Abstract OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the treatment between emayaoling acupuncture technique and regular acupuncture. METHODS: A total of 110 patients of AMD were randomized into an observation group (55 cases, 73 eyes) and a control group (55 cases, 76 eyes). In the observation group, acupuncture was applied at Cuanzhu (BL 2) and Yiming (EX-HN 14). The needles were retained for 30 min. Additionally, Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) were stimulated with quick needling technique. Emayaoling needling technique was applied. The needle was rotated with the thumb...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture has been proven clinically effective for the treatment of Meniere’s disease, a disorder characterized by vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus. Researchers determined that acupuncture produces a 100% total effective rate. The results indicate that acupuncture is safe and effective for the treatment of Meniere’s disease. [1] The total effective rate was determined by combining ) three tiers of patient outcomes: cured, very effective, effective. All patients improved significantly and none were included in the not effective category. A total of 26 patients were completely cured (no symptoms whatsoever), 6 patients achieved the very effective tier (complete relief of vertigo),...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

A Chinese herbal medicine containing Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) has been shown to be helpful in treating diabetic retinopathy (DR), a severe microvascular complication of diabetes that is a major cause of adult blindness. The Chinese study investigated the use of ‘Compound Danshen Dripping Pill’ (CDDP), which is commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. In a large-scale clinical trial, involving 233 patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were randomised to receive four concentrations (placebo, low-dose [270 mg], mid-dose [540 mg] and high dose [810 mg]) of oral herbal medication three times daily for 24 weeks. Objective changes...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Hintergrund: Die altersbedingte Makula Degeneration (AMD) ist eine Krankheit, die im fortgeschrittenen Alter allmählich das zentrale Scharfsehen zerstört. Die Behandlungsoptionen sind limitiert und der Verlust der Sehkraft kann oft nicht verhindert werden. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Effekte einer Akupunkturbehandlung auf die Sehkraft von AMD Patienten untersucht. Methoden: Insgesamt wurden 328 Patienten mit einer klinischen Diagnose von AMD über einen Zeitraum von zwei Wochen (jeweils Montag bis Freitag) zwei Mal täglich mit einem Mindestabstand von 60 Minuten zwischen den Behandlungen akupunktiert. Die Sehkraft wurde vor der Behandlung, nach einer Woche und nach zwei Wochen mittels eines Standard Lese-Tests...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Background: In recent years, evidence has been accumulating linking subjective tinnitus to the somatosensory system. Somatic tinnitus is defined as tinnitus in which forceful contractions of jaw and neck muscles modulate the psychoacoustic attributes of tinnitus, such as pitch and loudness. Being a somatosensory-based treatment modality, needling might well be more effective for treating somatic than nonsomatic tinnitus. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment between patients with somatic and nonsomatic tinnitus. Materials and Methods: A single-blinded prospective study was carried wherein 27 patients with tinnitus were divided into either a...Weiterlesen

Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who use adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to manage their condition are less likely to require endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), according to a large population-based study from Taiwan. A total of 14,806 CRS subjects were enrolled in the study: 4294 (29%) of these were TCM users. Ninety-seven percent of the TCM users took herbal remedies. The most common Chinese herbal formula used was Xin Yi Qing Fei Tang and the most commonly used single herb was Bai Zhi (Radix Angelicae). Adjunctive traditional Chinese medicine therapy for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis: a population-based study. Int Forum...Weiterlesen

An observational study from Taiwan suggests that using adjuvant Chinese herbal therapy can add benefit to standard anti-tinnitus treatment. A descriptive case series compared 10 patients with chronic tinnitus who received the herbal formula Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang (CHJLGMLT, ‘Bupleurum & Dragon Bone Combination’) along with standard anti-tinnitus therapy with 11 patients who received standard therapy alone. After two months of treatment, tinnitus severity scores and sleep quality scores were found to have improved more significantly in the herbal medicine group than in the standard therapy group. Scores relating to the emotional impact of tinnitus were...Weiterlesen

In vivo studies have shown that anti-oxidant phytochemicals from Gou Qi Zi (Lycium barbarum fructus, aka Chinese wolfberry or goji berry) can protect eye tissues from oxidative damage. American researchers studying type-2 diabetic mice observed that wolfberry extract could protect retinal pigment epithelial cells from the oxidative stress caused by hyperglycaemia. The researchers have previously shown that goji berries contain high levels of zeaxanthin, lutein, polysaccharides and polyphenolics, all of which demonstrate anti-oxidant activity in vitro. On a molecular level, the extract was shown to activate AMPK (a key metabolic enzyme involved in glucose uptake and cellular energy homeostasis) and...Weiterlesen

A sham-controlled feasibility trial has found that electro-acupuncture given concurrently with radiotherapy can significantly reduce xerostomia (dry mouth) symptoms and improved quality of life. Twenty-three patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy of the head and neck were randomised to receive verum acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Patients were treated three times per week during the course of radiotherapy. Subjective xerostomia symptom scores for the acupuncture group were significantly lower than those in the sham control group, starting in week three of treatment and lasting through one-month follow-up. Clinically significant differences in favour of verum acupuncture were seen at week six and...Weiterlesen