Medline Abstracts on Acupuncture

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See these:

 

Gardani G, Cerrone R, Biella C, Galbiati G, Proserpio E, Casiraghi M,

Arnoffi J, Meregalli M, Trabattoni P, Dapretto E, Giani L, Messina G,

Lissoni P. A progress study of 100 cancer patients treated by

acupressure for chemotherapy-induced vomiting after failure with the

pharmacological approach. Minerva Med. 2007 Dec;98(6):665-8.

Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza,

Milan, Italy. AIM: The recent rediscovery of the natural traditional

medical sciences has contributed to improve the treatment of the

human diseases and, in particular, it has been shown that the

pharmacological approach is not the only possible strategy in the

treatment of nausea and vomiting, since bioenergetic approaches, such

as acupressure and acupuncture, may also counteract the onset of

vomiting due to different causes. Previous preliminary clinical

studies had already suggested a possible efficacy of acupressure also

in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced vomiting resistant to the

classical antiemetic drugs. The aim of this study was to confirm

these preliminary data. METHODS: The study was performed in 100

consecutive metastatic solid tumour patients, who underwent

chemotherapy for their advanced neoplastic disease, and who had no

benefit from the standard antiemetic agents, including

corticosteroids, antidopaminergics and 5-HT 3R-antagonists.

Acupressure was made by a stimulation of PC6 acupoint. RESULTS: The

emetic symptomatology was reduced by acupressure in 68/100 (68%)

patients, without significant differences in relation to tumour

histotype. The lowest efficacy was observed in patients treated by

anthracycline-containing regimens, without, however, statistically

significant differences with respect to the other chemotherapeutic

combinations. CONCLUSION: This study confirms previous preliminary

clinical results, which had already suggested the potential efficacy

of acupressure in the treatment of vomiting due to cancer

chemotherapy. Therefore, acupressure may be successfully included

within the therapeutic strategies of cancer chemotherapy-induced

vomiting. PMID: 18299681 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

 

Chen ZJ, Guo YP, Wu ZC. [Observation on the therapeutic effect of

acupuncture at pain points on cancer pain] [Article in Chinese]

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2008 Apr;28(4):251-3. Institute of Acupuncture

and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing

100700, China. ziyun321126 OBJECTIVE: To search for a safe

and effective method for alleviating cancer pain. METHODS: Sixty-six

cases of late cancer with pain were first divided into 3 different

degrees of pain, mild, moderate and severe, and then the patients

with pain of each same degree were randomly divided into an

acupuncture group treated by acupuncture at 3-5 of the most severe

tender points, and a medication group treated with oral

administration according to the WHO Three Step Administration

Principle, i.e. the patients with mild pain took aspirin, moderate

pain took codeine and severe pain took morphine. RESULTS: Both two

methods could effectively control cancer pain. The total effective

rate of 94.1% in the acupuncture group was significantly better than

87.5% in the medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The analgesic

effect of acupuncture treatment is better than that of the Three Step

Administration, with no adverse effect and addiction of analgesics.

PMID: 18481713 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

Standish LJ, Kozak L, Congdon S. Acupuncture is underutilized in

hospice and palliative medicine. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2008 Aug-

Sep;25(4):298-308. Epub 2008 Jun 6. Bastyr University, Kenmore,

Washington 98028, USA. ljs Acupuncture is a complementary

and alternative medical modality. A considerable body of acupuncture

research has accumulated since 1998. Acupuncture has been integrated

into palliative care settings in the United Kingdom but is yet to be

widely offered in the United States. The literature was searched to

identify clinical trials involving acupuncture, palliative care,

hospice, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bone marrow, and

cancer. Twenty-seven randomized controlled clinical trials of

acupuncture were found that reported on conditions common to the

hospice and palliative care setting, including dyspnea, nausea and

vomiting, pain, and xerostomia, and 23 reported statistically

significant results favoring acupuncture use for the conditions

investigated. Acupuncture is safe and clinically cost-effective for

management of common symptoms in palliative care and hospice

patients. Acupuncture has potential as adjunctive care in palliative

and end-of-life care, and the evidence warrants its inclusion in

reimbursed palliative and end-of-life care in the United States.

