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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of shallow acupuncture combined with ear-acupoint pellet-pressing in the treatment of primary insomnia in patients with qi-stagnation constitution. METHODS: A total of 60 primary insomnia outpatients with qi-stagnation constitution were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. The patients in the control group were given oral Alprazolam tablets once a day, and those in the treatment group given shallow acupuncture of Yintang (EX-HN3), Shangen (inferior to EX-HN3), Anmian (EX-HN16) and bilateral Xingjian (LR2) and bilateral Taichong (LR3), once a day, and combined with pellet-pressing of ear acupoints "Shenmen""Sympathy""Subcortex""Heart" and "Liver" once every other day. Each course of treatment was 10 consecutive days, and both groups were treated for three courses. The sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the emotional status assessed using Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the qi-stagnation state evaluated according to "the Criteria for Classification and Judgement of Constitution of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2009)". The therapeutic effect was evaluated according to "the Criteria for Diagnosis and Evaluation of Therapeutic Effect of Diseases of Traditional Chinese Medicine"．. RESULTS: Of the two 30 cases in the control and treatment groups, 2 (6.7%) and 6 (20.0%) were cured, 6 (20.0%) and 14 (46.7%) experienced marked improvement in their symptoms, 21 (70.0%) and 6 (20.0%) were effective, and 1 (3.3%) and 4 (13.3%) ineffective, with the effective rate being 86.7% and 96.7%, respectively. No significant difference was found between the two groups in the short-term effect (P>0.05). One month's follow-up showed that, of the two 30 cases in the control and treatment groups, 2 (6.7%) and 5 (16.7%) were cured, 4(13.3%) and 14 (46.6%) experienced marked improvement, 10 (33.3%) and 6 (20.0%) were effective, and 14(46.7%) and 5(16.7%) ineffective, with the effective rate being 53.3% and 83.3%, respectively. The long-term therapeutic effect of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group (P<0.05). After the treatment, both PSQI and SDS scores in the two groups, and qi-stagnation score in the treatment group showed a significant reduction in comparison with their own pretreatment (P<0.05), and one-month's follow-up (not the short-term outcome) displayed that the PSQI, SDS and qi-stagnation scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05)．. CONCLUSION: Shallow acupuncture combined with ear-acupoint pellet-pressing can significantly improve sleep quality, depression symptoms, and pathological constitution in primary insomnia patients with qi-stagnation constitution, possessing a stable long-term clinical effect.
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[Objective]To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular press-needle combined western medicine in treating post-stroke insomnia and explore the mechanism. [Methods] Total 72 patients with post-stroke insomnia were randomized to the treatment group and control group, 36 patients in each group. The two groups were treated with post-stroke insomnia and other basic diseases. The treatment group received auricular press-needle and western medicine, while the control group were only given western medicine. The changes of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) scores and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) scores of the two groups before and after treatment, 1 month after the treatment, were observed to compare the clinical curative effects of the two groups. [Results] The total effective rate of the treatment group was 94.44% better than 75.00% in the control group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01). The NIHSS scores of treatment group were less than the scores in the control group after treatment. Follow-up after 1 month, the PSQI scores of treatment group were not statistically significant( P>0.05), the long-term effect remained significant. But the control group was statistically significant(P<0.01), the long-term effect was not significant. [Conclusion] Auricular press-needle combined western medicine treating post-stroke insomnia had better clinical efficacy than only western medicine, promoting the recovery of nerve function. Meanwhile it had excellent long-term effect, thus deserving popularization.
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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding in treating senile primary insomnia.Method Seventy patients were allocated, using a random number table, to observation and control groups, 35 cases each. The observation group received ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding with alternate selections of left and right ear acupoints and the control group took estazolam tablets, 1 mg once before bedtime. Both groups were treated once every other day, for 30 days. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score were recorded before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated.Result The total efficacy rate was 91.4% in the observation group and 82.9% in the control group. It was higher in the observation group than in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In the observation group, the sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime dysfunction scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). In the control group, the sleep duration and sleep efficiency scores and the total score were lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). After treatment, the sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction scores and the total score were lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05) and the sleep duration score was lower in the control group than in the observation group (P<0.05). In both groups, the ISI score was lower after treatment than before (P<0.05). It decreased more significantly in the observation group than in the control group; therewas a statistically significant difference (P<0.05).Conclusion Ear acupoint thumbtack needle embedding has a definite therapeutic effect on senile primary insomnia. It can reduce sleep disturbances, improve daytime function and decrease insomnia severity in the patients.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the therapeutical effect of ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting on haemorheology in chloasma patients with Gan (Liver) depression pattern.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 180 chloasma patients were randomly assigned to three groups, 60 cases in each. Patients in the earacupuncture (EA) group were treated with ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting; vitamins C and E were put into practice in the Western medicine (WM) group together with 0.025% tretinoin cream for local external application; patients in the placebo group were treated with urea-cream by external use, while 30 healthy volunteers were in the control group. After a treatment course of 2 months, the changes of haemorheology, injury skin area, colour score and symptom score before and after the treatment were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference on whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear, medium shear, and low shear), erythrocyte aggregation index, hematocrit, plasma viscosity among the four groups (F =2.65, P>0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the whole blood viscosity (high shear) and whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear) after treatment in the EA group, the WM group and the placebo group were with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The injury skin area and colour score after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment in the EA group and the WM group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in placebo group (P>0.05). Clinical symptoms of the EA group were obviously improved after the 2-month treatment, which was significantly different compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), there was significant difference compared with those of WM group and placebo group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There was no significant difference on haemorheology index between healthy people and chloasma patients without angionosis, cerebrovascular disease, hematopathy, metabolic disease or any other organic disease. Ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting can effectively improve concurrent symptoms, lighten chloasma and lower chloasma area in patients accompanied by Gan depression.</p>