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

Eine Serie von Akupunkturbehandlungen kann die Häufigkeit von Eisprüngen bei Frauen mit Polyzystischem Ovarsyndrom (PCO) erhöhen, sagt eine schwedische Studie. In einer prospektiven klinischen Studie wurden 32 Frauen mit PCO-Syndrom randomisiert um entweder Akupunktur in Kombination mit manueller und niedrigfrequenter Elektrostimulation zu erhalten, oder eine Behandlung durch einen Physiotherapeuten 2x pro Woche (das war quasi die Placebogruppe), beides über 10-13 Wochen. Die Eisprunghäufigkeit während des Therapiezeitraumes war höher in der Akupunkturgruppe. Nach den 10-13 Behandlungswochen waren eine Vielzahl von relevanten Hormonen (inklusive Östrogen, Östradiol, DHEA und Testosteron) in der Akupunkturgruppe deutlich signifikanter gesunken als in der Kontrollgruppe. Originaltext: (Acupuncture for...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture restores normal breast milk production to lactating mothers with low milk secretion levels. Research conducted at the Hanzhong Shanxi Hospital demonstrates that the application of a specific set of acupuncture points significantly boosts lactation quantities. In a controlled investigation of 116 women with deficient secretion of milk (hypogalactia, hypogalactorrhea), acupuncture successfully increased breast milk secretion from an average of 49.63 ml to 115.21 ml. In addition, lactating mothers receiving acupuncture had a concomitant improvement in prolactin (a hormone that stimulates milk production) levels. Postpartum hypogalactia is often caused by weakness after delivery. Other causes include congenital dysplasia, dietary issues,...Weiterlesen

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