Systematic reviews and meta-analyses Research resource Lianne Aquilina and Mark Bovey: British Acupuncture Council review, 2019 A body of evidence is presented on the topic of acupuncture administered for IVF or ICSI that indicates acupuncture has a significant treatment effect on clinical pregnancy and birth rate when conducted at varied time points. Research is ongoing and is not conclusive. Key points A 2018 systematic review...Weiterlesen

Original Titel: Efficacy of Acupuncture Therapy for Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Patients DGP – Chinesische Forscher erprobten in ihrer Studie, ob die Akupunktur geeignet sein könnte, um Beeinträchtigungen der Denkleitung zu vermindern, die Brustkrebspatientinnen, die eine Chemotherapie erhalten, betreffen können. Die kleine Studie zeigte vielversprechende Erfolge der Akupunktur – die Patientinnen, die die Akupunktur erhielten, schnitten in der Folge in zahlreichen Tests zur Messung der Denkleistung besser ab. Durch Chemotherapie kann die Prognose von...Weiterlesen

Abstract Background: A natural-killer (NK) cell is a cytotoxic lymphocyte that responds to tumor formation. Electroacupuncture (EA) in patients with cancer, who had chemotherapy, enabled them to maintain their T-cell counts (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) and NK-cell activity. Objective: To evaluate NK-cell levels and tumor sizes in patients with cervical squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) after EA on ST 36 (Zusanli). Design: This study was a randomized, experimental clinical study...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture reduces the time to discharge following anaesthesia and gynaecological laparoscopy, reports a research team based in Switzerland and Germany. A randomised trial involving 75 women evaluated the effects of acupuncture combined with a standardised anaesthetic regimen compared to either acupressure, or standard anaesthesia alone. At the time of the pre-anaesthetic visit, 12–24 hours prior to surgery, patients in the intervention groups received a standardised treatment...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture can assist recovery following surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). Chinese researchers included 22 studies (1,628 participants) in their analysis. The results suggested that the addition of acupuncture following CRC surgery improved recovery of gastrointestinal function. Meta-analyses found significant reductions in time to first bowel sounds, first flatus and first defecation, in both the sham-controlled and non-blinded studies. The best evidence was for interventions that...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture ranks as one of the best non-pharmacological treatments for functional chronic constipation (CFC), according to a network meta-analysis carried out by Chinese authors. They included 33 randomised trials with 4324 participants, which compared eight non-pharmacological treatments with placebo, sham interventions, or conventional treatment. Compared with placebo interventions, TENS, probiotics and acupuncture had a significantly larger effect on stool frequency. Patients treated with acupuncture also...Weiterlesen

Chinese investigators have concluded that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for obesity, based on a systematic review of 21 studies with 1389 participants. When compared with sham acupuncture, significant reductions in BMI, weight, body fat mass and total cholesterol were found. When compared with no treatment, they found significant reductions of BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol and triglycerides were found. When compared with diet...Weiterlesen

Moxibustion may be an effective treatment for overactive bladder, according to Korean researchers. In a pilot randomised cross-over study, 28 participants were randomly allotted to either moxibustion (8-12 sessions of indirect moxibustion at Qihai REN-6, Taichong LIV-3 and Sanyinjiao SP-6) plus behavioural training, or behavioral training only, over four weeks. Group allocation was reversed over the following four weeks. Significant and clinically meaningful changes in...Weiterlesen

The Italian authors of a Cochrane Database systematic review have found that acupuncture is the most effective non-pharmacological treatment for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). They examined 38 studies of 3290 men with CP/CPPS, which made 23 comparisons between different treatments involving use of devices, lifestyle changes, or some form of physical therapy. Based on three studies with 204 participants, acupuncture was observed to...Weiterlesen

Abstract Objective To investigate the efficacy of a standardised brief acupuncture approach for women with moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms. Design Randomised and controlled, with 1:1 allocation to the intervention group or the control group. The assessor and the statistician were blinded. Setting Nine Danish primary care practices. Participants 70 women with moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms and nine general practitioners with accredited education in acupuncture. Intervention The acupuncture...Weiterlesen