This week's Acupuncture Abstracts from Medline

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Hi All,

 

See these:

 

Oken O, Kahraman Y, Ayhan F, Canpolat S, Yorgancioglu ZR, Oken OF.

The Short-term Efficacy of Laser, Brace, and Ultrasound Treatment in

Lateral Epicondylitis: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial. J Hand

Ther. 2008 Jan-Mar;21(1):63-8. Ankara Education and Research Hospital,

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Hand

Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey. The aims of this study were to evaluate the

effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and to compare these with the

effects of brace or ultrasound (US) treatment in tennis elbow. The study

design used was a prospective and randomized, controlled, single-blind trial.

Fifty-eight outpatients with lateral epicondylitis (9 men, 49 women) were

included in the trial. The patients were divided into three groups: 1) brace

group-brace plus exercise, 2) ultrasound group-US plus exercise, and 3)

laser group-LLLT plus exercise. Patients in the brace group used a lateral

counterforce brace for three weeks, US plus hot pack in the ultrasound

group, and laser plus hot pack in the LLLT group. In addition, all patients

were given progressive stretching and strengthening exercise programs.

Grip strength and pain severity were evaluated with visual analog scale

(VAS) at baseline, at the second week of treatment, and at the sixth week of

treatment. VAS improved significantly in all groups after the treatment and in

the ultrasound and laser groups at the sixth week (p<0.05). Grip strength of

the affected hand increased only in the laser group after treatment, but was

not changed at the sixth week. There were no significant differences

between the groups on VAS and grip strength at baseline and at follow-up

assessments. The results show that, in patients with lateral epicondylitis, a

brace has a shorter beneficial effect than US and laser therapy in reducing

pain, and that laser therapy is more effective than the brace and US

treatment in improving grip strength. PMID: 18215753 [PubMed - in process]

 

Cheng H, Yu J, Jiang Z, Zhang X, Liu C, Peng Y, Chen F, Qu Y, Jia Y, Tian

Q, Xiao C, Chu Q, Nie K, Kan B, Hu X, Han J. Acupuncture improves

cognitive deficits and regulates the brain cell proliferation of SAMP8 mice.

Neurosci Lett. 2007 Dec 15 [Epub ahead of print]; Tianjin Key Laboratory of

Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Acupuncture

and Moxibustion Research Institute, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin

University of Traditional , 314 West Anshan Avenue,

Tianjin 300193, China. Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) is

an autogenic senile strain characterized by early cognitive impairment and

age-related deterioration of learning and memory. To investigate the effect

of acupuncture on behavioral changes and brain cell events, male 4-month-

old SAMP8 and age-matched homologous normal aging SAMR1 mice were

divided into four groups: SAMP8 acupuncture group (Pa), SAMP8 non-

acupoint control group (Pn), SAMP8 control group (Pc) and SAMR1 normal

control group (Rc). By Morris water maze test, the cognitive deficit of

SAMP8 was revealed and significantly improved by acupuncture to Yiqi

Tiaoxue (, Augment Qi & Rectify Xue) and Fuben Peiyuan (,

Nurture Root & Foster Yuan (Qi)). Meanwhile, by 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine

(BrdU) specific immunodetection, the decreased cell proliferation in dentate

gyrus (DG) of SAMP8 was greatly enhanced by the therapeutic acupuncture,

suggesting acupoint-related specificity. Even though no significant

differences were found in ventricular/subventricular zones (VZ/SVZ) of the

third ventricle (V3) and lateral ventricle (LV) between groups, we obtained

interesting results: a stream-like distribution of newly proliferated cells

presented along the dorsum of alveus hippocampi (Alv), extending from LV

to corpus callosum (CC), and the therapeutic acupuncture showed a marked

effect on this region. Our research suggests that acupuncture can induce

different cell proliferation in different brain regions of SAMP8, which brings

forth the need to explore further for the mechanism of cognitive deficits and

acupuncture intervention in this field. PMID: 18215464 [PubMed - as

supplied by publisher]

 

Kofotolis ND, Vlachopoulos SP, Kellis E. Sequentially allocated clinical trial

of rhythmic stabilization exercises and TENS in women with chronic low

back pain. Clin Rehabil. 2008 Feb;22(2):99-111. Laboratory of

Neuromuscular Control and Therapeutic Exercise, Department of Physical

Education and Sport Science at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,

Greece. kof-nik Objective: To examine the effectiveness of

rhythmic stabilization exercises and transcutaneous electrical nerve

stimulation (TENS) and their combination in treating women with chronic low

back pain.Design: Sequentially allocated, single-blinded and controlled

study, with a two-month follow-up.Setting: The data were collected in a

patient rehabilitation setting.Subjects: A total of 92 women (34-46 years old)

with chronic low back pain were studied.Interventions: Sequential allocation

was undertaken into four groups: ;rhythmic stabilization' (n=23), ;rhythmic

stabilization - TENS' (n=23), TENS (n=23), and a placebo group (n = 23).

