Quote of the day:'Of one thing I am certain, the body is not the measure of healing - peace is the measure '
George Melton
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NEWS from The Journal of Chinese Medicine summarises recent research in acupuncture, Chinese medicine and lifestyle.
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Below are a few of our recent news items and titles of all items in the current news
Latest News
ACUPUNCTURE EFFECTIVE FOR ACUTE MIGRAINEChinese researchers have found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for acute migraine. In a multicentre randomised controlled trial, they compared verum acupuncture with two different types of sham acupuncture. 175 patients received one session of real or sham treatment and were observed over a period of 24 hours. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores in the fourth hour after treatment decreased by a median of 1.0 cm in the verum acupuncture group, 0.5cm in first sham acupuncture group and 0.1cm in the second sham acupuncture group. Similarly, there was a significant difference in the change of VAS scores from baseline in the second hour after treatment, when only patients treated with verum acupuncture showed significant decreases in VAS scores from baseline (a median of 0.7cm). Significant differences were also observed in pain relief, relapse or aggravation within 24 hours after treatment between the real and sham acupuncture groups. Most patients in the acupuncture group experienced complete pain relief (40.7%) and did not experience any recurrence or intensification of pain (79.6%). The authors conclude that verum acupuncture is more effective than sham in the treatment and prevention of acute migraine pain and that these findings support the notion that specific physiological effects distinguish genuine acupoints from non‑acupoints. (Acupuncture for treating acute attacks of migraine: a randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2009 Jun;49(6):805‑16).
ACUPUNCTURE RELIEVES PROSTATE PAIN
Electroacupuncture (EA) can relieve symptoms in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and is particularly effective for pain relief. In the first randomised controlled trial of EA for this condition, Korean researchers randomised 39 men into three treatment groups: advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of EA (EA); advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of sham EA (SEA); and advice and exercise alone (A&E) for six weeks. A total of six acupuncture points (bilateral Ciliao BL‑32, Zhongliao BL‑33 and Huantiao GB‑30) were used to stimulate the sacral nerve and release the piriformis muscle, using an electrical pulse generator. At six weeks, prostatitis symptom scores had decreased significantly in the EA group compared with SEA and A&E groups. The EA group showed significant decreases in pain‑related symptoms compared with the SEA and A&E groups. All EA participants experienced at least a six‑point decrease in prostatitis symptom scores, compared with 16.7% SEA participants and 25% of A&E participants. In addition, levels of proinflammatory prostaglandin E2 in urine samples decreased significantly in the EA group, while it increased in the other two groups. This suggests that EA might be beneficial in the treatment of this condition by reducing inflammation of the prostate. (Electroacupuncture relieves pain in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: three‑arm randomized trial. Urology. 2009 May;73(5):1036‑41).
ACUPUNCTURE HELPS WITH LABOUR PAIN
Danish clinicians carrying out the largest randomised controlled trial of acupuncture for relief of labour pain have found it to be a good supplement to existing pain relief methods, reducing the need for pharmacological and invasive methods during delivery. A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 607 healthy women in labour at term who received acupuncture, TENS, or traditional analgesics. Acupuncture was individualised, based on women’s mobility and localisation of pain, with points chosen from a list of 34 specified points. Although pain scores were comparable across the three groups, the use of pharmacological and invasive methods was significantly lower in the acupuncture group. Acupuncture did not influence the duration of labour or the use of oxytocin. In addition, indications of neonatal wellbeing (Apgar score and umbilical cord pH value) were significantly better among infants in the acupuncture group compared with infants in the other groups. (Acupuncture as pain relief during delivery: a randomized controlled trial. Birth. 2009 Mar;36(1):5‑12).
CHINESE HERBS COMPARABLE TO HORMONES FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS
UK authors have carried out a systematic review of the use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for endometriosis‑related pain and infertility. Database searches revealed 100 relevant studies, but only two Chinese RCTs were deemed of high enough quality for analysis. Meta‑analysis of the pooled results involving a total of 158 women concluded that administration of CHM after laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis has effects comparable to those achieved with the drug gestrinone (a synthetic progesterone that suppresses the secretion of oestrogen by the ovaries), but with fewer side effects. In addition they concluded that oral CHM may have a better overall treatment effect than danazol (synthetic testosterone) and that it may be more effective in relieving dysmenorrhea and shrinking endometrial masses when used in conjunction with a CHM enema. (Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jul 8;(3):CD006568).
ACUPUNCTURE IMPROVES SPERM MOTILITY
The first prospective, randomised, single‑blind, placebo‑controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile men with severe oligoasthenozoospermia has shown that acupuncture can improve sperm motility. The German study, involving 29 men compared TCM acupuncture with placebo acupuncture. A significantly higher percentage of motile sperm was found after real acupuncture. No effect of acupuncture on sperm concentration was observed. (A prospective randomized placebo‑controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Fertil Steril. 2009 Apr 24. [Epub ahead of print]).
ACUPUNCTURE FOR SHOULDER PAIN
Electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective addition to exercise for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain. In a single‑blind, randomised trial in Hong Kong, 60 patients were assigned to receive either active or sham electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on the wrist in addition to standardised neck exercises. Active or sham EA was given for 30 minutes twice weekly over a period of four weeks and a 30 minute program of standardised neck exercises performed simultaneously. One month post treatment 38.9% of the active EA versus 8.3% of the sham EA group reported pain reduction greater than 50% on a numerical rating scale. (Electrical acustimulation of the wrist for chronic neck pain: a randomized, sham‑controlled trial using a wrist‑ankle acustimulation device. Clin J Pain. 2009 May;25(4):320‑6).
