Acupuncture that elicits the sensation of deqi can improve facial muscle recovery, disability and quality of life for patients with Bell’s palsy. In a randomised controlled trial, Chinese researchers compared the efficacy of weak versus strong acupuncture stimulation in a group of 338 patients presenting with unilateral facial-nerve weakness within 168 hours of symptom onset. Patients were randomly assigned to a deqi or control group....Weiterlesen

Acupuncture out-performs artificial tears in the treatment of dry eye syndrome, according to South Korean researchers. The team enrolled 150 patients with moderate to severe dry eye in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either acupuncture treatment (at Zanzhu BL-2, Yangbai GB-14, Sizhukong SJ-23, Chengqi ST-1, Fengchi GB-20, Hegu L.I.-4, Quchi L.I.-11, Yintang N-HN-3 and Shangxing DU-23), or to an...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture may be effective at reducing symptom intensity in people suffering from burning mouth syndrome (BMS). In a preliminary single-arm trial carried out in Brazil, eight patients received 11 weekly treatments with acupuncture. Body acupoints were chosen for their effect on TCM patterns related to BMS (tonifying Kidney, clearing heat from the Blood, regulating qi and Blood, eliminating Liver fire and regulating the Spleen and...Weiterlesen

Intraoperative acupuncture results in reduced pain and earlier return to eating for children undergoing tonsillectomy, according to American researchers. Fifty-nine children were randomised to receive verum or sham acupuncture during anesthesia for tonsillectomy. Home surveys of patients revealed significant improvements in pain control in the acupuncture treatment-group post-operatively and oral intake of food also occurred significantly earlier in the acupuncture treatment group. Intraoperative acupuncture for...Weiterlesen

Acupuncture appears to benefit glaucoma patients by decreasing intraocular pressure (IOP) and improving blood circulation behind the eye. In the first study of its type, Japanese researchers enrolled eleven patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and measured eye haemodynamics before, during and after either acupuncture or rest. Acupuncture was performed once, for 15 minutes, without needle manipulation, at bilateral Zanzhu BL-2, Taiyang M-HN-9, Sibai ST-2, Zusanli...Weiterlesen

A pilot study carried out in Italy suggests that acupuncture may reduce the pain of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). BMS, for which no medical or dental cause can be found, most commonly affects older women. It is considered to be a form of neuropathic pain and no satisfactory treatment is currently available for it. Ten BMS patients received 20 sessions of acupuncture over eight weeks. Local...Weiterlesen

The results of a pilot study carried out in the USA suggest that acupuncture may have significant, measurable benefits on residual visual function in patients with the degenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Twelve adult patients with RP were treated with a standardised protocol that combined electro-acupuncture (EA) at points on the forehead and below the eyes with manual acupuncture on body points, during 10...Weiterlesen

ABSTRACT Background and Aims: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. Treatment options for AMD are limited and often vision loss can not be prevented. The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture treatment on vision in AMD patients. Methods: A total of 328 patients with a clinical diagnosis of AMD were treated...Weiterlesen

A systematic review of acupuncture studies for treatment of Ménière’s syndrome suggests that it may be beneficial. UK researchers searched for randomised, non-randomised and observational studies in English and Chinese across six databases. Twenty-seven studies of varying quality were included in the review (nine in English and 18 in Chinese languages), all but one of which was conducted in China. The weight of evidence across...Weiterlesen

Chinese researchers have found that acupuncture can result in objectively measurable improvements of tear film quantity in patients with certain types of dry eye. A total of 108 dry eye patients were randomised to receive treatment with either acupuncture or artificial tears. Each group was divided into three subgroups based on subtype of dry eye; lipid tear deficiency (LTD), Sjögren syndrome dry eye (SSDE) and...Weiterlesen