PMID: 18539767 [PubMed - in process]

 

Crew KD, Capodice JL, Greenlee H, Apollo A, Jacobson JS, Raptis G,

Blozie K, Sierra A, Hershman DL. Pilot study of acupuncture for the

treatment of joint symptoms related to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor

therapy in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. J Cancer Surviv.

2007 Dec;1(4):283-91. Epub 2007 Oct 12. Department of Medicine,

College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York,

NY, USA. INTRODUCTION: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have become the

standard of care for the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal,

hormone-sensitive breast cancer. However, patients receiving AIs may

experience joint symptoms, which may lead to early discontinuation of

this effective therapy. We hypothesize that acupuncture is a safe and

effective treatment for AI-induced arthralgias. METHODS:

Postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer who had self-

reported musculoskeletal pain related to adjuvant AI therapy were

randomized in a crossover study to receive acupuncture twice weekly

for 6 weeks followed by observation or vice-versa. The intervention

included full body and auricular acupuncture, and a joint-specific

point prescription. Outcome measures included the Brief Pain

Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), Western Ontario and McMaster

Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, the Functional Assessment

of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) quality of life measure, and serum

levels of inflammatory markers, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. RESULTS:

Twenty-one women were enrolled and two discontinued early. From

baseline to the end of treatment, patients reported improvement in

the mean BPI-SF worst pain scores (5.3 to 3.3, p = 0.01), pain

severity (3.7 to 2.5, p = 0.02), and pain-related functional

interference (3.1 to 1.7, p = 0.02), as well as the WOMAC function

subscale and FACT-G physical well-being (p = 0.02 and 0.04,

respectively). No adverse events were reported.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, acupuncture reduced AI-

related joint symptoms and improved functional ability and was well-

tolerated. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Musculoskeletal side

effects are common among breast cancer survivors on adjuvant AI

therapy, therefore, effective treatments are needed for symptom

relief and to improve adherence to these life-saving medications.

PMID: 18648963 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

Harding C, Harris A, Chadwick D. Auricular acupuncture: a novel

treatment for vasomotor symptoms associated with luteinizing-hormone

releasing hormone agonist treatment for prostate cancer. BJU Int.

2008 Aug 14. [Epub ahead of print] Department of Urology, James Cook

University Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the

role of auricular acupuncture (AA) in men receiving luteinizing-

hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogues for carcinoma of the

prostate, as vasomotor symptoms can affect the quality of life in

such men, and similar symptoms in postmenopausal women have been

successfully treated with AA. PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 60

consecutive patients with prostate cancer and on LHRH agonist

treatment (median age 74 years, range 58-83) consented to weekly AA

for 10 weeks. The validated 'Measure Yourself Concerns and Well-

being' questionnaire (a six-point scale to assess symptom severity)

was used to assess concerns and well-being before and after

treatment. RESULTS All men completed the treatment with no adverse

events recorded, apart from transient exacerbation of symptoms in two

men; 95% of patients reported a decrease in the severity of symptoms,

from a mean 5.0 to 2.1 (Student's t-test, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The

symptomatic improvement was at levels comparable with that from

pharmacotherapy, and cost analysis showed AA to be a viable

alternative. Larger randomized studies are needed to fully evaluate

AA against more conventional treatments, and these are planned. PMID:

18710455 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Lai M, Wang SM, Wang Y, Tang CL, Kong LW, Xu XY. [Effects of

electroacupuncture of " Zusanli " (ST 36), " Hegu " (LI 4) and/or

" Sanyinjiao " (SP 9) on immunofunction in gastric carcinectomy rats]

