ABSTRACT
[Background] Presenteeism, defined as the practice of sick workers who come to work, and whose work performance effectiveness has been reduced due to various signs and symptoms, causes a significant financial loss to companies. However, comprehensive and effective occupational health countermeasures have not yet been presented. Therefore, we report here the results of an interim analysis to determine whether an allowance for acupuncture treatment is beneficial for workers' presenteeism. [Methods] A four-week randomized intergroup comparative study was conducted on office workers who were aware of their presenteeism. Participants were allocated to either the control group, in which regular recommended presenteeism countermeasures for each workplace were implemented arbitrarily, or to the intervention group in which an allowance of up to 8,000 was given for acupuncture treatment, in addition to the usual arbitrary measures. The primary endpoint was the WHO-HPQ relative presenteeism score: a score lower than 1 indicates lower work performance; and it was analyzed with the "full analysis set" population.[Results] A total of 52 patients were assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 22). On average, the intervention group received acupuncture treatments 1.4 times for stiff neck and shoulders (67%), lower back pain (26%), depression (5%), and allergies (2%), and paid a total of 7,219; and 6,556 was paid as an expense allowance. As a result, the relative presenteeism score was 0.95 in the intervention group, compared to 0.91 in the control group, with a between-group difference of 0.04 (ES (r) = 0.22, P = 0.12).[Conclusions] With a total of up to 8,000 offered to office workers who were aware of their presenteeism, an acupuncture treatment allowance for a four-week period was provided 1.4 times on average. The results suggested that the treatment allowance would increase workers' performance efficiency by about 4% (equivalent to 19,691 per person) compared to those without it.
ABSTRACT
[Objective] Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) causes arrhythmia, and it most frequently occurs in healthy individuals. It has been recently reported that a combination of medical therapy and acupuncture has an effect on arrhythmia. Herein, we report on the use of acupuncture in a patient with PVC.[Case] A 41-year-old male complained of arrhythmia and stiff shoulders. According to the Lown grading system, he was diagnosed with a grade 1 condition using Holter monitor in a hospital for internal diseases. Acupuncture was applied for decreasing the PVC count and discomfort in the chest region.[Methods] Acupuncture was applied at points PC6, BL15, HT7, ST36, GV20, CV17, and KI3. Manipulation involved twirling the stemless needle (30 mm in length, 0.20 mm in diameter) at a low amplitude and high frequency, and the needle was then retained for 10 min. The treatment was applied twice a day for four weeks. Measurements were obtained using a visual analog scale, SF-36v2, and Holter monitor.[Results] After four weeks of treatment, discomfort in the chest region decreased and quality of life improved. Additionally, the PVC count decreased after two weeks of treatment.[Conclusion] Our findings suggest that acupuncture is effective for treatment of PVC.
ABSTRACT
[Objective]Acupuncture has been reported to be useful for temporomandibular disorders. There have been many reports on muscle problems in temporomandibular disorders (TMD) but only a few reports on disc problems. We report on the use of acupuncture in a temporomandibular disorder patient with disc disorders.<BR>[Case]A 19-year-old female complained of pain upon opening her mouth and trismus. We applied acupuncture with the aim of resolving the disc problems and providing analgesia by a contributing muscle needling approach.<BR>[Methods]The following were measured:intensity of jaw pain, anxiety and satisfaction (visual analogue scale:VAS), position and form of disc and caput mandibulae (MRI) and presence of jaw deviation.<BR>[Results]The following were improved after acupuncture treatments:intensity of jaw pain, anxiety and satisfaction, limitation of jaw movement and jaw deviation. However, the positions of the discs did not change.<BR>[Conclusion]These results suggest that acupuncture may be effective for temporomandibular disorder patients with disc disorders.