Comprehensive therapeutic protocol of electroacupuncture combined with Chinese herbs and rehabilitation training for treatment of cerebral infarction: a multi-center randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the therapeutic effect of comprehensive therapeutic protocol of electroacupuncture combined with active-blood-and-dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training for cerebral infarction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A multi-center randomized controlled trial was done, three hundred and twenty cases were divided into four groups: electroacupuncture combined with active-blood and dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training group (group A), electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation training group (group B), herbs combined with rehabilitation training group (group C) and rehabilitation training group (group D), 80 cases in each group. The following two groups of acupoints were used alternatively in electroacupuncture treatment: the first group including Vasomotor Area, Jianyu (LI 15), Biguan (ST 31), Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3); the second group including Motor Area, Quchi (LI 11), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Shenshu (BL 23). 20 mL Xiangdan injection and 250 mL 5% glucose injection or 250 mL 0.9% sodium chloride injection were used by intravenous drip in herbs treatment once a day. The rehabilitation training was performed by the professional physical therapist. Each group was treated with corresponding treatment protocol. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by index of the mortality or disability rate 3 months after the onset of disease. The intention to treat analysis (ITT) was used in data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mortality or handicap rate 3 months after the onset of disease of four groups were 17.5% (14/80) in group A, 22.5% (18/80) in group B, 40. 0% (32/80) in group C, and 31.3% (25/80) in group D, respectively. The group A has a best therapeutic effect (vs group C, group D, both P<0.05), and there was no adverse event.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combined application of electroacupuncture, active-blood and dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training is a better treatment for cerebral infarction in clinic.</p>

Clinically randomized controlled study on abdominal acupuncture for treatment of cervical spondylosis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare clinical therapeutic effects of abdominal acupuncture and traditional acupuncture on cervical spondylosis (CS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-two cases of neck or nerve-root type CS were randomly divided into an observation group (n=32) treated by abdominal acupuncture at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and others, and a control group (n=30) treated by traditional acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20) and cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2), etc.. Simplified McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and clinical therapeutic effects were served as the objective indexes. Their clinical therapeutic effects were compared after the first session of treatment, at the end of therapeutic course and 3 months after the end of treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two groups had a same effective rate of 100.0%. All items of MPQ in these two groups after treatment and 3 months after the end of treatment significantly improved, and in the observation group the differences in the PRI feeling score before and after the first treatment, and the difference of the total PRI scores after the first treatment, at the end of therapeutic course and 3 months after the end of treatment significantly improved as compared with the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Abdominal acupuncture can better reduce the pain of the patient caused by CS, with transient pain-alleviating effect, but whether or not the clinical therapeutic effect of abdominal acupuncture is better than the traditional acupuncture still can not be proved.</p>

Observation on short-term therapeutic effect of Bo's abdominal acupuncture on chronic urticaria / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe short-term therapeutic effect and safety of Bo's abdominal acupuncture for treatment of chronic urticaria.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-one cases of chronic urticaria were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30). They were treated respectively with Bo's abdominal acupuncture and cetirizine. Their therapeutic effects were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effective rate was 80.7% in the observation group and 76.7% in the control group with no significant difference, but no adverse effect was found in the observation group, and the adverse effects such as sleepiness, headache, thirsty and so on were found in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Bo's abdominal acupuncture has a short-term therapeutic effect similar to cetirizine on chronic urticaria, and has no adverse effect of anti-histamine agents, being more safe.</p>

Clinically controlled study on phased integral needling method for treatment of cerebral infarction / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare clinical therapeutic effects of phased integral acupuncture and routine acupuncture on patients with cerebral infarction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and thirteen cases were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 63) treated by phased integral acupuncture and a control group (n = 50) treated by routine acupuncture. Their clinical therapeutic effects were compared after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The treatment group in the decreases of both the diagnostic score for TCM diseases of stroke and the score for neurological function defect, and the therapeutic effect was superior to the control group with significant differences (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The phased integral acupuncture is an effective therapy with a therapeutic effect better than that of the routine acupuncture for treatment of hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction.</p>

Randomized controlled study on picking therapy for treatment of cervical spondylosis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To use randomized controlled clinical research method to assess therapeutic effect of picking therapy on cervical spondylosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and fifty-eight cases were randomly divided into a picking therapy group (n=56), a routine acupuncture group (n=55) and a local anesthesia group (n=47). They were treated respectively with picking therapy, routine acupuncture and local anesthesia at Jing bailao (EX HN 15), Dazhui (GV 14), Jianjing (GB 21), etc. Brief McGill Pain Questionaire was used for score, which was combined with clinical symptoms and signs to analyze the therapeutic effect.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cured rate was 57.1% in the picking therapy group, better than 23.6% in the acupuncture group and 14.9% in the local anesthesia group (P < 0.01), and adverse reaction was basically not found in the picking therapy group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Picking therapy is a highly effective and safe therapy for cervical spondylosis.</p>