NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Acupuncture can be useful for reducing vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. „I was impressed with the notable improvements in VMS frequency, severity, and several quality-of-life measurements with acupuncture compared with no acupuncture,” Dr. Deanna Befus from Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Center for Integrative Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, told Reuters Health by email. “While follow-up time of included studies varied, some demonstrated reductions in hot flash frequency that were maintained for 12 months after baseline. This presents real promise for patients wrestling with...Weiterlesen

A meta-analysis from Taiwanese authors confirms that acupuncture can improve symptoms in women experiencing menopause. Twelve studies (869 participants) met the authors’ inclusion criteria. The results of the analysis showed that acupuncture significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flushes. In addition, acupuncture was shown to significantly improve psychological, somatic, urogenital symptoms and vasomotor symptoms. Acupuncture’s beneficial effects on hot flush frequency and severity were found to persist for up three months. (Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women on natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2014 Jul 7. Quelle: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25003620...Weiterlesen

A trial carried out in Sweden has found that women who received manual acupuncture (MA) or electro-acupuncture (EA) during labour used less epidural analgesia than women who received standard care. The longitudinal randomised controlled trial recruited 303 nulliparous women with normal pregnancies who were randomised to receive 40 minutes of either manual acupuncture (MA) or electro-acupuncture (EA), or standard care without acupuncture (SC). Subjective visual analogue pain scores did not differ between the three groups, however fewer women in the EA group used epidural analgesia (46%) compared with those in the MA group (61%) and SC group (70%). (Acupuncture with...Weiterlesen

Low-frequency electro-acupuncture (EA) can improve hyperandrogenism and menstrual frequency in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a study carried out in Sweden. Eighty-four women with PCOS were randomised to 16 weeks of low-frequency EA, physical exercise, or no intervention. After 16 weeks of treatment, levels of circulating androgens were found to have decreased significantly in the EA group (testosterone -25%, androsterone glucuronide -30%, and androstane-3?, 17?-diol-3glucuronide -28%). In addition, menstrual frequency increased to 0.69 per month from 0.28 at baseline in the EA group.  After 16-weeks of follow-up, acne scores had decreased by 32% in the EA group....Weiterlesen

Acupuncture plus herbal medicine increase the clinical effective rate of drug therapy for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In research conducted at the Hubei Maternal and Child Care Service Center, drug therapy using cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol and letrozole produced an 72.5% total effective rate. Using both drugs and herbal medicine produced an 85.0% total effective rate, and the rate increased to 95.0% when acupuncture was added to the treatment regimen. Cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol is a commonly used medicine for the treatment of PCOS. Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor used to stimulate ovulation in women with PCOS. The following parameters were...Weiterlesen

Researchers find acupuncture more effective than intravenous sufentanil citrate for the relief of post-C-section pain. Nanyang Wolong District Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital researchers investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on patients with post-C-section pain in a randomized controlled study. The control group received sufentanil citrate (a potent synthetic opioid analgesic). Sufentanil is stronger than fentanyl and 500 times more potent than morphine. The acupuncture treatment group achieved a total effective rate of 86.7%. The drug control group achieved a 60.0% total effective rate. The total effective rate was based upon a combination of symptomatic relief scores and endogenous...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Background This is one of a series of reviews of methods of cervical ripening and labour induction. The use of complementary therapies is increasing. Women may look to complementary therapies during pregnancy and childbirth to be used alongside conventional medical practice. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points of the body. Acupressure is using the thumbs or fingers to apply pressure to specific points. The limited observational studies to date suggest acupuncture for induction of labour has no known adverse effects to the fetus, and may be effective. However, the evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture may help improve the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, but the current quality of evidence is poor, concludes a systematic review from Korea. Looking at data from 2093 participants enrolled in 27 studies, a low level of evidence was identified that acupuncture can improve ovulation and menstruation rates, along with statistically significant pooled benefits of acupuncture as an adjunct to medication for normalising luteinising hormone (LH), LH/follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, testosterone, fasting insulin and pregnancy rates. Acupuncture for polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Jun;96(23):e7066. Quelle: www.jcm.co.ukWeiterlesen

Acupuncture is safe and effective for the treatment of perimenopause. Researchers from Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine and Henan University of Chinese Medicine investigated the effects of acupuncture on perimenopausal syndrome as it relates to metabolism, reproductive endocrinology, and the immune system. Clinical and laboratory findings reveal important biochemical benefits induced by acupuncture and electroacupuncture. Onset of perimenopause may occur years prior to menopause. It may occur in the 40s, 30s, or earlier and is related to a decrease in estrogen production by the ovaries. Perimenopause typically lasts approximately four years. Indications of perimenopause include hot flashes, fatigue, increased premenstrual syndrome...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Researchers find acupuncture effective for normalizing hormone levels and improving the overall health of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Scientific data demonstrates that acupuncture produces significant improvements in menstrual regularity, restores ovulation pattern regularity, increases pregnancy rates, regulates hormonal secretions, normalizes basal body temperature patterns, and increases embryo survival rates. Fertility enhancements provided by acupuncture apply to both natural conception and IVF (in vitro fertilization) patients. Research published in the Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion entitled Advances In Clinical Research On Acupuncture Moxibustion Treatment For Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome cites several clinical studies. Let’s...Weiterlesen