Holistic
Acupuncture Approach to Idiopathic Refractory Nausea, Abdominal Pain and
Bloating
Ouyang A, et al. H045, Division of Gastroenterology and
Hepatology, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey,
PA 17033, United States.
AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a holistic acupuncture approach on nausea,
pain, bloating and electrogastrogram (EGG) parameters in patients with
intractable symptoms. METHODS: Twelve patients with no or mild nausea (those
without nausea had bloating or pain) and 10 with a history of moderate to severe
nausea were referred for acupuncture. All underwent an EGG and were treated at
acupuncture points PC6, SP4 and DU20. Visual analog scales (VAS) assessing
severity of nausea, pain and bloating were obtained before and after acupuncture
treatment. Nineteen patients received three and three patients received two
treatments. RESULTS: VAS scores for nausea reflected the clinical assessment and
differed significantly between mild and moderate/severe nausea groups.
Acupuncture significantly improved severity of nausea in both groups with
improved pre-treatment nausea between the first and third treatments in the
moderate/severe nausea group. Pain scores improved with acupuncture in the mild
nausea group only and bloating improved only with the first treatment in this
group. Patients with bloating with VAS scores greater than 35 pre-treatment
improved with acupuncture and over all VAS scores for pain improved with
treatment. Acupuncture increased the power in the 2.7 to 3.5 cpm range in the
EGG. CONCLUSION: In this uncontrolled clinical study, a holistic acupuncture
approach significantly improved nausea in patients with refractory symptoms and
increased the power in the 2.7-3.5 cpm component of the electrogastrogram.
Bloating and pain VAS scores improved acutely with treatment. This study
suggests that acupuncture may be effective in this refractory group of patients
and further study using appropriate controls is warranted.
World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Oct 28;13(40):5360-6.
Source PubMed
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Acupuncture
for Persistent Allergic Rhinitis
Xue CC, et al. Division of Chinese Medicine, School of Health
Sciences, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Traditional
Medicine, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in
persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) DESIGN: Randomized, single-blind,
sham-controlled trial conducted from May 2004 to February 2005. PARTICIPANTS AND
INTERVENTION: 80 patients with PAR (age, 16-70 years) were randomly assigned to
receive real or sham acupuncture. After a 1-week baseline period, participants
were treated twice weekly for 8 weeks and followed up for another 12 weeks. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: Nasal obstruction, sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal itch were
each self-assessed daily on a 5-point scale, and scores were aggregated weekly.
The sum of the symptom scores (total nasal symptom score, TNSS) was also
determined. A secondary outcome was use of PAR relief medication. RESULTS: After
8 weeks' treatment, the weekly mean difference in TNSS from baseline was greater
with real (-17.2; 95% CI, -24.6 to -9.8) than with sham acupuncture (-4.2; 95%
CI, -11.0 to 2.7) (P = 0.01). The decrease in individual symptom score was also
greater with real acupuncture for rhinorrhoea (P < 0.01) but not the other
symptoms. At the end of follow-up, the greater difference in TNSS from baseline
in the real acupuncture group was still apparent: real, -21.0 (95% CI, -29.1 to
-12.9) versus sham, - 2.3 (95% CI, -10.2 to 5.6) (P = 0.001). Moreover, the
differences from baseline in all four individual symptom scores were greater for
the real than for the sham group (P < 0.05). Real and sham acupuncture were both
well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acupuncture is effective
in the symptomatic treatment of PAR. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian Government
Therapeutic Goods Administration CTN 034/2004.
Med J Aust. 2007 Sep 17;187(6):337-41.
Source: PubMed
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Effects of
Epimedium and Milkvetch Root on Some indexes of Neuro-Endocrino-Immune Network
in Asthmatic Rats
Zhao FD, et al. Lab of Integrative Medicine for Lung,
Inflammation and Cancers, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai.
OBJECTIVE: To study changes of several related indexes of neuro-endocrino-immune
(NEI) network in rat asthma model, and to observe effects of epimedium herb (EH,
a Chinese herb for replenishing Shen) and milkvetch root (MR, a Chinese herb for
strengthening qi) on these indexes. METHODS: One hundred and twenty male healthy
Brown Norway rats of clean grade were randomly divided into 11 groups. Their
mRNA expression of corticoid release hormone (CRH) in hypothalamus was tested by
Realtime-PCR, serum ACTH and CORT, IL-6, IL-4, IFN-gamma were detected with
radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively and
pathological changes of lung tissue were observed with hematoxylin and eosin
stain. RESULTS: As compared with the normal group, mRNA expression of CRH in
hypothalamic tissue, plasma ACTH and serum concentration of IFN-gamma not
changed significantly, but serum level of CORT raised significantly and the
pre-inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-4 showed an increasing trend in the model
rats. As compared with the model group, level of CRH mRNA expression in groups
treated with low dose and moderate dose of both EH and the formula (HE and MR),
IFN-gamma in group treated with moderate dose of EH and serum CORT in group
treated with low dose of MR were higher, and serum levels of IL-4 and IL-6 in
groups treated with high dose of MR were lower. CONCLUSION: Rats suffered from
repeated asthmatic attack for three weeks had some disorders in indexes of NEI
network. Chinese herbs for replenish Shen and strengthening qi could improve the
function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adjust the balance of Th1
and Th2 cytokines, which might be one of the mechanisms of Chinese herbs for
treatment of repeated asthma attack.
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2007 Aug;27(8):715-9.
Source: PubMed [TOP] |
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