Each programme lasted for four weeks. All outcome measures were

assessed prior to, immediately after, four weeks and eight weeks post

intervention.Main measures: Data were obtained on functional disability,

pain intensity, trunk extension range of motion, dynamic endurance of trunk

flexion and static endurance of trunk extension.Results: A total of 88

patients provided two-month follow-up data. The ;rhythmic stabilization' and

the ;rhythmic stabilization - TENS' groups displayed statistically significant

(P<0.05) improvements in functional disability and pain intensity (ranging

from 21.2 to 42.8%), trunk extension range of motion (ranging from 6.5 to

25.5%), dynamic endurance of trunk flexion and static endurance of trunk

extension (ranging from 13.5 to 74.3%) compared with the remaining

groups. Conclusions: The rhythmic stabilization programmes resulted in

more gains in women with chronic low back pain regarding the present

outcome variables compared with the other groups; therefore, its application

in female chronic low back pain patients aged 34-46 years is recommended.

PMID: 18212032 [PubMed - in process]

 

Liebano RE, Abla LE, Ferreira LM. Effect of low-frequency transcutaneous

electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the viability of ischemic skin flaps in

the rat: An amplitude study. Wound Repair Regen. 2008 Jan-Feb;16(1):65-

9. Plastic Surgery Division, Surgery Department, Federal University of São

Paulo, São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil, and Department of

Physical Therapy, University of the City of Sã Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. The

purpose of this study was to determine the effect of low-frequency (2 Hz)

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the viability of

ischemic skin flaps in the rat. Seventy-five EPM1-Wistar rats were used.

The random skin flap measuring 10 x 4 cm was raised and a plastic barrier

was placed between the flap and its bed. After the surgical procedure,

animals in all groups were kept anesthetized for 1 hour, with electrodes

placed at the base of the flap, and received the assigned treatment. The

animals were randomized into five groups (G1-G5) and each group was

subjected to the following procedures, which were repeated on the 2

subsequent days: G1-sham stimulation (control); G2-transcutaneous

electrical nerve stimulation, TENS (f=2 Hz, I=5 mA), G3-TENS (f=2 Hz, I=10

mA), G4-TENS (f=2 Hz, I=15 mA), G5-TENS (f=2 Hz, I=20 mA). Seven days

after treatment, the percentage of flap necrosis was determined. For each

group, the mean+/-SEM percentage of flap necrosis was as follows: G1

group (control), 43.88+/-2.02%; G2 group, 39.20+/-3.17%; G3 group,

38.57+/-4.08%; G4 group, 32.14+/-2.89%; and G5 group, 44.13+/-2.98%.

The G4 group had the smallest necrotic area compared with the control

group. The low-frequency TENS treatment (f=2 Hz, I=15 mA) was effective

in improving the viability of ischemic skin flap. PMID: 18211581 [PubMed - in

process]

 

Bäcker M, Grossman P, Schneider J, Michalsen A, Knoblauch N, Tan L,

Niggemeyer C, Linde K, Melchart D, Dobos GJ. Acupuncture in Migraine:

Investigation of Autonomic Effects. Clin J Pain. 2008 Feb;24(2):106-115.

*Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine

V, University of Duisburg-Essen, Kliniken Essen Mitte +Freiburg Institute for

Mindfulness Research, Freiburg §Department of Internal Medicine II, Centre

for Complementary Medicine Research, Technical University Munich,

Germany Department of Psychosomatic and Internal Medicine, University

of Basel Medical Center, Basel, Switzerland. OBJECTIVE: A dysregulation

of the autonomic nervous system is discussed as a pathogenetic factor in

migraine. As acupuncture has been shown to exhibit considerable

autonomic effects, we tested whether the clinical effects of acupuncture in

migraine prophylaxis are mediated by changes of the autonomic regulation.

