Original Titel: Association between use of Chinese herbal medicine and depression risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A nationwide retrospective cohort study DGP – Die Studie zeigt einen positiven Effekt der chinesischen Kräuter. Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis entwickelten weniger oft eine Depression. Aber auch die Behandlung mit chinesischen Kräutern erfordert die Betreuung durch einen Arzt oder qualifizierten Therapeuten und ist abhängig von Begleiterkrankungen, Symptomen und dem allgemeinen Gesundheitszustand. Depressionen sind häufig bei rheumatoider Arthritis und können die Lebensqualität weiter verringern. Eine Studie aus Taiwan untersuchte, ob chinesische Kräuter einen Einfluss auf Depressionen bei rheumatoider Arthritis haben. Die Studie untersuchte die chinesische...Weiterlesen

Abstract In the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia, an important aspect often overlooked is the anti-inflammatory effect of acupuncture, which is mainly attained through the self-limiting inflammatory response-inflammatory reflex and its regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis and autonomic nerve system (the vagus nerve and the sympathetic postganglionic fiber). The significance of anti-inflammatory effect of acupuncture in analgesia is manifested twofold: The first, inflammatory nociceptive pain is a major type of chronic pain. The second, neurogenic inflammation is the mechanism by which certain acupoints or acu-reflex points (ARPs) are formed at the body surface and have short-cut connections to the pathological focus. Selecting ARPs and applying appropriate sensory stimulation or local microtrauma (affected by different needling means or stimulation parameters), combined with low-frequency electrical stimulation or the vagus stimulation in the...Weiterlesen

Abstract Acupuncture, for the westerns countries, is an innovative and low-cost therapy for treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, most of its effects and mechanisms are poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this work was to systematically review the literature regarding the clinical effects of acupuncture for the treatment and prevention of CVDs. A search for papers published in English or Portuguese in the past 20 years was conducted at PubMed, SciELO, and PEDro databases. Clinical trials conducted on the effects of acupuncture were included in this review. Two reviewers extracted the data independently from the remaining 17 articles after screening. The most...Weiterlesen

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 and meta-analysis found acupuncture to have a significant treatment effect in improving the birth rates of subfertile women undergoing IVF or A summary of previous reviews from 2009 to 2017 found acupuncture had a beneficial...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 Brustkrebspatientinnen oftmals deutlich verbessert werden – allerdings können mit der Chemotherapie auch Nebenwirkungen einhergehen, die zahlreiche Organe betreffen können. Manche Krebspatienten entwickeln durch die Chemotherapie Beeinträchtigungen der Denkleistung, sogenannt kognitive Beeinträchtigungen. Chinesische Forscher erproben, ob...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 with a pre–post-test, control group design. Setting The study was performed in the obstetrics and gynecology department, Gynecology Oncology Division of the Rumah Sakit Dokter Soetomo General Hospital, in Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia, conducted from...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 with either 12 press needles or adhesive press plasters at Renzhong DU-26, Shanzhong REN-17 and bilateral Hegu L.I.-4, Shenmen HE-7, Taichong LIV-3, Zusanli ST-36 and Neiguan P-6. Needles or plasters were left in place for...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 included electro-acupuncture at the point Zusanli ST-36. Acupuncture and Related Therapies for Treatment of Postoperative Ileus in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Jul...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 showed significantly higher rates of response to treatment, while moxibustion had a significantly larger effect on Bristol stool scores. Compared with laxatives, acupuncture had a significantly larger effect on stool frequency, with a lower rate...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 and exercise, significant reduction in BMI and weight were found. The authors suggest that neuroendocrine regulation might be involved in acupuncture’s mechanism of action on obesity. Acupuncture on Obesity: Clinical Evidence and Possible Neuroendocrine Mechanisms....Weiterlesen