[Article in Chinese] Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2008 Aug;33(4):245-9. College

of , Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401331,

China. cqzyjwk OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of

electroacupuncture (EA) of " Zusanli " (ST 36), " Hegu " (LI 4) and/or

" Sanyinjiao " (SP 6) on immune functions in gastric carcinoma rats

after operation. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly divided into

normal control, ST36, L14, SP6, ST36 + LI4, ST36 + SP6, LI4 + SP6,

ST36 + LI4 + SP6, non-acupoint (about 10 mm lateral to ST36) and

model groups, with 6 cases in each. Gastric carcinoma model was made

by intraperitoneal injection of Walker-256 cloned strain (0.1 ml, 2 x

10(7) cells). EA (2-100 Hz, 1-3 mA) was applied to these acupoints

for 30 min, once daily for 7 days. Serum IgG, IgM, IgA, C3 and C4

contents were detected with simple immunodiffusion method; and CD4+

and CD8+ levels were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: In

comparison with normal control group, serum IgG, IgM, IgA, C3, C4 and

CD8+ contents, and CD4+/CD8+ in model group decreased significantly

(P < 0.05, 0.01); while CD8+ content in model group increased

remarkably (P < 0.01). Compared with model group, serum IgG, IgM,

IgA, C3, C4, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ in non-acupoint group had no

significant changes (P > 0.05), while most of these indexes in EA

groups (ST36, LI4, SP6, ST36+ LI4, ST36 + SP6, LI4 + SP6, ST36 + LI4

+ SP6) increased considerably (P < 0.05, 0.01) except CD8+ level

(decreased significantly, P < 0.05, 0.01). No significant differences

were found among 7 EA groups (P > 0.05), but the effects of ST36 +

LI4 + SP6 group were slightly better than those of the other 6 EA

groups. CONCLUSION: EA of " Zusanli " (ST 36), " Hegu " (LI 4) or

" Sanyinjiao " (SP 6) or two of them or these 3 acupoints can obviously

enhance the immune function of post-surgery rats with gastric

carcinoma. PMID: 18928116 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

Lee CH, Hyun JK, Lee SJ. Isolated median sensory neuropathy after

acupuncture. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Dec;89(12):2379-81.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Dankook University College of

Medicine, Cheonan, Choongnam, Republic of Korea. A 47-year-old left-

handed man presented with pain and numbness in his left thumb and

index finger after acupuncture treatment on an acupoint in his left

wrist. A technique of herbal acupuncture, involving the use of a

needle coated with apricot seed extract, was used. Median nerve

conduction study showed an absence of sensory nerve action potential

in the left index finger, whereas the results were normal in all

other fingers. The radial and ulnar nerves in the left thumb and ring

finger, respectively, showed no abnormality. Infrared thermography of

the left index finger showed severe hypothermia. The patient was

diagnosed as having an isolated injury to the sensory nerve fibers of

the median nerve innervating the index finger. This is the first case

report of complications from an herbal acupuncture treatment, and it

highlights the possibility of focal peripheral nerve injury caused by

acupuncture. PMID: 19061751 [PubMed - in process]

 

PHIL's COMMENT: There is no mention in the abstract of neuritis due

to local infection of the nerve. However, there is a suggestion that

laetrile and amygdalin (in bitter almonds and apricot seeds) can be

neurotoxic. See: http://tinyurl.com/5f4lek IMO, it is most unwise to

coat a needle with apricot-seed extract and insert it into acupoints,

especially those directly over peripheral nerves.

 

Chae Y, Lee H, Kim H, Sohn H, Park JH, Park HJ. The neural

substrates of verum acupuncture compared to non-penetrating placebo

needle: An fMRI study. Neurosci Lett. 2008 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of

print] Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee

University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-701, Republic of

Korea; Department of Meridian & Acupoints, College of Korean

Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul

130-701, Republic of Korea. Acupuncture, an ancient East Asian

therapeutic technique, is currently emerging as an important modality

in complementary and alternative medicine around the world. Several

studies have provided useful information regarding neurophysiological

mechanisms of acupuncture in human brain activation. We explored

brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

and compared verum acupuncture to placebo needles. Two fMRI scans

were taken in random order in a block design, one for verum

acupuncture and one for non-penetrating placebo needles at the motor

function-implicated acupoint LR2, on the left foot, in 10 healthy

volunteers. We calculated the contrast that subtracted the blood

oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses between the verum and sham

