Abstract Objective: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in healthcare is based on the holistic concept of smooth energy flow. The energy helps maintain the circulation of Blood and bodily processes. An efficient supply of consistent energy and good circulation helps support the body’s homeostasis. In therapeutics, low-level laser energy can be transferred to the body (via the auricle) to activate or maintain homeostasis through specifically appropriate auricular sites. The goal of this research was to track the effects of painless laser acupuncture (PLA) on a group of highly motivated patients who wanted to quit smoking. Materials and Methods: Executives in their...Weiterlesen

Abstract BACKGROUND: In a former meta-analysis review, acupuncture was considered a potentially effective treatment for dry eye syndrome (DES), but there were heterogeneities among the outcomes. We updated the meta-analysis and conducted subgroup analysis to reduce the heterogeneity and suggest the most effective acupuncture method based on clinical trials. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in 10 databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTAL, AMED, SCOPUS, CNKI, Wangfang database, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Koreamed, J-stage) and searched by hand to compare the effects of acupuncture and artificial tears (AT). We also conducted subgroup analysis by (1) method of...Weiterlesen

Abstract Acupuncture has been used in the therapy of Alzheimer disease (AD); however, its neural mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of acupuncture on the functional connectivity in AD by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Twenty-eight subjects (14 AD and 14 normal controls) participated in this study. The rs-fMRI data were acquired before and after acupuncture stimulation at the acupoints of Tai chong (Liv3) and Hegu (LI4). During the baseline resting state, by using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), we found a significantly decreased or increased ALFF in the...Weiterlesen

Abstract BACKGROUND: Although alopecia affects the quality of life, its pathogenesis is unknown, because cellular interactions in the hair follicle are complex. Several authors have suggested using herbal medicine to treat alopecia, and bioinformatics and network pharmacology may constitute a new research strategy in this regard because herbal medicines contain various chemical components. This study used association rule mining (ARM) and network analysis to analyze the combinations of medicinal herbs used to treat alopecia. METHODS: We searched Chinese, Korean, and English databases for literature about alopecia treatment, extracting the names of each herbal prescription and herb. The meridian tropism and...Weiterlesen

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on bladder and bowel dysfunction in patients with transverse myelitis. METHODS: Sixteen participants were treated with EA at bilateral BL32, BL33, and BL35 once a day, five times a week for the first 4 weeks, and once every other day, three times a week for the following 4 weeks. Patients were then followed up for 6 months. Bladder and bowel function, and the safety of EA, were assessed. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, five (5/16, 31%) patients resumed normal voiding, three (6/16, 38%) regained partially normal voiding, and five (5/16, 31%) had...Weiterlesen

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture at different acupoints in yin meridians and yang meridians on lower limb muscle tension in children with spastic cerebral palsy. METHODS: Ninety children with spastic cerebral palsy aged between 2 to 6 years old were divided into a yin-meridian group, a yang-meridian group and a rehabilitation group, 30 cases in each one. The patients in the rehabilitation group were treated with routine rehabilitation treatment; the patients in the yin-meridian group were treated with routine rehabilitation treatment and acupuncture at Xuehai (SP 10), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3) and...Weiterlesen

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients with abdominal obesity by regulating glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, sex hormones, etc. METHODS: Eligible PCOS volunteers were randomly divided into treatment group(n=30) and control group(n=28). The treatment group received acupuncture therapy three times a week combined with diet control and exercise. EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, 4-8 mA) was applied to bilateral Daimai (GB 26)and Tianshu (ST 25) for 20 min/time, and bilateral Daheng (SP 15), Shenshu (BL 23), Ciliao (BL 32), Guilai (ST 29), Zulinqi (GB 41) and Waiguan (SJ 5) were...Weiterlesen

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and drugs in the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of acupuncture and drugs were comprehensively retrieved from electronic databases (such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and CBM) up to December 2017. Additional references were obtained from review articles. With document quality evaluations and data extraction, Network Meta-Analysis was performed using a random-effects model under a frequentist framework. Results: A total of 29 studies (n = 9369) were...Weiterlesen

Abstract Within the last 10 years, the percentage of low back pain (LBP) prevalence increased by 18%. The management and high cost of LBP put a tremendous burden on the healthcare system. Many risk factors have been identified, such as lifestyle, trauma, degeneration, postural impairment, and occupational related factors; however, as high as 95% of the cases of LBP are non-specific. Currently, LBP is treated pharmacologically. Approximately 25 to 30% of the patients develop serious side effects, such as drowsiness and drug addiction. Spinal surgery often does not result in a massive improvement of pain relief. Therefore, complementary approaches are...Weiterlesen

Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers find acupuncture effective for hemorrhoid surgery postoperative relief. The research team integrated acupuncture into a standard hemorrhoidectomy postoperative care protocol. [1] Patients receiving both postoperative care and acupuncture in a combined treatment protocol had superior patient outcomes compared with patients receiving only postoperative care. The researchers conclude that the addition of acupuncture to a standard postoperative regimen improves outcomes following hemorrhoid surgery, including significant reductions of anal pain, swelling, and hematochezia (passage of fresh blood through the anus). Group Selection Process The study involved 60 patients at the proctology department of Nanjing Hospital...Weiterlesen