acupressure intervention.

Conclusion: This study determined that acupressure effectively reduces the stress levels of nursing students, and it may be applied in clinical stress management.

Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as cramping pain in the lower abdomen with no pelvic diseases, and it has a high prevalence in many countries. Acupressure is a widely used complementary treatment method for primary dysmenorrhea. This review examined experimental studies to determine the effects of acupressure on primary dysmenorrhea using the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and CINAHL with the keywords "Acupressure" and "Dysmenorrhea". There were 2227 records in the databases, and 330 articles were published between 1989 and March 2020. Experimental studies in the English language were reviewed according to the PRISMA guidelines. This review included 28 published studies that were assessed using the Jadad score for quality. The studies were categorized as studies of acupressure at the LR3 point (n = 4), at the SP6 point (n = 9), at auricular points (n = 5), at multiple points (n = 8), and with devices (n = 2). Moreover, studies of self-acupressure (n = 9) were identified. The studies demonstrated that acupressure could reduce menstrual symptoms, the severity and duration of menstrual pain, distress, and anxiety. Furthermore, it helped improve the quality of life and well-being of patients and provide psychological support and self-care. Acupressure is an inexpensive, easy-to-apply, and non-pharmacological treatment and is useful for reducing primary dysmenorrhea, and women can apply this method anywhere by themselves. However, high-quality randomized controlled trials with larger samples are necessary to establish the evidence for acupressure as an effective intervention.