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Objective To observe the real-time and short-term therapeutic efficacies of fire-needle acupuncture and warm needling in treating cervical vertigo due to upward disturbance of phlegm-turbidity, and compare the two treatment methods. Method Eighty-four patients with cervical vertigo due to upward disturbance of phlegm-turbidity were randomized into a fire-needle acupuncture group and a warm needling group, 42 cases in each group. The two groups received treatment once a day, respectively for 10 sessions. The symptoms, functions and total score were evaluated by adopting the modified Cervical Vertigo Symptoms and Functions Assessment Scale before the second treatment session and after 10 treatment sessions; the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated based on the traditional Chinese medicine symptoms scale. Result The scores after 10 treatment sessions were significantly different from that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05);before the 2nd treatment session, the improvements of the symptoms and total scores in the fire-needle acupuncture group were more significant than that in the warm needling group (P<0.05);after 10 sessions, there were significant differences in comparing the symptoms, functions and total scores between the two groups (P<0.05);the clinical control rate was 26.2%and total effective rate was 95.2%in the fire-needle acupuncture group, versus 9.5%and 90.5%in the warm needling group, and there was a significant difference in comparing the therapeutic efficacy between the two groups. Conclusion Fire-needle acupuncture and warm needling both are effective in treating cervical vertigo due to upward disturbance of phlegm-turbidity, while fire-needle acupuncture can improve the vertigo symptoms in a real-time manner, and its short-term therapeutic efficacy is also superior to that of warm needling.
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Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of pricking anti-Ashi points with fire needles in treating acute lumbar sprain.Method Seventy-six patients with acute lumbar sprain were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 38 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by pricking anti-Ashi points with fire needles, while the control group was by warm needling. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Roland-Morris Dysfunction Questionnaire (RMDQ) were adopted to evaluate lumbar pain and dysfunction after 1-day and 5-day treatment, and the clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups.Result Respectively after the first treatment session and 5 treatment sessions, the VAS and RMDQ scores were significantly changed in both groups (P<0.01). Respectively after the first treatment session and 5 treatment sessions, the VAS and RMDQ scores in the treatment group were significantly different from that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate and recovery rate were respectively 94.7% and 63.2% in the treatment group, versus 86.8% and 42.1% in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01).Conclusion Pricking anti-Ashi points with fire needles is an effective method in treating acute lumbar sprain, and it can produce a significant real-time analgesic effect.
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ObjectiveTo investigate and compare the efficacies of fire needling and warm needling in treating tenosynovitis of long head of biceps brachii.MethodNinety patients were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 45 cases each. The treatment group received fire needling and the control group, warm needling. The therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. The difference in the shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) score between before and after two or four weeks of treatment was assessed in the two groups.ResultThe total efficacy rate was 97.8% in the treatment group and 86.0% in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in therapeutic effect between the two groups (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect was better in the treatment group than in the control group. In the two groups, the SPADI subscores were closely related to treatment time. There was a statistically significant difference between various time points (P<0.01). There were also statistically significant between-group differences in the SPADI pain score and total score (P<0.05).ConclusionBoth fire needling and warm needling are effective in treating tenosynovitis of long head of biceps brachii. The therapeuticeffect of fire needling is superior to that of warm needling.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of different doses of tetramethylpyrazine on injury and calcium overload in myocardial cells of diastole heart failure rat model.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Diastole heart failure model was established by the coarctation of abdominal aorta. 4 weeks after operation, forty rats with DHF were divided into four groups randomly as follows, model (physiological saline 2 mL), tetramethylpyrazine (40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), tetramethylpyrazine (20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), tetramethylpyrazine (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), with 10 rats for each group (n = 10), and 10 sham operation rats was taken as control (physiological saline, 2 mL). After 4 weeks administration, cardiac function was determined by catheter. The changes of myocardial ultrastructure were investigated by means of transmission electron microscope. [Ca2+ ]i was measured by laser scanning confocal microscope [LSCM]. Ca(2+) -ATPase activity of mitochondrion was measured by the method of enzymatic reaction chromatometry.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the control group, the rats of operation group have no significant changes on left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and maximal rising rate of ventricular pressure (+dp/dt(max)), but left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) increased markedly, maximal delining rate of ventricular pressure (-dp/dt(max)) decreased significantly, left ventricular relax time constant quantity (T) markedly extended, myocardial pathology injured markedly, [Ca2+]i in cardiocyte increased markedly and the Ca(2+) -ATPase activity of myocardial mitochondria decreased significantly in the model group. After 4 weeks administration, compared with the model group, LVEDP decreased significantly, -dp/dt(max) increased markedly, T markedly shortened, myocardial ultrastructure damage were significantly reduced, fluorescent value decreased and Ca(2+) -ATPase activity of mitochondrion increased significantly in TMP low-dose group and mid-dose group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low dosage of TMP can reduced myocardial pathology injury, increased Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of myocardial mitochondria, improve cardiac function and [Ca2+]i in cardiocyte and antagonise calcium overload of rats with DHF.</p>