acupuncture. Verum acupuncture stimulation elicited significant

activation in both motor function-related brain areas, including the

caudate, claustrum, and cerebellum, and limbic-related structures,

such as the medial frontal gyrus, the cingulate gyrus, and the

fusiform gyrus. These findings suggest that acupuncture not only

elicited acupoint-implicated brain activation, but also modulated the

affective components of the pain matrix. The current investigation of

the specific pattern of the brain activation related to genuine

acupuncture provides new information regarding the neurobiological

basis of acupuncture. PMID: 19061937 [PubMed - as supplied by

publisher]

 

Cheng S, Ma M, Ma Y, Wang Z, Xu G, Liu X. Combination therapy with

intranasal NGF and electroacupuncture enhanced cell proliferation and

survival in rats after stroke. Neurol Res. 2008 Dec 5. [Epub ahead

of print] OBJECTIVE: This work was designed to investigate the

effects of the combination therapy with intranasal (IN)

administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) and electroacupuncture

(EA) on neural progenitors and neurological functional recovery in

adult rats after focal ischemia. METHODS: Rats subjected to 2 hours

of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were randomly assigned to

four groups: Group 1, IN administration of phosphate-buffered saline

(PBS) for control; Group 2, IN administration of NGF alone; Group 3,

EA with IN administration of PBS; Group 4, IN administration of NGF

with EA. Treatments were initiated at 2 hours after MCAO and

continued for three consecutive days. All animals received daily

injections of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) intraperitoneally for 7 days

starting at 24 hours after reperfusion and were killed at 2 hours or

21 days after the last BrdU injection. Neurological function and

infarct volume were evaluated. Immunohistochemistry for BrdU was

performed to identify newborn cells in the ipsilateral subventricular

zone and striatum. RESULTS: The combination treatment led to

significant improvement in neurological function and reduction in

infarct volume. Cell proliferation and survival of progenitors were

enhanced in rats treated with the combination treatment. CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that IN administration of NGF and EA may have a

synergistic effect in preventing ischemic injury and enhancing

functional recovery after focal cerebral ischemia, which may be

attributed to enhanced cell proliferation and survival. PMID:

19061539 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Scaglia M, Delaini G, Destefano I, Hult¨¦n L. Fecal incontinence

treated with acupuncture - a pilot study. Auton Neurosci. 2008 Dec 4.

[Epub ahead of print] University of Turin - School of Medicine,

Section of General Surgery, S. Luigi Hospital, Orbassano, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: Acupuncture has been used successfully for the treatment

of urinary bladder dysfunction. The aim of this study was therefore

to investigate if manual acupuncture might also affect fecal

incontinence favorably. METHODS: The study comprises 15 female

patients, median age 60 years (39 -75). Before treatment and at

regular intervals after acupuncture sessions the defects of anal

continence were assessed. Ano-rectal function was assessed by means

of recto anal manovolumetry. Each patient was submitted to one

acupuncture treatment per week for a ten-week period. Subsequently, a

control session was repeated once per month up to 7 months for six

patients. A final functional assessment was performed at 18 months.

RESULT: Patients experienced a significant improvement in anal

continence, the overall continence score which changed from 10 (3 -

21) estimated before treatment to zero (0 - 7) (p<0.05) at 10 weeks.

Patients with irregular bowel habits and/or loose stools reported

significant improvement. On the manovolumetric variables a limited

increase of resting from 25 (17-35) mmHg to 36 (20-42) mmHg, (p=0.05)

and sustained squeeze anal pressure, changing from 41 (32-68) mmHg to

60 (40-100) mmHg (p<0.05) were reported. Rectal sensory function

remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture offers good opportunities

for improving fecal incontinence. The mechanism of action is obscure

but might be an effect of the " neuromodulation " of the recto-anal

function similar to that explaining the favorable results achieved by

sacral nerve stimulation. The concomitant regulation of disordered

bowel habits may also contribute to the satisfactory results. PMID:

19059009 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

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