METHODS: We simultaneously monitored changes of heart-rate variability

(HRV) as an index of cardiac autonomic control and clinical improvement

during an acupuncture treatment in 30 migraineurs. HRV was derived from

spectral analysis of the electrocardiogram, which was performed before,

during, and after the first and the last session of a series of 12 acupuncture

sessions. Migraineurs were randomly allocated to 2 groups receiving either

verum acupuncture (VA) or sham acupuncture (SA) treatment. RESULTS:

Across the combined VA and SA groups, the clinical responders (with at

least 50% reduction of migraine attacks) exhibited a decrease of the low-

frequency (LF) power of HRV in the course of the treatment, which was not

be observed in patients without clinical benefit. VA compared with SA

induced a stronger decrease of high-frequency power. The mode of

acupuncture, however, did not have an impact on the LF component of HRV

or the clinical outcome. DISCUSSION: The data indicate, that VA and SA

acupuncture might have a beneficial influence on the autonomic nervous

system in migraineurs with a reduction of the LF power of HRV related to the

clinical effect. This might be due to a reduction of sympathetic nerve activity.

VA and SA induce different effects on the high-frequency component of

HRV, which seem, however, not to be relevant for the clinical outcome in

migraine. PMID: 18209515 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Alecrim-Andrade J, Maciel-Júnior JA, Carnè X, Severino Vasconcelos GM,

Correa-Filho HR. Acupuncture in Migraine Prevention: A Randomized Sham

Controlled Study With 6-months Posttreatment Follow-up. Clin J Pain. 2008

Feb;24(2):98-105. *Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of

Barcelona §Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona,

Catalunya, Spain Department of Neurology, Headache Clinic, School of

Medical Sciences Epidemiology Faculty, Department of Social and

Preventive Medicine, School of Medical Sciences +State University of

Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of

acupuncture in migraine prophylaxis. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with

migraine were enrolled in a randomized control trial at the Headache clinic

located in a University Hospital. Real and sham acupuncture groups

received 16 acupuncture sessions over 3 months. Treatment was

individualized in the real acupuncture group and minimal acupuncture was

used in the sham group. The primary end point was the percentage of

patients with a >/=50% reduction in their migraine attack frequency in the

second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth (months) compared with the first one

(baseline period). Primary and secondary end points were measured

comparing headache diaries. RESULTS: Real acupuncture group showed

improvement with significant differences compared with the sham

acupuncture group in the primary efficacy end point (P=0.021) at the second

month of the treatment. Differences also appeared in 2 secondary end

points: number of days with migraine per month (P=0.007) in the second

month and the percentage of patients with >/=40% reduction in migraine

attack frequency in the first (P=0.044) and second months (P=0.004) of the

treatment. These differences disappeared in the third (last) month of the

treatment as a consequence of the high improvement of the sham

acupuncture group. Comparisons within each group showed that several

migraine parameters evaluated improved significantly in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Individualized treatment based on traditional Chinese

medicine plays a role in preventing migraine attacks. Nevertheless, sham

acupuncture had similar effects. Major conclusions were limited by the small

sample sizes however the observed trends may contribute to design future

trials. PMID: 18209514 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Ge HY, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Madeleine P, Arendt-Nielsen L.

Topographical mapping and mechanical pain sensitivity of myofascial trigger

points in the infraspinatus muscle. Eur J Pain. 2008 Jan 17 [Epub ahead of

print]. Centre for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI), Department of Health

Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7 D-3, DK-

9220 Aalborg, Denmark. OBJECTIVES: To screen for the presence of latent

and active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in patients with unilateral

shoulder and arm pain and perform topographical mapping of mechanical

pain sensitivity bilaterally in the infraspinatus muscles. METHODS: Nineteen

patients with unilateral musculoskeletal shoulder pain participated in the

study. The area overlying the infraspinatus on each side was divided into 10

adjacent sub-areas of 1cm(2), corresponding to the area of a pressure

algometer probe. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was measured in each sub-

area bilaterally in the infraspinatus muscles. Following PPT measurement,

an acupuncture needle was inserted into each sub-area five times in

different directions in order to induce local twitch response and/or referred

pain. RESULTS: A significantly lower PPT level in the infraspinatus muscle

was detected on the painful side compared with the non-painful side

(P=0.001). PPT at midfiber region of the infraspinatus muscles was lower

than that at other muscle parts (P<0.05). Multiple, but not single, active

MTrPs were found in the infraspinatus muscle on the painful side and there

were also multiple latent MTrPs bilaterally in the infraspinatus muscles. PPT

at active MTrPs was much lower than the latent MTrPs and again lower than

the non-MTrPs. CONCLUSIONS: There exists bilateral mechanical

hyperalgesia in patients with unilateral shoulder pain. Further, the

association of multiple active MTrPs with unilateral shoulder pain and the

heterogeneity of mechanical pain sensitivity distribution suggest a crucial

role of peripheral sensitization in chronic myofascial pain conditions.

Additionally, the locations of MTrPs identified with dry needling correspond

well to PPT topographical mapping, suggesting that dry needling and PPT

topographical mapping are sensitive techniques in the identification of

MTrPs. PMID: 18203637 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Best regards,