Acupuncture can improve sexual function in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a small American study suggests. Fifteen premenopausal women with HSDD were included in a single-arm pilot study and underwent twice-weekly acupuncture sessions for five weeks. Point prescriptions were individualised to each patient’s TCM pattern presentation (including Kidney yang deficiency, Liver qi stagnation, Blood deficiency, Spleen yang deficiency and Heart fire). Five weeks of acupuncture was found to be associated with significant improvements from baseline in overall sexual function, particularly in the specific domains of desire, arousal, lubrication and orgasm, while distress due to symptoms and anxiety levels...Weiterlesen

Investigators from Australia and New Zealand report that acupuncture treatment can reduce menstrual pain intensity, and that its effects can still be felt one year later. A randomised controlled trial was performed with 74 women randomly assigned to one of four treatment arms: low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro-acupuncture (LF-EA) and high frequency electro-acupuncture (HF-EA). A clinical manual-based protocol was used to allow individualised treatment, with a maximum of seven points used per treatment and a total of 12 treatments performed over three menstrual cycles, either once per week (LF groups) or three...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese herbal medicine are found effective for the resolution of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Zhuji No. 3 People’s Hospital researchers confirm that a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) modality combining acupuncture, tuina, and acupuncture herbal plasters outperforms the drug combination of 0.9% sodium chloride, penicillin, and metronidazole for the treatment of chronic PID. Additionally, investigators confirm that acupuncture increases the effectiveness of herbs for patients with chronic PID. Acute PID is often a medical emergency requiring hospitalization and the administration of antibiotics. However, long-term chronic PID patients are often insufficiently responsive to surgery and drug therapy. Traditional...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Introduction The incidence of vulvodynia in American women has been reported to be between 8.3% and 16%. However, there is no consistently effective standardized treatment for vulvodynia. Aim To determine the feasibility and potential effects of using a standardized acupuncture protocol for the treatment of women with vulvodynia. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was vulvar pain, and sexual function was the secondary outcome. Pain was assessed by the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and function was measured by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Methods Thirty-six women with vulvodynia met inclusion criteria. The women were randomly assigned either to...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Acupuncture has been demonstrated to improve menstrual frequency and to decrease circulating testosterone in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Our aim was to investigate whether acupuncture affects ovulation frequency and to understand the underlying mechanisms of any such effect by analyzing LH and sex steroid secretion in women with PCOS. This prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted between June 2009 and September 2010. Thirty-two women with PCOS were randomized to receive either acupuncture with manual and low-frequency electrical stimulation or to meetings with a physical therapist twice a week for 10–13 wk. Main outcome measures were changes...Weiterlesen

Fifty-six primigravid women at 39 weeks or greater with a singleton gestation and Bishop score (a system for predicting whether induction of labour will be required) of less than seven were randomised to usual medical care or usual care plus three acupuncture treatments. Each treatment consisted of eight needles applied bilaterally to Hegu L.I.-4, Sanyinjiao SP-6, Shangliao BL-31 and Ciliao BL-32. Mean time from randomisation to delivery occurred 21 hours sooner in the acupuncture group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Compared with controls, women in the acupuncture group tended to be more likely to labour spontaneously and...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Objectives This study was undertaken to describe under real-life conditions the effects of acupuncture on symptomatic dyspepsia during pregnancy and to compare this with a group of patients undergoing conventional treatment alone. Methods A total of 42 conventionally treated pregnant women were allocated by chance into two groups to be treated, or not, by acupuncture. They reported the severity of symptoms and the disability these were causing in daily aspects of life such as sleeping and eating, using a numerical rating scale. The study also observed the use of medications. Results Six women dropped out (one in the acupuncture...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate whether acupuncture at term can influence cervical ripening, induce labor and thus reduce the need for postdates induction. METHODS On the estimated date of confinement (EDC) women were prospectively randomized to an acupuncture group (AG) or a control group (CG). Data of 45 women were evaluated (AG, n = 25; CG, n = 20). Inclusion criteria were as follows: confirmed EDC, uncomplicated course of pregnancy, singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation. Exclusion criteria were as follows: cervical dilation > 3 cm, active labor, premature rupture of membranes, previous cesarean section, pathologies...Weiterlesen

One in three women suffer potentially severe and disabling pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. Now a Swedish study has demonstrated that acupuncture is more effective than either standard or specialised exercises in relieving the pain. 386 pregnant women were assigned to a six-week treatment programme involving either standard home exercise, standard exercise plus acupuncture or specialised exercises designed to improve mobility and strength. Pain levels were assessed morning and evening. The women receiving the acupuncture showed the greatest relief in pain, which, achieved without the use of medication, is of particular benefit to pregnant women. Acupuncture treatment focused on the...Weiterlesen

A systematic review from Holland has concluded that acupuncture-type interventions (moxibustion, acupuncture, or electro-acupuncture) on Zhiyin BL 67 are effective in correcting breech presentation, compared with expectant management. Of 65 citations retrieved from various databases, six RCTs and three cohort studies fulfilled the reviewers’ inclusion criteria. In the RCTs the pooled proportion of breech presentations was 34% following treatment versus 66% in the control group. The pooled proportion in the cohort studies was 15% versus 36%. Including all studies, the proportion of breech presentations was 28% following treatment versus 56% for the control group. (Effectiveness of acupuncture-type interventions versus expectant...Weiterlesen